Physical Review A

Relativistic generalization of the Wigner function and its interpretation in the causal stochastic formulation of quantum mechanics

Peter Holland, Anastasios Kyprianidis, Z. Marić, Jean Pierre Vigier

Published Jun 1, 1986• 27 citations

Abstract

We show how the causal interpretation provides a physical basis for the Wigner phase-space formulation of quantum mechanics by analyzing the case of a relativistic spin-zero particle in an external electromagnetic field. The Wigner function can be interpreted as both a generalized transformation and a field which defines a quantum potential in phase space. We also propose a Lorentz-vector distribution function which always associates positive probability densities with the real motions of particles and antiparticles in phase space.

DOI: 10.1103/physreva.33.4380

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