How the geometric calculus resolves the ordering ambiguity of quantum theory in curved space

DOI10.1088/0264-9381/20/13/318zbMATH Open1043.83020arXivgr-qc/0111092OpenAlexW2014328917MaRDI QIDQ4457627FDOQ4457627

Matej Pavšič

Publication date: 25 March 2004

Published in: Classical and Quantum Gravity (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: The long standing problem of the ordering ambiguity in the definition of the Hamilton operator for a point particle in curved space is naturally resolved by using the powerful geometric calculus based on Clifford Algebra. The momentum operator is defined to be the vector derivative (the gradient) multiplied by $-i$; it can be expanded in terms of basis vectors $gamm{a}_{m}u$ as $p=-igamm{a}^{m}u{p}_{m}u$. The product of two such operators is unambiguous, and such is the Hamiltonian which is just the D'Alambert operator in curved space; the curvature scalar term is not present in the Hamiltonian if we confine our consideration to scalar wave functions only. It is also shown that $p$ is Hermitian and self-adjoint operator: the presence of the basis vectors $gamm{a}^{m}u$ compensates the presence of $sqrt|g|$ in the matrix elements and in the scalar product. The expectation value of such operator follows the classical geodetic line.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0111092

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds (81T20) Methods of quantum field theory in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C47)

Cited In (8)

• Novel physical consequences of the extended relativity in Clifford spaces
• Algebraic and Dirac–Hestenes spinors and spinor fields
• Momentum gauge fields from curved momentum space through Kaluza–Klein reduction
• On the coupling of relativistic particle to gravity and Wheeler–DeWitt quantization
• Towards quantum mechanics on the curved cotangent bundle
• The extended relativity theory in Clifford phase spaces and modifications of gravity at the Planck/Hubble scales
• Generalized gravity in Clifford spaces, vacuum energy and grand unification
• SPIN GAUGE THEORY OF GRAVITY IN CLIFFORD SPACE: A REALIZATION OF KALUZA–KLEIN THEORY IN FOUR-DIMENSIONAL SPACE–TIME

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