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Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields

From Galilean-invariant to relativistic wave equations

E. Elizalde, J. A. Lobo

Published Aug 15, 1980• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Through an imaginary change of coordinates in the Galilei algebra in 4 space dimensions and making use of an original idea of Dirac and L'evy-Leblond, we are able to obtain the relativistic equations of Dirac and of Bargmann and Wigner starting with the (Galilean-invariant) Schr"odinger equation.
DOI
10.1103/physrevd.22.884

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Galilei transformations are formulated in a 5-dimensional form and on such basis the non-relativistic quantum mechanics is reconstructed. Our approach has the following advantages over others'. (1) The Schrödinger wavefunctions are taken to be vector (not projective) representations of the Galilei group, so that (2) the problem here is considerably simplified. (3) The formulation proceeds in a way quite parallel to that of relativistic quantum mechanics, and what is most important, (4) Galilei covariance is manifest throughout.
It is not possible to use the Schrödinger equation to describe the motion of a particle with relativistic effects since it is not invariant relative to the Lorentz transformation. However, the attempt to generalize quantum mechanics in the relativistic domain on the basis of the one particle theory is somehow difficult. So we find the appropriate equations on the basis of the relativistic invariance. To obtain the non-relativistic equations, we take the limit as the speed of light tends to infinity. This obviously recovers the Schrödinger equation. Under this heading, we extend the non-relativistic Schrödinger equation in the description of particles with speeds comparable with that of light. This extension should be consistent with the Lorentz transformation [ 12 ]. The characteristic feature of the relativistic wave equations is the spin which provides a useful gauge in the applicability of particular equations that describe particular kinds of particles. We have two types of relativistic equations, i.e., the equation with spin-zero due to Schrödinger and spin-half due to Dirac that describes the electron.
A search for fundamental (Galilean invariant) dynamical equations for two and four-component spinor wave functions is conducted in Galilean space-time. A dynamical equation is considered as fundamental if it is invariant under the symmetry operators of the group of the Galilei metric and if its state functions transform like the irreducible representations of the group of the metric. It is shown that there are no Galilean invariant equations for two-component spinor wave functions. A method to derive the Lévy-Leblond equation for a four-component spinor wave function is presented. It is formally proved that the Lévy-Leblond and Schrödinger equations are the only Galilean invariant four-component spinor equations that can be obtained with the Schrödinger phase factor. Physical implications of the obtained results and their relationships to the Pauli-Schrödinger equation are discussed.
Abstract This chapter is seeking relativistic wave equations, which are invariant under Lorentz transformations, in an attempt to obtain a quantum mechanical description of relativistic particles. First, the chapter starts with the Klein–Gordon equation and then it discusses the Dirac equation. It also takes the non-relativistic limit of the Dirac equation to derive the Schrödinger equation with two additional terms, the Zeeman term and the spin–orbit coupling term. These two terms emerge naturally from the Dirac equation, and thus the spin, as an internal quantum number which behaves like angular momentum, is clearly identified. Finally, the existence of antimatter is clearly supported by the nature of the solutions to the Dirac equation.