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Nonlinearity

Mapping of the relativistic kinetic balance equations onto the Klein–Gordon and second-order Dirac equations

Adriana I. Pesci, Raymond E. Goldstein, Hermann Uys

Published Feb 24, 2005• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In previous work we have shown that the quantum potential can be derived from the classical kinetic equations both for particles with and without spin. Here, we extend these mappings to the relativistic case. The essence of the analysis consists of Fourier transforming the momentum coordinate of the distribution function. This procedure introduces a natural parameter η with units of angular momentum. In the non-relativistic case the ansatz of either separability, or separability and additivity, imposed on the probability distribution function produces mappings onto the Schrödinger equation and the Pauli equation, respectively. The former corresponds to an irrotational flow, the latter to a fluid with non-zero vorticity. In this work we show that the relativistic mappings lead to the Klein–Gordon equation in the irrotational case and to the second-order Dirac equation in the rotational case. These mappings are irreversible; an approximate inverse is the Wigner function. Taken together, these results provide a statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics.

DOI
10.1088/0951-7715/18/3/018

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Here we find a mapping onto the Pauli equation of the first two balance equations derived from the classical Boltzmann equation. The essence of this mapping, which we previously used to obtain the particular case of the Sturm– Liouville operator known as Schrödinger’s equation, consists of applying a Fourier transform to the momentum coordinate of the distribution function. This procedure introduces a natural parameter η with units of angular momentum. The main difference between the two cases is the conditions imposed on the probability distribution function, a difference most clearly understood at the level of the hydrodynamic equations generated in the first steps of the mapping. The case leading to the Sturm–Liouville operator corresponds to an irrotational flow, while here the ansatz leading to the Pauli equation corresponds to a fluid with non-zero vorticity. In the context of fluid dynamics, the magnitude of the angular momentum associated with the vorticity is η/2. To perform the mapping we follow the standard technique common in hydrodynamic problems, namely writing the Lagrangian for the Euler equations with the corresponding constraints expressed in terms of the Clebsch variables. PACS numbers: 03.65.Ta, 05.20.Dd, 45.05.+x, 03.65.Sq 1.

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In previous work we have shown that the quantum potential can be derived from the classical kinetic equations both for particles with and without spin. Here, we extend these mappings to the relativistic case. The essence of the analysis consists of Fourier transforming the momentum coordinate of the distribution function. This procedure introduces a natural parameter η with units of angular momentum. In the non-relativistic case the ansatz of either separability, or separability and additivity, imposed on the probability distribution function produces mappings onto the Schrödinger equation and the Pauli equation, respectively. The former corresponds to an irrotational flow, the latter to a fluid with non-zero vorticity. In this work we show that the relativistic mappings lead to the Klein–Gordon equation in the irrotational case and to the second-order Dirac equation in the rotational case. These mappings are irreversible; an approximate inverse is the Wigner function. Taken together, these results provide a statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics.
Here we find a mapping onto the Pauli equation of the first two balance equations derived from the classical Boltzmann equation. The essence of this mapping, which we previously used to obtain the particular case of the Sturm– Liouville operator known as Schrödinger’s equation, consists of applying a Fourier transform to the momentum coordinate of the distribution function. This procedure introduces a natural parameter η with units of angular momentum. The main difference between the two cases is the conditions imposed on the probability distribution function, a difference most clearly understood at the level of the hydrodynamic equations generated in the first steps of the mapping. The case leading to the Sturm–Liouville operator corresponds to an irrotational flow, while here the ansatz leading to the Pauli equation corresponds to a fluid with non-zero vorticity. In the context of fluid dynamics, the magnitude of the angular momentum associated with the vorticity is η/2. To perform the mapping we follow the standard technique common in hydrodynamic problems, namely writing the Lagrangian for the Euler equations with the corresponding constraints expressed in terms of the Clebsch variables. PACS numbers: 03.65.Ta, 05.20.Dd, 45.05.+x, 03.65.Sq 1.
Here we find a mapping onto the Sturm–Liouville operator of the first two balance equations derived from Boltzmann's equation. This mapping, which is irreversible and valid only for a subclass of solutions, is achieved by applying a Fourier transform to the momentum coordinate. In light of this irreversibility, it is necessary to develop a set of consistent prescriptions to find the probability of any physical quantity in the p -conjugate space such that it will coincide with the average over the momentum of the true probabilities obtained from the original Boltzmann equation. The one drawback of this prescription is that it is impossible to predict exactly the precise values of the position x and the momentum p at the same time. This uncertainty is limited by the relationship that all conjugate variables in a Fourier transform should obey, namely Δ x Δ p = η/2, where η is a free parameter of the theory. The prescriptions we have found appear to coincide with the postulates of quantum mechanics, when η is set equal to ℏ. This procedure seems to provide a statistical representation of quantum mechanics.
In this paper, we present a derivation of the relativistic equations of Quantum Mechanics. We focus on the second order equations (both Klein Gordon’s and Dirac’s), since the linear Dirac equation can be derived from these. This derivation is an extension of the same method applied to the non-relativistic case in a in a previous series of articles by us. We show that, to extend the theoretical framework to the relativistic case, we have only to extend the axioms in a relativistically compatible way, as should be the case with any extension of an axiomatic method. We also show that this quantization method throws light in a different way to interpret some descriptors of the usual formalism, mainly those regarding the expression for the probability density function. This, on the other hand, gives the teacher following this approach in classes on the subject to assess the epistemological issue of the role of manuals in the learning of Quantum Mechanics.
We follow and modify the Feshbach–Villars formalism by separating the Klein–Gordon equation into two coupled time-dependent Schrödinger equations for particle and antiparticle wave function components with positive probability densities. We find that the equation of motion for the probability densities is in the form of relativistic hydrodynamics where various forces have their classical counterparts, with the additional element of the quantum stress tensor that depends on the derivatives of the amplitude of the wave function. We derive the equation of motion for the Wigner function and we find that its approximate classical weak-field limit coincides with the equation of motion for the distribution function in the collisionless kinetic theory.
This chapter introduces the concepts of the relativistic theory to basic problems of quantum physics, in particular, the extension of the Schrodinger equation to a relativistic form. Starting from the fundamental laws of relativity, the chapter evaluates the Klein–Gordon equation and investigates if the equation can be considered a generalization of the non-relativistic Schrodinger equation to the case of the relativistic energy. The chapter shows that the wave function, which is a solution to the Klein–Gordon equation, cannot be connected with the probability wave function. For this reason, the Dirac equation is used to solve the problems faced by the Klein–Gordon equation. The Dirac equation also includes the spin. The advantage of the Dirac equation over the Schrodinger and Klein–Gordon equations is that it naturally includes the spin. In the Schrodinger and Klein–Gordon equations, the spin is not present and has to be added to the wave function manually whenever the wave function determines a system with the spin.
The interconnection between quantum mechanics and probabilistic classical mechanics for a free relativistic particle is derived in terms of Wigner functions (WF) for both Dirac and Klein-Gordon (K-G) equations. Construction of WF is achieved by first defining a bilocal 4-current and then taking its Fourier transform w.r.t. the relative 4-coordinate. The K-G and Proca cases also lend themselves to a closely parallel treatment provided the Kemmer-Duffin β-matrix formalism is employed for the former. Calculation of WF is carried out in a Lorentz-covariant fashion by standard “trace” techniques. The results are compared with a recent derivation due to Bosanac.