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Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A Containing Papers of a Mathematical and Physical Character

Relativistic quantum mechanics

P. A. M. Dirac

Published May 2, 1932• 202 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract The steady development of the quantum theory that has taken place during the present century was made possible only by continual reference to the Correspondence Principle of Bohr, according to which, classical theory can give valuable information about quantum phenomena in spite of the essential differences in the fundamental ideas of the two theories. A masterful advance was made by Heisenberg in 1925, who showed how equations of classical physics could be taken over in a formal way and made to apply to quantities of importance in quantum theory, thereby establishing the Correspondence Principle on a quantitative basis and laying the foundations of the new Quantum Mechanics. Heisenberg’s scheme was found to fit wonderfully well with the Hamiltonian theory of classical mechanics and enabled one to apply to quantum theory all the information that classical theory supplies, in so far as this information is consistent with the Hamiltonian form. Thus one was able to build up a satisfactory quantum mechanics for dealing with any dynamical system composed of interacting particles, provided the interaction could be expressed by means of an energy term to be added to the Hamiltonian function. This does not exhaust the sphere of usefulness of the classical theory. Classical electrodynamics, in its accurate (restricted) relativistic form, teaches us that the idea of an interaction energy between particles is only an approxi­mation and should be replaced by the idea of each particle emitting waves which travel outward with a finite velocity and influence the other particles in passing over them. We must find a way of taking over this new information into the quantum theory and must set up a relativistic quantum mechanics, before we can dispense with the Correspondence Principle.

