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Physics-Uspekhi

On the difference between Wigner's and Møller's approaches to the description of Thomas precession

V. I. Ritus

Published Jan 31, 2007• 23 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An account is given of the Wigner concept of particle spin and velocity rotations and of the variation of the angle between them under Lorentz transformations with noncollinear velocities. It is shown that Moller's description of spin rotation can be reduced to the Wigner rotation, and Moller's formula for the angle of spin rotation in the curvilinear motion of a particle is corrected. The permutation asymmetry of the relativistic velocity addition law distinguishes the Wigner sequence of Lorentzian boosts by its applicability to the description of spin and velocity rotations in curvilinear motion.

DOI
10.1070/pu2007v050n01abeh006302

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An account is given of the Wigner concept of particle spin and velocity rotations and of the variation of the angle between them under Lorentz transformations with noncollinear velocities. It is shown that Moller's description of spin rotation can be reduced to the Wigner rotation, and Moller's formula for the angle of spin rotation in the curvilinear motion of a particle is corrected. The permutation asymmetry of the relativistic velocity addition law distinguishes the Wigner sequence of Lorentzian boosts by its applicability to the description of spin and velocity rotations in curvilinear motion.
The effect of the relativistic spin rotation, conditioned by the setting of the spin in the rest frame of a particle and by the noncommutativity of the Lorentz transformations along noncolinear directions, is discussed. In connection with this, the Thomas precession of the spin polarization vector at the motion of a particle along a curvilinear trajectory is considered. The transformations of the correlation tensor components for a system of two spin-1/2 particles at the transition from the c.m.s. of the particle pair to the laboratory frame are investigated. When the particle laboratory velocities are not colinear, the relativistic spin rotation angles for these particles are different. As a result, the relative fractions of the singlet and triplet states in the relativistic system of two free spin-1/2 particles with a nonzero vector of relative momentum depend on the concrete frame in which this two-particle system is analyzed.
Lorentz transformations in time and two space dimensions consist of boosts and rotations, and combinations thereof. In general, the combination of two boosts is not another boost: It is a boost followed by a rotation. The rotation angle is called the Wigner angle. Although it is straightforward to determine the energy and direction of the combined boost, it is difficult to determine the Wigner angle. In this article, the vector, matrix and spinor derivations of formulas for the Wigner angle are reviewed, and the underlying mathematics and physics are discussed briefly. Although the derivations are different, the results they produce are equivalent, as they should be. Like many physics problems, if one looks at the problem in the right way, it is not difficult to solve.
The effect of the relativistic spin rotation on two-particle spin states, conditioned by the setting of the spins of the particles in their rest frames and by the noncommutativity of the Lorentz transformations along noncollinear directions, is discussed. Particularly, the transition from the center-of-mass system (c.m.s.) of two spin-1∕2 particles to the laboratory is considered. When the vectors of the c.m.s. particle velocities are not collinear with the velocity vector of the c.m.s., the angles of the relativistic spin rotation for the two particles are different. As a result, the relative fractions of the singlet and triplet states in the relativistic system of two spin-1∕2 particles with a nonzero vector of relative momentum depend on the concrete frame in which the two-particle system is analyzed.