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European Journal of Physics

Three routes to relativistic kinematics and time dilation and their connection to quantum-mechanical path integrals

J.H. Field

Published Dec 5, 2019• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract The first calculation, similar to that of Lewis of 1908, takes as postulates Newton’s second law of motion and work-energy equivalence, the second makes use of the Hamilton–Jacobi equation for motion in free space and the third identifies the velocity of a freely moving particle with the group velocity of its associated de Broglie wave. In all cases the equivalence of mass and energy is also postulated. How the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics relates all the different calculations is demonstated. The essential roles of relativity, quantum mechanics and the particulate nature of light in the establishment of the current standard units of length, time and mass, are discussed, as well as the similar relations of the fundamental constants c , h and k to energy at the microscopic physics level.

DOI
10.1088/1361-6404/ab5f52

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Abstract The first calculation, similar to that of Lewis of 1908, takes as postulates Newton’s second law of motion and work-energy equivalence, the second makes use of the Hamilton–Jacobi equation for motion in free space and the third identifies the velocity of a freely moving particle with the group velocity of its associated de Broglie wave. In all cases the equivalence of mass and energy is also postulated. How the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics relates all the different calculations is demonstated. The essential roles of relativity, quantum mechanics and the particulate nature of light in the establishment of the current standard units of length, time and mass, are discussed, as well as the similar relations of the fundamental constants c , h and k to energy at the microscopic physics level.
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It is shown how the time-dependent Schrödinger equation may be simply derived from the dynamical postulate of Feynman's path integral formulation of quantum mechanics and the Hamilton–Jacobi equation of classical mechanics. Schrödinger's own published derivations of quantum wave equations, the first of which was also based on the Hamilton–Jacobi equation, are also reviewed. The derivation of the time-dependent equation is based on an a priori assumption equivalent to Feynman's dynamical postulate. de Broglie's concepts of ‘matter waves’ and their phase and group velocities are also critically discussed.
Using the relativistic quantum stationary Hamilton-Jacobi equation within the framework of the equivalence postulate, and grounding oneself on both relativistic and quantum Lagrangians, we construct a Lagrangian of a relativistic quantum system in one dimension and derive a third order equation of motion representing a first integral of the relativistic quantum Newton's law. Then, we plot the relativistic quantum trajectories of a particle moving under the constant and the linear potentials. We establish the existence of nodes and link them to the de Broglie's wavelength.
Despite the fact that it has been known since the time of Heisenberg that quantum operators obey a quantum version of Newton's laws, students are often told that derivations of quantum mechanics must necessarily follow from the Hamiltonian or Lagrangian formulations of mechanics. Here, we first derive the existing Heisenberg equations of motion from Newton's laws and the uncertainty principle using only the equations F=dPdtF=\frac{dP}{dt}F=dtdP​, P=mdVdtP=m\frac{dV}{dt}P=mdtdV​, and [X,P]=i\left[X,P\right]=i[X,P]=i. Then, a new expression for the propagator is derived that makes a connection between time evolution in quantum mechanics and the motion of a classical particle under Newton's laws. The propagator is solved for three cases where an exact solution is possible 1) the free particle 2) the harmonic oscillator 3) a constant force, or linear potential in the standard interpretation. Such a picture may be useful for students as they make the transition from classical to quantum mechanics and help solidify the equivalence of the Hamiltonian, Lagrangian, and Newtonian formulations of physics in their minds.
We propose six principles as the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics: principle of space and time, Galilean principle of relativity, Hamilton's principle, wave principle, probability principle, and principle of indestructibility and increatiblity of particles. We deductively develop the formalism of quantum mechanics on the basis of them: we determine the form of the Lagrangian that satisfies requirements of these principles, and obtain the Schroedinger equation from the Lagrangian. We also derive the canonical commutation relations. Then we adopt the following four guide lines. First, we do not premise the relations between dynamical variables in classical mechanics. Second, we define energy, momentum, and angular momentum as the constants of motion that are derived from homogeneity and isotropy in space and time on the basis of principle of space and time. Since energy and momentum are quantitatively defined in classical mechanics, we define them in quantum mechanics so that the corresponding conservation laws are satisfied in a coupling system of a quantum particle and a classical particle. Third, we define Planck's constant and the mass of a particle as proportionality constants between energy and frequency due to one of Einstein-de Broglie formulas and between momentum and velocity, respectively. We shall obtain the canonical commutation relations and the Schroedinger equation for a particle in an external field in the definitive form. We shall also prove that relations between dynamical variables in quantum mechanics have the same forms for those in classical mechanics.