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Journal of Mathematical Physics

Nonlinear Schrödinger-type field equation for the description of dissipative systems. III. Frictionally damped free motion as an example for an aperiodic motion

Dieter Schuch, Kyu -Myung Chung, H. Hartmann

Published Oct 1, 1984• 50 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A new theory for the description of dissipative systems by nonlinear Schrödinger-type field equations (NLSE’s) with logarithmic nonlinearity, which has been recently developed by the authors, is applied to investigate the frictionally damped free motion and similar spatially unrestricted aperiodic problems. Wave-packet solutions as well as time-dependent wave-function solutions are derived and discussed. In the limit of vanishing friction (friction constant γ→0) these solutions turn into the well-known solutions of the respective linear Schrödinger field equation. The same applies to the mean values of position, momentum, and energy, as well as to the uncertainty product of position and momentum. For γ≠0, however, interesting new effects appear. In contrast to the linear theory the uncertainty product of position and momentum does not diverge any more for infinitely long times, t→∞, but asymptotically approaches a definite constant value which depends on characteristic parameters of the system like its mass, initial width, and friction constant γ. Another effect, the faster spreading of the Gaussian wave-packet solution compared to the linear theory, can be explained with the help of a special property of our nonlinear differential equation. In a way similar to what is usually only known for linear differential equations, the wave-packet solutions of our NLSE can be obtained by superposition of the wave functions which are individually also solutions of the same NLSE. The properties of the time-dependent superposition coefficients appearing in this connection are discussed. The extension to the corresponding three-dimensional problem as well as the differences arising in the investigation of the NLSE’s of the free fall and the motion in a constant electric field are given. Concluding, some differences are discussed which appear applying our nonlinear field theory to describe periodic or aperiodic motions, respectively.

