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DETERMINATION OF THE SYMMETRY GROUP OF A QUANTUM SYSTEM ANISOTROPIC OSCILLATOR

Yu. N. Demkov

Published Jun 1, 1963• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

The definition of the symmetry group as a group of unitary operators that commute with the hamiltonian is insufficient. Concepts of maximal, minimal, incomplete, and exce ssive symmetry groups are introduced. A procedure for setting up the minimal symmetry group is proposed. For this purpose it is sufficient to choose a group with the required dimensions of irreducible representations. As an illustration the problem posed by Jauch and Hill is solved. The symmetry group of an anisotropic oscillator is determined. (auth)

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Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General•May 7, 1989•28 citations
The definition of the symmetry group as a group of unitary operators that commute with the hamiltonian is insufficient. Concepts of maximal, minimal, incomplete, and exce ssive symmetry groups are introduced. A procedure for setting up the minimal symmetry group is proposed. For this purpose it is sufficient to choose a group with the required dimensions of irreducible representations. As an illustration the problem posed by Jauch and Hill is solved. The symmetry group of an anisotropic oscillator is determined. (auth)
Recently several authors have proposed a universal symmetry group and demonstrated the classical validity of the concept. Supposedly, an SU(n) symmetry group could be constructed for whatsoever system of n degrees of freedom. The claim is assuredly valid for all classically degenerate systems, but is in contradiction with most of the well-known and widely accepted solutions of Schrödinger's equation. We examine the reasons for this discrepancy on the quantum-mechanical level. The construction of the universal symmetry group requires ladder operators, which in most cases are the ladder operators of Infeld and Hill. Complications which owe their origin entirely to numerical relationships imposed by quantization prevent these operators from forming a von Neumann algebra and, in turn, an SU(n) group of constants of the motion. Two important effects are those imposed by anisotropy, wherein not all quanta have the same size, and by non-Cartesian coordinates, wherein quanta in some dimensions are restricted in size by those in other dimensions. These effects can be seen quite clearly in two-dimensional systems: anisotropy in the Cartesian anisotropic harmonic oscillator, and conflict between dimensions in the polar form of the isotropic oscillator. Further complications arise when the two effects are combined, as in the harmonic oscillator or hydrogen atom with ``excess'' angular momentum. Enough residue of the universal symmetry concept remains that many similarities between the hydrogen atom and harmonic oscillator may be understood, including the fact that some levels of the hydrogen atom, which ordinarily transform according to an orthogonal group, may form irreducible representations of the unitary group.
A general treatment of the symmetry for quantum spin systems is presented with the use of permutational operators. Symmetry operations which are commutable with a Hamiltonian form the symmetry group. Complete sets of spin functions which are specified by the total spin ( S tot ) are projected onto the irreducible representations of the symmetry group, using the character table. We show from symmetry consideration that a minimum dimension exists for the ground state of the Heisenberg Hamiltonian with finite N spins. The diagonalization of the Hamiltonian with the use of symmetry consideration can be effectively performed for the complete sets of S tot =0 by the method proposed in this paper. Numerical results of the ground state and all the excited states of S tot =0 are presented for spin systems up to N =20.
This paper is concerned with the relationship between the group G of all symmetries of an unconstrained dynamical system and the space of its quantum states. The chief aim is to establish the validity of the claim that "quantizing a system" means deciding what G is and determining all projective unitary representations of G. The mathematical tool suited to this purpose is the theory of central extensions of an arbitrary group G by the circle group T (and the closely related cohomology group H2 (G, T)). The fundamental structural property is that there is a universal state space [Formula: see text] embedding all states, a unitary representation space of the universal central extension [Formula: see text] of G, on which the Pontryagin dual H2 (G, T)⋆ of H2 (G, T) operates as a group of su-perselection rules, so that the superselection sectors are [Formula: see text] and observables are self-adjoint operators Vh → Vh. This leads to a classification of time-evolution operators respecting the symmetries by H2 (G, T) and a general understanding of "anomalies" as arising from a mismatch of sectors to which symmetry transformations and time-evolution refer. For the special case of a Lie group G of symmetries, [Formula: see text] of G coincides with [Formula: see text] the universal covering group, if G is semisimple. More generally, depending on whether or not G is semisimple and/or simply connected, inequivalent quantizations are of topological, algebraic or "mixed" origin; in the algebraic case, the relationship between anomalous conservation laws and invariant dynamics is explicitly given. Illustrative examples worked out include the Euclidean group E (d) and the (connected) Poincaré group P (d, 1) for arbitrary spatial dimension d and the discrete groups (Z/N)2 and Z2 appropriate for planar square crystals — in particular, the absence of "fractional" angular momentum in the plane is established and the difficulties specific to (2,1)-dimensional quantum field theories precisely formulated. The paper concludes by noting that a number of ambiguities generally supposed to affect traditional procedures of quantization resolve themselves satisfactorily in this approach. Mathematically, the paper is self-contained as far as the concepts and results are concerned; occasionally, proofs of well-known facts are reworked when they serve to illustrate the value of the symmetry point of view. The theory of universal central extensions of groups, including important special cases, is treated in detail in an appendix by M. S. Raghunathan, in view of its significance for quantization and the absence of a similar account in the literature.