DOI
10.1098/rspa.1932.0094

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Abstract The steady development of the quantum theory that has taken place during the present century was made possible only by continual reference to the Correspondence Principle of Bohr, according to which, classical theory can give valuable information about quantum phenomena in spite of the essential differences in the fundamental ideas of the two theories. A masterful advance was made by Heisenberg in 1925, who showed how equations of classical physics could be taken over in a formal way and made to apply to quantities of importance in quantum theory, thereby establishing the Correspondence Principle on a quantitative basis and laying the foundations of the new Quantum Mechanics. Heisenberg’s scheme was found to fit wonderfully well with the Hamiltonian theory of classical mechanics and enabled one to apply to quantum theory all the information that classical theory supplies, in so far as this information is consistent with the Hamiltonian form. Thus one was able to build up a satisfactory quantum mechanics for dealing with any dynamical system composed of interacting particles, provided the interaction could be expressed by means of an energy term to be added to the Hamiltonian function. This does not exhaust the sphere of usefulness of the classical theory. Classical electrodynamics, in its accurate (restricted) relativistic form, teaches us that the idea of an interaction energy between particles is only an approxi­mation and should be replaced by the idea of each particle emitting waves which travel outward with a finite velocity and influence the other particles in passing over them. We must find a way of taking over this new information into the quantum theory and must set up a relativistic quantum mechanics, before we can dispense with the Correspondence Principle.
Abstract It is well known that the experimental facts of atomic physics necessitate a departure from the classical theory of electrodynamics in the description of atomic phenomena. This departure takes the form, in Bohr’s theory, of the special assumptions of the existence of stationary states of an atom, in which it does not radiate, and of certain rules, called quantum conditions, which fix the stationary states and the frequencies of the radiation emitted during transitions between them. These assumptions are quite foreign to the classical theory, but have been very successful in the interpretation of a restricted region of atomic phenomena. The only way in which the classical theory is used is through the assumption that the classical laws hold for the description of the motion in the stationary states, although they fail completely during transitions, and the assumption, called the Correspondence Principle, that the classical theory gives the right results in the limiting case when the action per cycle of the system is large compared to Planck’s constant h, and in certain other special cases. In a recent paper Heisenberg puts forward a new theory, which suggests that it is not the equations of classical mechanics that are in any way at fault, but that the mathematical operations by which physical results are deduced from them require modification. All the information supplied by the classical theory can thus be made use of in the new theory.
Based on the Bohr's correspondence principle it is shown that relativistic mechanics and quantum mechanics may be considered as generalizations of classical mechanics. A comparative description of relativistic and classical mechanics is given using three main principles: the definition of momentum, the main law of dynamics (Newton's second law) and the law of conservation of energy. The difference of relativistic mechanics from classical mechanics is due to the new definition of momentum that is proportional to energy and velocity. It is shown that new relativistic laws of dynamics make it necessary to change kinematical relations of classical mechanics such as the law of velocity composition, coordinate transformation etc. It is demonstrated that quantum mechanics may be considered as a rational statistical generalization of classical mechanics. Statistical conformities in quantum mechanics are fundamental and are not due to the incomplete information about the system. From all possible multi-parametric statistical models the root model is most remarkable. Constructing of a root multi-parametric statistical model leads to obtaining such frequencies and base functions in Fourier decomposition so that classical laws of motion are fulfilled in average. Root model leads to a consistent condition that connects eigenvectors and eigenvalues of a mechanical system that is described by a matrix equation of Heisenberg. Matrix equation of Heisenberg leads to an operator equation. The solution of the operator equation may be considered as the construction of Hamiltonian of the system and a move to the Schrodinger representation. The considered approach naturally leads to the notion of momentum operator, fundamental commutation relations, density matrix and Liouville equation construction etc.
Introduction Quantum mechanics is based on the intuition that the essential difference between atomic physics and classical physics is the occurrence of discontinuities (see in particular [1,4,58–63]). Quantum mechanics should thus be considered a direct continuation of the quantum theory founded by Planck, Einstein and Bohr. Bohr in particular stressed repeatedly, already before the birth of quantum mechanics, that the discontinuities must lead to the introduction of new kinematical and mechanical concepts, so that indeed classical mechanics and its corresponding conceptual scheme should be abandoned [1,4]. Quantum mechanics tries to introduce the new concepts through a precise analysis of what is ‘observable in principle’. In fact, this does not mean setting up the principle that a sharp division between ‘observable’ and ‘unobservable’ quantities is possible and necessary. As soon as a conceptual scheme is given, one can infer from the observations to other facts that are actually not observable directly, and the boundary between ‘observable’ and ‘unobservable’ quantities becomes altogether indeterminate. But if the conceptual scheme itself is still unknown, it will be expedient to enquire only about the observations themselves, without drawing conclusions from them, because otherwise wrong concepts and prejudices taken over from before will block the way to recognising the physical relationships [Zusammenhänge].
In 1926, Schrödinger [365] recognized that the variational theory of elliptical differential equations with fixed boundary conditions could produce a discrete eigenvalue spectrum in agreement with the energy levels of Bohr's model of the hydrogen atom. This conceptually startling amalgam of classical ideas of particle and field turned out to be correct. Within a few years, the new wave mechanics almost completely replaced the ad hoc quantization of classical mechanics that characterized the “old” quantum theory initiated by Bohr. Although the matrix mechanics of Heisenberg was soon shown to be logically equivalent, the variational wave theory became the standard basis of methodology in the physics of electrons. The nonrelativistic Schrödinger theory is readily extended to systems of N interacting electrons. The variational theory of finite N -electron systems (atoms and molecules) is presented here. In this context, several important theorems that follow from the variational formalism are also derived.
It is often claimed that Einstein is wrong about quantum mechanics. However, when comparisons are made with respect to theoretical foundations rather than experimental results Einstein’s theories are found to be superior. Because he did not complete his theory its far-reaching, intuitively motivated derivations were never properly appreciated despite the fact that his is the only theory based on a relativistically correct foundation. The development of his arguments reveals that although non-relativistic theory correctly predicts what it is possible to observe (the emissions) with remarkable accuracy it neglects the other half of natural phenomena, that which cannot be observed (the absorptions), thereby violating the conservation of energy. The deficiencies in non-relativistic theory are corrected by applying Hamilton’s principle and deriving relativistic equations of motion. This allows quantum mechanical formalism in abstract space to be replaced by the juxtaposition of particle field geometries in real space. Direct application of the calculus of variations to an electron cycle reveals that the wave function represents a non-conservative force which is incomplete because it requires twice the allowable action minimum.
It is often claimed that Einstein is wrong about quantum mechanics. However, when comparisons are made with respect to theoretical foundations rather than experimental results Einstein’s theories are found to be superior. Although statistical formulations of quantum mechanics correctly describe energy and momentum exchange with remarkable accuracy there are individual cases, paradoxically, that violate the conservation laws. A recent study finds that in order to account for observed violations frames of reference involved in preparation of the initial state must be explicitly taken into account [1]. We show here that the same conclusion was arrived at in a much simpler way by Einstein over 100 years ago. Deficiencies in the foundations of non-relativistic theory are corrected by introducing Hamilton’s principle and deriving relativistic equations of motion. This allows quantum mechanical formalism in abstract space to be replaced by the superposition of particle field geometries in real space. Applying the calculus of variations to the Schrödinger wave equation reveals that the wave function is incomplete because it requires twice the allowable action minimum.