I discuss different formulations of the relativistic few-body problem with an emphasis on how they are related. I first discuss the implications of some of the differences with non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Then I point out that the principle of special relativity in quantum mechanics implies that the quantum theory has a Poincar\'e symmetry, which is realized by a unitary representation of the Poincar\'e group. This representation can always be decomposed into direct integrals of irreducible representations and the different formulations differ only in how these irreducible representations are realized. I discuss how these representations appear in different formulations of relativistic quantum mechanics and discuss some applications in each of these frameworks.
I discuss different formulations of the relativistic few-body problem with an emphasis on how they are related. I first discuss the implications of some of the differences with non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Then I point out that the principle of special relativity in quantum mechanics implies that the quantum theory has a Poincar'e symmetry, which is realized by a unitary representation of the Poincar'e group. This representation can always be decomposed into direct integrals of irreducible representations and the different formulations differ only in how these irreducible representations are realized. I discuss how these representations appear in different formulations of relativistic quantum mechanics and discuss some applications in each of these frameworks.
The concept of a reference frame has been a part of the physical formalism since the early days of physics. The reference frame was always understood as a physical system with respect to which states of other physical systems are described. With the adoption of quantum theory, our understanding of physical systems has fundamentally changed, yet we still rely on classical systems for the definition of reference frames. If we acknowledge the fact that all systems are quantum mechanical, including reference frames, then we have to be able to describe quantum systems relative to other quantum systems. \n \nIn this thesis we develop a framework for integrating quantum reference frames into the formalism of quantum mechanics. We show how the description of states and measurements has to be refined in order to account for the quantum nature of the reference frame. Initially, we study the implications of the new description with a quantum reference frame associated with a generic compact group. Then, we apply the same approach to the study of relativistic quantum reference frames associated with the Poincaré group, which is not compact. \n \nOur findings for the generic compact group include an analysis of how well a quantum system defines a frame of reference for other systems. Also in the generic case we analyze the effects of a measurement on a quantum reference frame. In the relativistic case we first find how the massive representations of the Poincaré group decompose into irreducible representations. This is a key problem in the analysis of quantum reference frames. Finally, we analyze a relativistic quantum reference frame that is used for measuring the total momentum. We will show how the relativistic measurements of total momentum should be described with respect to a quantum reference frame. We will also show how these measurements affect the quantum reference frame.
The history of how quantum mechanics was developed is a fascinating one and underlies the focus of this book; namely, given the rules that the founders of quantum mechanics developed, is it possible to find principles that lead to the structure of quantum mechanics as it was historically formulated? This is the first book in a series of works considering what particular relativity is applicable to a given dynamical theory. The series considers Newton, Einstein, and de Sitter relativities, while this book examines the unitary irreducible representations of the Galilei group and see how they provide the framework for Galilean quantum theory.
The diffculties of relativistic particle theories formulated my means of canonical quantization, such as Klein-Gordon and Dirac theories, ultimately led theoretical physicists to turn on quantum field theory to model elementary particle physics. The aim of the present work is to pursue a method alternative to canonical quantization that avoids these dfficulties. In order to guarantee this result, the present approach is constrained to be developed deductively from physical principles. The physical principles assumed for a free particle consist of the symmetry properties of the particle with respect to the Poincaré group and of the transformation properties of the position observable, expressed by means of a suitably conceived notion of quantum transformation. In so doing, the effectiveness of group theoretical methods is exploited. Our work has pointed out the necessity of new classes of irreducible representations of the Poincaré group the theory can be based on. For spin 0 particle, four inequivalent theories are completely determined, that differ from Klein-Gordon theory for the physical interpretation but also for the mathematical structures. In particular, two of these theories requires irreducible representations in the new classes. The present lack of the explicit transformation properties of position with respect to boosts forbids the complete determination of non zero spin particle theories. A particular form of these transformation properties was in past adopted by Jordan and Mukunda. We check its consistency within the present approach; it is found that for spin 1/2 particles there is only one consistent theory; it is unitarily related to Dirac theory, but, once again, it requires the new classes of irreducible representations.
One of the most fundamental phenomena of quantum physics is entanglement. It describes an inseparable connection between quantum systems, and properties thereof. In a quantum mechanical description even systems far apart from each other can share a common state. This entanglement of the subsystems, although arising from mathematical principles, is no mere abstract concept, but can be tested in experiment, and be utilized in modern quantum information theory procedures, such as quantum teleportation. In particular, entangled states play a crucial role in testing our understanding of reality, by violating Bell inequalities. While the role of entanglement is well studied in the realm of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, its significance in a relativistic quantum theory is a relatively new field of interest. In this work the consequences of a relativistic description of quantum entanglement are discussed. We analyze the representations of the symmetry groups of special relativity, i.e. of the Lorentz group, and the Poincaré group, on the Hilbert space of states. We describe how unitary, irreducible representations of the Poincaré group for massive spin 1/2 particles are constructed from representations of Wigner's little group. We then proceed to investigate the role of the Wigner rotations in the transformation of quantum states under a change of inertial reference frame. Considering different partitions of the Hilbert space of 2 particles, we find that the entanglement of the quantum states appears different in different inertial frames, depending on the form of the states, the chosen inertial frames, and the particular choice of partition. It is explained, how, despite of this, the maximally possible violation of Bell inequalities is frame independent, when using appropriate spin observables, which are related to the Pauli-Ljubanski vector, a Casimir operator of the Poincaré group.
Relativistic quantum dynamics requires a unitary representation of the Poincare group on the Hilbert space of states. The dynamics of many-body systems must satisfy cluster separability requirements. In this paper we formulate an abstract framework of four dimensional Euclidean Green functions that can be used to construct relativistic quantum dynamics of N-particle systems consistent with these requirements. This approach should be useful in bridging the gap between few-body dynamics based on phenomenological mass operators and on quantum field theory.
Quantum theory is one of the most successful of all physical theories. Our everyday world is dominated by devices that function because of knowledge of the quantum world. Yet many, physicists and non-physicists alike, find the theory which explains the behavior of the quantum world baffling and strange. This book is the first in a series of three that argues that relativity and symmetry determine the structure of quantum theory. That is to say, the structure of quantum theory is what it is because of relativity and symmetry. There are different types of relativity, each leading to a particular type of quantum theory. This book deals specifically with what we call Newton relativity, the form of relativity built into Newtonian mechanics, and the quantum theory to which it gives rise, which we call Galilean (often misleadingly called non-relativistic) quantum theory. Key Features: • Meaning and significance of the term of relativity; discussion of the principle of relativity. • Relation of symmetry to relativity. Significance of the notion of representations of symmetry transformations in formulating a quantum theory. • Representations of Galilean symmetry and how they lead to the most common form of quantum theory. • Extension of Newtonian relativity to accelerating quantum systems and broadened quantum theory.