Quasiclassical and quantum systems of angular momentum. I. Group algebras as a framework for quantum-mechanical models with symmetries

Authors V. Kovalchuk, Agnieszka Martens, Barbara Gołubowska, J. J. Sławianowski, Ewa Eliza Rożko

Publication date 19 December 2011

Published in Journal of Geometry and Symmetry in Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1007.4121

Applications of Lie groups to the sciences; explicit representations (22E70) Finite-dimensional groups and algebras motivated by physics and their representations (81R05) Operator algebra methods applied to problems in quantum theory (81R15)

Abstract: We use the mathematical structure of group algebras and

H^{+}

-algebras for describing certain problems concerning the quantum dynamics of systems of angular momenta, including also the spin systems. The underlying groups are

m S U (2)

and its quotient

m S O (3, m a t h b b R)

. The scheme developed is applied in two different contexts. Firstly, the purely group-algebraic framework is applied to the system of angular momenta of arbitrary origin, e.g., orbital angular momenta of electrons and nucleons, systems of quantized angular momenta of rotating extended objects like molecules. The other promising area of applications is Schr"odinger quantum mechanics of rigid body with its often rather unexpected and very interesting features. Even within this Schr"odinger framework the algebras of operators related to group algebras are a very useful tool. We investigate some problems of composed systems and the quasiclassical limit obtained as the asymptotics of "large" quantum numbers, i.e., "quickly oscillating" functions on groups. They are related in an interesting way to geometry of the coadjoint orbits of

m S U (2)

.

Review text

The purpose of this work (being the first part of three) is to provide a solid formal framework for quantum-mechanical models and their symmestries. To this extent, an approach based on the theory of \(H^{+}\) algebras (i.e., a Banach algebra the underlying space of which is a Hilbert space) introduced by \textit{W. Ambrose} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 57, 364--386 (1945; Zbl 0060.26906)] and group algebras is considered for the description of quantum dynamics with underlying groups \(SU(2)\) and \(SO(3)\). The use of group algebras offers itself two different but related ways. The first one uses the structure of topological groups (locally compact), and the possibility of the pointwise product of functions is used in addition to the convolution product of group algebras. Analyzing these products the well known Clebsch-Gordan coefficients are recovered, which further provides the physical interpretation of composing angular momenta [\textit{A. R. Edmonds}, Angular momentum in quantum mechanics. Investigations in Physics, No. 4. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press (1957; Zbl 0079.42204)]. The second scheme is based on the Schrödinger framework of Quantum Mechanics. In this context, the representations of the group algebra are used to analyze composed systems and the quasiclassical limits. A nice interpretation in terms of the coadjoint orbits of the group \(SU(2)\) is obtained.

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