Quantization of relativistic systems on phase space

S. Twareque Ali

Weixuan Hu

Covariant phase space quantization attempts to quantize the full space of classical solutions, leading to a quantum theory in which the usual time coordinate is missing. In this paper we explore how the time evolution of the quantum states of this system is restored. We compare covariant phase space methods for a nonrelativistic system (the harmonic oscillator) and three relativistic quantum cosmologies. We find that for the nonrelativistic case the preferred time coordinate emerges in a phase factor when one transforms among certain representations, giving exactly the phase that appears when the time evolution operator acts on the stationary states in the usual quantization method. For the relativistic cases, on the other hand, this phase factor is no longer present, and covariance appears to be restored. These results are consistent with other quantization methods for these models.

Herbert C. Corben

K. Hajra, P. Bandyopadhyay

The relativistic generalization of stochastic quantization helps us to introduce a stochastic-phase-space formulation when a relativistic quantum particle appears as a stochastically extended one. The nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is obtained in the sharp point limit. This also helps us to introduce a gauge-theoretical extension of a relativistic quantum particle when for a fermion the group structure of the gauge field is SU(2). The sharp point limit is obtained when we have a minimal contribution of the residual gauge field retained in the limiting procedure. This is shown to be equivalent to the geometrical approach to the phase-space quantization introduced by Klauder if it is interpreted in terms of a universal magnetic field acting on a free particle moving in a higher-dimensional configuration space when quantization corresponds to freezing the particle to its first Landau level. The geometric quantization then appears as a natural consequence of these two formalisms, since the Hermitian line bundle introduced there finds a physical meaning in terms of the inherent gauge field in stochastic-phase-space formulation or in the interaction with the magnetic field in Klauder quantization.

Hiroshi Enatsu

GIOVANNI GIACHETTA, Luigi Mangiarotti, Gennadi Aleksandrovich Sardanashvily

We show that non-relativistic and relativistic mechanical systems on a configuration space Q can be seen as the conservative Dirac constraint systems with zero Hamiltonians on different subbundles of the same cotangent bundle T^*Q. The geometric quantization of this cotangent bundle under the vertical polarization leads to compatible covariant quantizations of non-relativistic and relativistic Hamiltonian mechanics.