We have revisited the Dirac theory in 1+1 and 2+1 dimensions by using the covariant representation of the parity-extended Poincaré group in their native dimensions. The parity operator plays a crucial role in deriving wave equations in both theories. We studied two position operators, a canonical one and a covariant one that becomes the particle position operator projected onto the particle subspace. In 1+1 dimensions the particle position operator, not the canonical position operator, provides the conserved Lorentz generator. The mass moment defined by the canonical position operator needs an additional unphysical spin-like operator to become the conserved Lorentz generator in 1+1 dimensions. In 2+1 dimensions, the sum of the orbital angular momentum given by the canonical position operator and the spin angular momentum becomes a constant of motion. However, orbital and spin angular momentum do not conserve separately. On the other hand the orbital angular momentum given by the particle position operator and its corresponding spin angular momentum become a constant of motion separately.
The problem of the position and spin in relativistic quantum mechanics is analyzed in detail. It is definitively shown that the position and spin operators in the Foldy-Wouthuysen representation (but not in the Dirac one) are quantum-mechanical counterparts of the classical position and spin variables. The probabilistic interpretation is valid only for Foldy-Wouthuysen wave functions. The relativistic spin operators are discussed. The spin-orbit interaction does not exist for a free particle if the conventional operators of the orbital angular momentum and the rest-frame spin are used. Alterna…
Motivated by recent interest in relativistic electron vortex states, we revisit the spin and orbital angular momentum properties of Dirac electrons. These are uniquely determined by the choice of the position operator for a relativistic electron. We overview two main approaches discussed in the literature: (i) the projection of operators onto the positive-energy subspace, which removes the zitterbewegung effects and correctly describes spin-orbit interaction effects, and (ii) the use of Newton-Wigner-Foldy-Wouthuysen operators based on the inverse Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation. We argue that…
We analyse a relativistic scalar particle with a position-dependent mass in a spacetime with a space-like dislocation by showing that relativistic bound states solutions can be achieved. Further, we consider the presence of the Coulomb potential and analyse the relativistic position-dependent mass system subject to the Coulomb potential in the spacetime with a space-like dislocation. We also show that a new set of relativistic bound states solutions can be obtained, where there also exists the influence of torsion of the relativistic energy levels. Finally, we investigate an analogue of the Ah…
It is shown that the results of our paper are correct, although the use of the chirality operator $γ_5=σ_1$ in the paper is not correct, as fairly the authors of the Comment stated.
In the framework of vector model of spin, we discuss the problem of a covariant formalism \cite{Pomeranskii1998} concerning the discrepancy between relativistic and Pauli Hamiltonians. We show how the spin-induced non commutativity of a position accounts the discrepancy on the classical level, without appeal to the Dirac equation and Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation.
We challenge the widespread belief, originated by Newton and Wigner (Rev. Mod. Phys, 21, 400 (1949)) that the incorporation of special relativity into quantum mechanics implies that a massive particle cannot be localized within an arbitrarily small spatial extent, that there is a minimum width approximately equal to the Compton wavelength. Our argument is in four parts. First, the scalar function used by Newton and Wigner as a measure of localization is not a position probability amplitude. The correct relativistic position probability amplitude becomes a delta function for a state vector loca…
In this work, we study the Aharonov-Bohm-Coulomb (ABC) system for a relativistic Dirac particle with position-dependent mass (PDM). To solve our system, we use the left-handed and right-handed projection operators. Next, we explicitly obtain the eigenfunctions and the energy spectrum of the particle. We verify that these eigenfunctions are written in terms of the generalized Laguerre polynomials and the energy spectrum depends on the parameters Z, $Φ_{AB}$ and $κ$. We notice that the parameter $κ$ has the function of increasing the values of the energy levels of the system. In addition, the us…
In this paper, we present a formulation of Schwinger's Method for non relativistic propogators in momentum space. While the aforementioned method has been used heavily in some papers to deduce various non relativistic propogators in position space, we show that a variation of method in momentum space works well. We also show how to extract the Propogator for the concerned case for the harmonic oscillator.