DOI
10.1063/1.526024

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A new theory for the description of dissipative systems by nonlinear Schrödinger-type field equations (NLSE’s) with logarithmic nonlinearity, which has been recently developed by the authors, is applied to investigate the frictionally damped free motion and similar spatially unrestricted aperiodic problems. Wave-packet solutions as well as time-dependent wave-function solutions are derived and discussed. In the limit of vanishing friction (friction constant γ→0) these solutions turn into the well-known solutions of the respective linear Schrödinger field equation. The same applies to the mean values of position, momentum, and energy, as well as to the uncertainty product of position and momentum. For γ≠0, however, interesting new effects appear. In contrast to the linear theory the uncertainty product of position and momentum does not diverge any more for infinitely long times, t→∞, but asymptotically approaches a definite constant value which depends on characteristic parameters of the system like its mass, initial width, and friction constant γ. Another effect, the faster spreading of the Gaussian wave-packet solution compared to the linear theory, can be explained with the help of a special property of our nonlinear differential equation. In a way similar to what is usually only known for linear differential equations, the wave-packet solutions of our NLSE can be obtained by superposition of the wave functions which are individually also solutions of the same NLSE. The properties of the time-dependent superposition coefficients appearing in this connection are discussed. The extension to the corresponding three-dimensional problem as well as the differences arising in the investigation of the NLSE’s of the free fall and the motion in a constant electric field are given. Concluding, some differences are discussed which appear applying our nonlinear field theory to describe periodic or aperiodic motions, respectively.
Based on three principles taken from empiricism we establish a new nonlinear field theory which allows us to describe frictional effects in dissipative systems with the aid of a Schrödinger-type field equation with logarithmic nonlinearity. This nonlinear field equation corresponds to the classical Langevin equation and can be interpreted in different ways, taking the view of classical undulatory theory or probabilistic theories, respectively. Because of formal similarities, calculations can be performed independently of the accepted interpretation; only the occurring quantities have to be provided with the corresponding meaning. As an example, the nonlinear field equation for the damped harmonic oscillator is solved exactly. The solutions, a wavefunction and a wavepacketlike solution, a solution with Gaussian shape, exhibit reasonable properties, contain the correct reduced frequency Ω=(ω20−γ2/4)1/2 and are different from the solutions of the undamped problem. The properties of our nonlinear friction term are discussed and compared with those of similar nonlinear friction terms used by other authors. Finally, we derive a nonlinear friction term equivalent to our logarithmic nonlinearity but involving only combinations of suitably defined operators of position and linear momentum and mean values of these operators.
Taking into account wave-particle duality and the uncertainty principle, a nonlinear Schrödinger wave equation (NLSE) for the description of dissipative systems can be constructed by applying only Newton's form of classical mechanics. A comparison between our NLSE for dissipative systems and the linear time-dependent SE for conservative systems shows that, for free motion and motion in a harmonic potential, both equations have Gaussian wave-packet solutions. The time dependence of the maximum of these functions is governed by the classical (real) Newtonian equation of motion. While the time dependence of the width of the wave packet can be determined from a nonlinear complex Bernoulli/Ricatti type differential equation. This can be done by transformation into a Newton-type equation for a real quantity α (which is proportional to the square root of the width), including a kind of “centrifugal force” term. This equation can be solved analytically and when taken with Newton's equation of motion for the mean value of the position, it forms a so-called Ermakov system. For the linear SE equation, this implies the existence of a dynamical invariant. For our NLSE we also obtain such an exact invariant, but now for a dissipative system. Furthermore, this complex nonlinear equation can be linearised using the logarithmic derivative of a complex quantity λ, thus yielding a complex Newtonian equation of motion. The absolute value of λ is equivalent to α, the phase angle can be determined using a relation that connects real and imaginary parts of λ. This relation is linked to a kind of “conservation of angular momentum” for the quantity λ in a complex plane. The relations between the above-mentioned quantities will be discussed in detail.
In wave mechanics an appropriate description of a system under the influence of a linearly velocity dependent frictional force can be given by a nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) with logarithmic nonlinearity. However, the particular logarithmic form of the dissipative nonlinear frictional term in the NLSE is connected with the definition of the momentum- or velocity-operator in position-space. Therefore, in momentum-space, this form of the NLSE is no longer correct to describe the same physical sitution. This can be seen, e.g., from the fact that, in contrast to the linear case, the Fourier transform of the solution of the NLSE in position-space does not fulfill anymore the logarithmic NLSE in momentum-space. It will be shown, using results obtained from the theory in position-space, that it is possible to find a form of the nonlinear dissipative frictional term which is valid in position- as well as in momentum-space. Using this form, the NLSE looks like a diffusion equation with complex diffusion coefficient, i.e., a combination of a diffusion and a Schrödinger equation. The solution of this NLSE in momentum-space will be discussed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Abstract With the aid of a method similar to the one we used in an earlier work (part I) a new Schrödinger‐type field equation with logarithmic nonlinearity can be derived from a Fokker–Planck equation for a distribution function. This nonlinear field equation describes the frictinally damped motion of a system under the influence of a magnetic field and can be interpreted in the same way as the nonlinear Schrödinger‐type equation (NLSE) derived in part I, where no magnetic fields were taken into account. The NLSE for the two‐dimensional motion of a charged material system in a homogeneous magnetic field is solved exactly. The solutions are compared with the quantum‐mechanical solutions of the corresponding undamped problem. The method is extended to include also anisotropic conditions; i.e., in the Fokker–Plank equation the diffusion constant has to be replaced by a diffusion matrix, as different diffusion constants may be possible for different space directions. We regard the three‐dimensional motion under the combined influence of magnetic and electric fields according to K = (q/c)(v × B) + qE − mγv with Ey = (m/q)ω y, Ez = −(m/q)ω z, B = (0, 0, B) as an example. This is an approximation of the conditions existing in an ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry cell, neglecting an additional drift motion in the x direction which could be taken into account by Galilean transformation and gauge transformation. The corresponding NLSE for the coupled three‐dimensional motion is specified and solved exactly.
Quantum systems interacting with a dissipative environment can effectively be described by a nonlinear modification of the Schrodinger equation. For some standard problems that possess analytical solutions, e.g. the free motion and the harmonic oscillator, also the nonlinear equation can be solved in a closed form and has Gaussian-shaped wave packet solutions. The equation determining the time-evolution of the wave-packet width is - already in the case of the usual conservative Schrodinger equation - nonlinear and provides the quantities that are necessary to construct the Green’s function for the respective system. The Green’s functions for the conservative and dissipative cases will be given explicitly in position and momentum space.
The close connection between the Jacobi function for a velocity-dependent dissipative system and the nonlinear Schrödinger–Langevin equation is used to study some of the features of the latter equation. Starting with the Hamiltonian for a classical system, different forms of the Jacobi generating function are obtained. With the help of these, corresponding solutions of the nonlinear wave equation are studied. It is found that the solution of the wave equation is not unique, and that it admits quasi-stationary, decaying, and asymptotically stationary solutions. Since this nonlinear wave equation is derivable from a classical generating function, it preserves some of the characteristic properties of the linear quantum theory. Among these are: (a) the lack of any correlation between noninteracting particles moving in a viscous medium, (b) the gauge independence of the observable quantities, and (c) the constancy of the density of states in phase space. This discussion can also be extended to the problem of quantal description of a harmonically bound radiating electron.