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Journal of Mathematical Physics

Quantum dynamics in phase space: Moyal trajectories 2

G. Braunss

Published Jan 1, 2013• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Continuing a previous paper [G. Braunss, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 43, 025302 (2010)10.1088/1751-8113/43/2/025302] where we had calculated ℏ2-approximations of quantum phase space viz. Moyal trajectories of examples with one and two degrees of freedom, we present in this paper the calculation of ℏ2-approximations for four examples: a two-dimensional Toda chain, the radially symmetric Schwarzschild field, and two examples with three degrees of freedom, the latter being the nonrelativistic spherically Coulomb potential and the relativistic cylinder symmetrical Coulomb potential with a magnetic field H. We show in particular that an ℏ2-approximation of the nonrelativistic Coulomb field has no singularity at the origin (r = 0) whereas the classical trajectories are singular at r = 0. In the third example, we show in particular that for an arbitrary function γ(H, z) the expression β ≡ pz + γ(H, z) is classically (ℏ = 0) a constant of motion, whereas for ℏ ≠ 0 this holds only if γ(H, z) is an arbitrary polynomial of second order in z. This statement is shown to extend correspondingly to a cylinder symmetrical Schwarzschild field with a magnetic field. We exhibit in detail a number of properties of the radially symmetric Schwarzschild field. We exhibit finally the problems of the nonintegrable Hénon-Heiles Hamiltonian and give a short review of the regular Hilbert space representation of Moyal operators.

