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arXiv:1610.06512 · Revista de la Escuela de Física

Massless QFT and the Newton-Wigner Operator

Albert Much

Published Jun 22, 2018• 0 citations
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Abstract

In this work, the second-quantized version of the spatial-coordinate operator, known as the Newton-Wigner-Pryce operator, is explicitly given w.r.t. the massless scalar field. Moreover, transformations of the conformal group are calculated on eigenfunctions of this operator in order to investigate the covariance group w.r.t. probability amplitudes of localizing particles.

DOI
10.5377/ref.v6i1.7028

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In this work, the second-quantized version of the spatial-coordinate operator, known as the Newton-Wigner-Pryce operator, is explicitly given w.r.t. the massless scalar field. Moreover, transformations of the conformal group are calculated on eigenfunctions of this operator in order to investigate the covariance group w.r.t. probability amplitudes of localizing particles.
Particle localization within quantum field theory is revisited. Canonical quantization of a free scalar field theory is performed in a manifestly Lorentz covariant way with respect to an arbitrary 3-surface [Formula: see text], which is the simultaneity surface associated with the observer, whose proper time direction is orthogonal to [Formula: see text]. Position on [Formula: see text] is determined by a 4-vector [Formula: see text]. The corresponding quantum position operator, formed in terms of the operators [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], that create/annihilate particles on [Formula: see text], has thus well-behaved properties under Lorentz transformations. A generic state is a superposition of the states, created with [Formula: see text], the superposition coefficients forming multiparticle wave packet profiles — wave functions, including a single-particle wave function that satisfies the covariant generalization of the Foldy equation. The covariant center-of-mass operator is introduced and its expectation values in a generic multiparticle state calculated.
The effect of a canonical Lorentz boost on the Newton-Wigner-Pryce position operator of a spin zero system is calculated. The resulting equations differ significantly from those corresponding to the Lorentz boost of a position coordinate in classical special relativity. The components of the boosted Newton-Wigner-Pryce position operator are interpreted in terms of a classical analog. It is seen that the transformed operator corresponds not to the coordinates of the same event in two reference frames, but to the coordinates of the intersection of the worldline of the system's center of momentum with hyperplanes of the same coordinate time in the two frames.
A manifestly covariant formalism is developed suitable for a discussion of position operators for relativistic systems. It is shown that the rest-frame center of mass and the frame-dependent center of mass, which were studied previously by Pryce and M\o{}ller, and the local Newton-Wigner operator all transform like the spatial part of a four-vector when appropriately interpreted. The formalism allows an equivalent treatment of the space and time components of a position four-vector operator, and manifestly covariant canonical commutation rules are obtained for the three operators mentioned above. Finally it is suggested that the Newton-Wigner operator be interpreted as a center of spin.