We consider a massive particle of arbitrary spin and the basis vectors that carry the unitary, irreducible representations of the Poincaré group. From the complex coefficients in normalizable superpositions of these basis vectors, we identify momentum/spin-component probability amplitudes with the same interpretation as in the nonrelativistic theory. We find the relativistic transformations of these amplitudes, which are unitary in that they preserve the modulus-squared of scalar products from frame to frame. Space inversion and time reversal are also treated. We reconsider the Newton- Wigner …
We investigate whether the Newton-Wigner position probability density, extended from spinless particles to electrons/positrons and particles of higher spin, can be incorporated as the zero component of a four-component probability current density that transforms locally as a four-vector function of the spacetime coordinates. We find that this is not possible, in all cases.
We find the laws for the spreading of the spatial widths (parallel and transverse to the direction of average motion) of the relativistic position probability density for a massive, spinless particle. We find that when the momentum width of the wavepacket is small compared to the average momentum, there is a long time over which spreading is minimal. This result may be useful in particle accelerator design. We also demonstrate the Lorentz contraction of a wavepacket using relativistic probability amplitudes.
Ehrenfest theorem is proven in relativistic quantum theory of charged particles, moving under the influence of an external electromagnetic field. In order to extend the classic Ehrenfest result to the relativistic domain we bypassed the problems with the relativistic position operator by deriving directly Newton's second law. Our approach is characterized by its universality. The detailed form of the wave equation is not needed. All that is required is the existence of the conserved electric four-current built from the particle wave function. The derivation is based on the conservation laws fo…
The significance of the de Broglie-Bohm hidden-particle position in the relativistic regime is addressed, seeking connection to the (orthodox) single-particle Newton-Wigner position. The effect of non-positive excursions of the ensemble density for extreme cases of positive-energy waves is easily computed using an integral of the equations of motion developed here for free spin-0 particles in 1+1 dimensions and is interpreted in terms of virtual-like pair creation and annihilation beneath the Compton wavelength. A Bohmtheoretic description of the acausal explosion of a specific Newton-Wigner-l…
In this article we used supersymmetry quantum mechanics and factorization methods to study the bound and scattering state of Klein-Gordon equation with deformed Hulthen plus deformed hyperbolical potential for arbitrary state in D-dimensions. The analytic relativistic bound state eigenvalues and the scattering phase factor are found in closed form. We reported on the numerical results for the bound state energy in D-dimensions.
We discuss relations between several relativistic spin observables and derive a Lorentz-invariant characteristic of a reduced spin density matrix.A relativistic position operator that satisfies all the properties of its nonrelativistic analog does not exist. Instead we propose two causality-preserving positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) that are based on projections onto one-particle and antiparticle spaces, and on the normalized energy density. They predict identical expectation values for position. The variances differ by less than a quarter of the squared de Broglie wavelength and coi…
The investigations presented in this study are directed at relativistic modifications of the uncertainty relation derived from the curvature of the background spacetime. These findings generalize previous work which is recovered in the nonrelativistic limit. Applying the 3+1-splitting in accordance with the ADM-formalism, we find the relativistic physical momentum operator and compute its standard deviation for wave functions confined to a geodesic ball on a spacelike hypersurface. Its radius can then be understood as a measure of position uncertainty. Under the assumtion of small position unc…
We present an exact solution of a confined model of the non-relativistic quantum harmonic oscillator, where the effective mass and the angular frequency are dependent on the position. The free Hamiltonian of the proposed model has the form of the BenDaniel--Duke kinetic energy operator. The position-dependency of the mass and the angular frequency is such that the homogeneous nature of the harmonic oscillator force constant $k$ and hence the regular harmonic oscillator potential is preserved. As a consequence thereof, a quantization of the confinement parameter is observed. It is shown that th…
The Heisenberg position-momentum uncertainty principle shares with the equivalence principle the role of main pillar of our current description of nature. However, in its original formulation it is inconsistent with special relativity, and in nearly a century of investigation not much progress has been made toward a satisfactory reformulation. Some partial insight has been gained in the ultra-high-velocity regime but a full description is still missing and in particular we have no clue about the intermediate regime of particles whose speeds are much smaller than the speed of light but still hi…