DOI
10.1063/1.4773229

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Continuing a previous paper [G. Braunss, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 43, 025302 (2010)10.1088/1751-8113/43/2/025302] where we had calculated ℏ2-approximations of quantum phase space viz. Moyal trajectories of examples with one and two degrees of freedom, we present in this paper the calculation of ℏ2-approximations for four examples: a two-dimensional Toda chain, the radially symmetric Schwarzschild field, and two examples with three degrees of freedom, the latter being the nonrelativistic spherically Coulomb potential and the relativistic cylinder symmetrical Coulomb potential with a magnetic field H. We show in particular that an ℏ2-approximation of the nonrelativistic Coulomb field has no singularity at the origin (r = 0) whereas the classical trajectories are singular at r = 0. In the third example, we show in particular that for an arbitrary function γ(H, z) the expression β ≡ pz + γ(H, z) is classically (ℏ = 0) a constant of motion, whereas for ℏ ≠ 0 this holds only if γ(H, z) is an arbitrary polynomial of second order in z. This statement is shown to extend correspondingly to a cylinder symmetrical Schwarzschild field with a magnetic field. We exhibit in detail a number of properties of the radially symmetric Schwarzschild field. We exhibit finally the problems of the nonintegrable Hénon-Heiles Hamiltonian and give a short review of the regular Hilbert space representation of Moyal operators.
The Moyal description of quantum mechanics, based on the Wigner-Weyl isomorphism between operators and symbols, provides a comprehensive phase space representation of dynamics. The Weyl symbol image of the Heisenberg picture evolution operator is regular in ħ and so presents a preferred foundation for semiclassical analysis. Its semiclassical expansion "coefficients," acting on symbols that represent observables, are simple, globally defined (phase space) differential operators constructed in terms of the classical flow. The first of two presented methods introduces a cluster-graph expansion for the symbol of an exponentiated operator, which extends Groenewold′s formula for the Weyl product of two symbols and has ħ as its natural small parameter. This Poisson bracket based cluster expansion determines the Jacobi equations for the semiclassical expansion of "quantum trajectories." Their Green function solutions construct the regular ħ ⇓ 0 asymptotic series for the Heisenberg-Weyl evolution map. The second method directly substitutes such a series into the Moyal equation of motion and determines the ħ coefficients recursively. In contrast to the WKB approximation for propagators, the Heisenberg-Weyl description of evolution involves no essential singularity in ħ, no Hamilton-Jacobi equation to solve for the action, and no multiple trajectories, caustics, or Maslov indices.
The Moyal formalism utilizes the Wigner transform and associated Weyl calculus to define a phase-space representation of quantum mechanics. In this context, the Weyl symbol image of the Heisenberg evolution operator admits a generic semiclassical expansion that is based on classical transport and related $O({\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}^{2})$ quantum corrections. For two atom systems with a mutual pair interaction described by a spherically symmetric potential, the predictive power and convergence properties of this semiclassical expansion are investigated via numerical calculation. The rotational invariance and tensor structure present are used to simplify the semiclassical dynamics to the point where numerical computation in the six-dimensional phase space is feasible. For a variety of initial Gaussian wave functions and a selection of different observables, the $O({\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}^{0})$ and $O({\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}^{2})$ approximations for time dependent expectation values are determined. The interactions used are the Lennard-Jones potentials, which model helium, neon, and argon. The numerical results obtained provide a first demonstration of the practicality and usefulness of Moyal quantum mechanics in the analysis of realistic atomic systems.
Nonlinear optical media of Kerr type are described by a particular version of an anharmonic quantum harmonic oscillator. The dynamics of this system can be described using the Moyal equations of motion, which correspond to a quantum phase-space representation of the Heisenberg equations of motion. For the Kerr system we derive exact solutions of the Moyal equations for an irreducible set of observables. These Moyal solutions incorporate the asymptotics of the classical limit in a simple, explicit form. An unusual feature of these solutions is that they exhibit periodic singularities in the time variable. These singularities are removed by the phase-space averaging required to construct the expectation value for an arbitrary initial state. Nevertheless, for strongly number-squeezed initial states the effects of the singularity remain observable.
Abstract We explore the semi-classical structure of the Wigner functions Ψ(q,p) representing bound energy eigenstates | Ψ 〉 for systems with fdegrees of freedom. If the classical motion is integrable, the classical limit of Ψ is a delta function on the f-dimensional torus to which classical trajectories corresponding to |Ψ〉 are confined in the 2f-dimensional phase space. In the semi-classical limit of Ψ (ℏ small but not zero) the delta function softens to a peak of order Ψ−f and the torus develops fringes of a characteristic ‘Airy’ form. Away from the torus,Ψ can have semi-classical singularities that are not delta functions; these are discussed (in full detail when f = 1) using Thom's theory of catastrophes. Brief consideration is given to problems raised when is calculated in a representation based on operators derived from angle coordinates and their conjugate momenta. When Ψ the classical motion is non-integrable, the phase space is not filled with tori and existing semi-classical methods fail. We conjecture that (a) For a given value of non-integrability parameter ⋲,the system passes through three semi-classical régimes as ℏ diminishes. (b) For states |Ψ〉 associated with regions in phase space filled with irregular trajectories, Ψ will be a random function confined near that region of the ‘energy shell’ explored by these trajectories (this region has more thanks dimensions). (c) For ⋲ ≠ 0, ℏ blurs the infinitely fine classical path structure, in contrast to the integrable case ⋲ = 0, where ℏ imposes oscillatory quantum detail on a smooth classical path structure.
The subject of the four manuscripts which make up this dissertation is the concept of integrability in quantum mechanical systems with two degrees of freedom, including the relation between quantum integrability and classical integrability in such systems. In the first manuscript, I consider a two-spin model both classically and quantum mechanically. In the six-dimensional parameter space of this model, classical integrability is satisfied on a five-dimensional hypersurface, and level crossings occur on four-dimensional manifolds that are completely embedded in the integrability hypersurface except for some lower-dimensional sub-manifolds. Under mild assumptions, the classical integrability condition can be reconstructed from a purely quantum mechanical study of level degeneracies in finite-dimensional invariant blocks of the Hamiltonian matrix. In the second manuscript, I analyze the functional dependence [special characters omitted] of the Hamiltonian operator on the action operators for an integrable quantum system, and I compare it with the corresponding functional relationship H (p1, q1; p2, q 2) = HC(J1, J2) in the classical limit of that system. It is demonstrated that the functional dependence is not the same quantum mechanically and (semi-)classically. The former is shown to converge toward the latter in some asymptotic regime associated with the classical limit, but the convergence may be non-uniform. This analysis is carried out for an integrable one- parameter two-spin model. Additional results presented for the (integrable) circular billiard model exhibit similar quantum corrections to the predictions of semiclassical quantization. In the third and the fourth manuscripts, I investigate the relations between symmetry, integrability, and the assignment of quantum numbers to eigenstates for two-spin and spin-boson models. I calculate quantum invariants in the form of expectation values for selected operators and monitor their dependence on the Hamiltonian parameters along loops within, without, and across the integrability region in parameter space. I find clear-cut signatures of integrability and nonintegrability in the observed traces of quantum invariants evaluated in invariant Hilbert subspaces. The results support the notion that quantum integrability depends on the existence of action operators as constituent elements of the Hamiltonian.