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Journal of Mathematical Physics

Wigner quantum systems. Two particles interacting via a harmonic potential. I. Two-dimensional space

Alfred H. Kamupingene, T. D. Palev, S. P. Tsaneva

Published Aug 1, 1986• 25 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A noncanonical quantum system, consisting of two nonrelativistic particles, interacting via a harmonic potential, is considered. The center-of-mass position and momentum operators obey the canonical commutation relations, whereas the internal variables are assumed to be the odd generators of the Lie superalgebra sl(1,2). This assumption implies a set of constraints in the phase space, which are explicitly written in the paper. All finite-dimensional irreducible representations of sl(1,2) are considered. Particular attention is paid to the physical representations, i.e., the representations corresponding to Hermitian position and momentum operators. The properties of the physical observables are investigated. In particular, the operators of the internal Hamiltonian, the relative distance, the internal momentum, and the orbital momentum commute with each other. The spectrum of these operators is finite. The distance between the constituents is preserved in time. It can take no more than three different values. For any non-negative integer or half-integer l there exists a representation, where the orbital momentum is l (in units of 2ℏ). The position of any one of the particles cannot be localized, since the operators of the coordinates do not commute with each other. The constituents are smeared with a certain probability within a finite surface, which moves with a constant velocity together with the center of mass.

