Trajectory construction of Dirac evolution

DOI10.1098/RSPA.2019.0682MaRDI QIDQ5160894zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Peter Holland

Publication date 29 October 2021

Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.05829

zbMATH Keywords

continuity equationLorentz covariancepropagatorquantum physicsquantum trajectories

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Closed and approximate solutions to the Schrödinger, Dirac, Klein-Gordon and other equations of quantum mechanics (81Q05) Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds (81T20)

Abstract: We extend our programme of representing the quantum state through exact stand-alone trajectory models to the Dirac equation. We show that the free Dirac equation in the angular coordinate representation is a continuity equation for which the real and imaginary parts of the wavefunction, angular versions of Majorana spinors, define conserved densities. We hence deduce an exact formula for the propagation of the Dirac spinor derived from the self-contained first-order dynamics of two sets of trajectories in 3-space together with a mass-dependent evolution operator. The Lorentz covariance of the trajectory equations is established by invoking the relativity of the trajectory label. We show how these results extend to the inclusion of external potentials. We further show that the angular version of the Dirac equation implies continuity equations for currents with non-negative densities, for which the Dirac current defines the mean flow. This provides an alternative trajectory construction of free evolution. Finally, we examine the polar representation of the Dirac equation, which also implies a non-negative conserved density but does not map into a stand-alone trajectory theory. It reveals how the quantum potential is tacit in the Dirac equation.

Recommendations

• Path integral for the Dirac equation.
• A semiclassical approach to the Dirac equation
• Progress in a trajectory interpretation of the Klein-Gordon equation
• Schrödinger dynamics as a two-phase conserved flow: an alternative trajectory construction of quantum propagation
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4065350

Cites work

• A projector path integral for the Dirac equation and the spin derivation of space
• Clifford algebras and spinors.
• Computing the wavefunction from trajectories: particle and wave pictures in quantum mechanics and their relation
• Hidden variables as computational tools: the construction of a relativistic spinor field
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3134122 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3706746 (Why is no real title available?)
• Hydrodynamic construction of the electromagnetic field
• Hydrodynamics, particle relabelling and relativity
• Lagrangian Fluid Dynamics
• On systems having Poincaré and Galileo symmetry
• Quantum field dynamics from trajectories
• Quantum potential energy as concealed motion
• Schrödinger dynamics as a two-phase conserved flow: an alternative trajectory construction of quantum propagation
• The Quantum State as Spatial Displacement
• Theory of the Fermi Interaction
• Uniqueness of conserved currents in quantum mechanics

Cited in

(1)

• Eliminating the wavefunction from quantum dynamics: the bi-Hamilton-Jacobi theory, trajectories and time reversal

This page was built for publication: Trajectory construction of Dirac evolution

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q5160894)