DOI
10.1063/1.527027

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A noncanonical quantum system, consisting of two nonrelativistic particles, interacting via a harmonic potential, is considered. The center-of-mass position and momentum operators obey the canonical commutation relations, whereas the internal variables are assumed to be the odd generators of the Lie superalgebra sl(1,2). This assumption implies a set of constraints in the phase space, which are explicitly written in the paper. All finite-dimensional irreducible representations of sl(1,2) are considered. Particular attention is paid to the physical representations, i.e., the representations corresponding to Hermitian position and momentum operators. The properties of the physical observables are investigated. In particular, the operators of the internal Hamiltonian, the relative distance, the internal momentum, and the orbital momentum commute with each other. The spectrum of these operators is finite. The distance between the constituents is preserved in time. It can take no more than three different values. For any non-negative integer or half-integer l there exists a representation, where the orbital momentum is l (in units of 2ℏ). The position of any one of the particles cannot be localized, since the operators of the coordinates do not commute with each other. The constituents are smeared with a certain probability within a finite surface, which moves with a constant velocity together with the center of mass.
Following the ideas of Wigner, we quantize noncanonically a system of two nonrelativistic point particles, interacting via a harmonic potential. The center of mass phase-space variables are quantized in a canonical way, whereas the internal momentum and coordinates are assumed to satisfy relations, which are essentially different from the canonical commutation relations. As a result, the operators of the internal Hamiltonian, the relative distance, the internal momentum, and the orbital momentum commute with each other. The spectrum of these operators is finite. In particular, the distance between the constituents is preserved in time and can take at most four different values. The orbital momentum is either zero or one (in units ℏ/2). The operators of the coordinates do not commute with each other and, therefore, the position of any one of the constituents cannot be localized; the particles are smeared with a certain probability in a finite space volume, which moves together with the center of mass. In the limit ℏ→0 the constituents ‘‘fall’’ into their center of mass and the composite system behaves as a free point particle.
In quantum mechanics, physical observables are represented by operators on a certain Hilbert space. The question of how such operators commute, has been a matter of discussion. In the standard perspective, the operators corresponding to the position and momentum of a system are assumed to satisfy the canonical commutation relations. It is known that these relations imply that the Hamilton and Heisenberg equations of motion are compatible as operator equations. However, Wigner showed that the inverse statement is not true. Therefore, it is a much weaker constraint to impose the compatibility of the equations of motion. For any physical system, this results in a set of compatibility conditions, which form the core of Wigner quantization. The key to finding operators that are subject to the compatibility conditions is provided by Lie superalgebras and their representations. Lie superalgebras can be defined as algebras generated by odd elements satisfying particular superbracket relations. Using these defining relations, Lie superalgebra generators can be found that obey the compatibility conditions. The Lie superalgebra elements act as operators on a vector space if we consider Lie superalgebra representations. Various physical systems are investigated in this thesis in the context of Wigner quantization. For each of these systems solutions are found in terms of Lie superalgebra generators, after which specific representations are examined. In such representations, the focus lies on determining particular physical properties of the system. Most of the studied systems are harmonic oscillator models. First, we examine a set-up of coupled harmonic oscillators, for which the interaction is represented by an interaction matrix. Then we focus on the angular momentum content of a 3N3N3N-dimensional harmonic oscillator. Finally, our attention goes to two one-dimensional systems, namely the free particle and the Berry-Keating-Connes Hamiltonian. The latter of these Hamiltonians is notorious for its possible connection with the Riemann hypothesis. All of the aforementioned Hamiltonians have been extensively investigated in the context of canonical quantization, so that our results can be compared to the well-known canonical case.
Abstract. After introducing Wigner Quantum Systems, we give a short review of the one-dimensional Wigner Quantum Oscillator. Then we define the three-dimensional N-particle Wigner Quantum Oscillator, and its relation to the Lie su-peralgebra sl(1|3N). In this framework (and first for N = 1), energy, coordinates, momentum and the angular momentum of the particles are investigated. Wigner Quantum Systems (WQSs) are quantum systems in which the canonical com-mutation relations (CCRs) are replaced by a compatibility condition between the Heisenberg equations and Hamilton’s equations. By dropping the CCRs, WQSs offer a natural framework for quantum mechanics with non-commutative coordinates. Here we consider in particular the three-dimensional N-particle Wigner Quantum Oscillator (WQO). As an introductory ex-ample, some properties of the one-dimensional WQO are reviewed, with an emphasis on the different particle probability distributions (as compared to the ordinary one-dimensional os-cillator). For the three-dimensional N-particle WQO, a solution related to the Lie superalge-bra sl(1|3N) is considered. For N = 1 we investigate the operators corresponding to coordi-nates, momentum and angular momentum of the particle in a class of representation spaces.
An n -particle three-dimensional Wigner quantum oscillator model is constructed explicitly. It is non-canonical in that the usual coordinate and linear momentum commutation relations are abandoned in favour of Wigner's suggestion that Hamilton's equations and the Heisenberg equations are identical as operator equations. The construction is based on the use of Fock states corresponding to a family of irreducible representations of the Lie superalgebra sl (1|3 n ) indexed by an A -superstatistics parameter p . These representations are typical for p ⩾ 3 n but atypical for p < 3 n . The branching rules for the restriction from sl (1|3 n ) to gl (1) ⊕ so (3) ⊕ sl ( n ) are used to enumerate energy and angular momentum eigenstates. These are constructed explicitly and tabulated for n ⩽ 2. It is shown that measurements of the coordinates of the individual particles give rise to a set of discrete values defining nests in the three-dimensional configuration space. The fact that the underlying geometry is non-commutative is shown to have a significant impact on measurements of particle separation. In the atypical case, exclusion phenomena are identified that are entirely due to the effect of A -superstatistics. The energy spectrum and associated degeneracies are calculated for an infinite-dimensional realization of the Wigner quantum oscillator model obtained by summing over all p . The results are compared with those applying to the analogous canonical quantum oscillator.
We consider a quantum system consisting of a one-dimensional chain of M identical harmonic oscillators with natural frequency ω, coupled by means of springs. Such systems have been studied before, and appear in various models. In this paper, we approach the system as a Wigner quantum system, not imposing the canonical commutation relations, but using instead weaker relations following from the compatibility of Hamilton’s equations and the Heisenberg equations. In such a setting, the quantum system allows solutions in a finite-dimensional Hilbert space, with a discrete spectrum for all physical operators. We show that a class of solutions can be obtained using generators of the Lie superalgebra gl(1∣M). Then we study – from a mathematical point of view – the properties and spectra of the physical operators in a class of unitary representations of gl(1∣M). These properties are both interesting and intriguing. In particular, we can give a complete analysis of the eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian and of the position and momentum operators (including multiplicities). We also study probability distributions of position operators when the quantum system is in a stationary state, and the effect of the position of one oscillator on the positions of the remaining oscillators in the chain.