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arXiv:hep-th/9904072

Relativistic Gamow Vectors

Arno Böhm, Hani Kaldass, Sujeewa Wickramasekara, Piotr Kielanowski

Published Apr 9, 1999• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Gamow vectors in non-relativistic quantum mechanics are generalized eigenvectors (kets) of self-adjoint Hamiltonians with complex eigenvalues. Like the Dirac kets, they are mathematically well defined in the Rigged Hilbert Space. Gamow kets are derived from the resonance poles of the S-matrix. They have a Breit-Wigner energy distribution, an exponential decay law, and are members of a basis vector expansion whose truncation gives the finite dimensional effective theories with a complex Hamiltonian matrix. They also have an asymmetric time evolution described by a semigroup generated by the Hamiltonian, which expresses a fundamental quantum mechanical arrow of time. These Gamow kets are generalized to relativistic Gamow vectors by extrapolating from the Galilei group to the Poincare group. This leads to semigroup representations of the Poincare group which are characterized by spin j and complex invariant mass square. In these non-unitary representations the Lorentz subgroup is unitarily represented and the four-momenta are "minimally complex" in the sense that the four-velocity is real. The relativistic Gamow vectors have all the properties listed above for the non-relativistic Gamow vectors and are therefore ideally suited to describe relativistic resonances and quasistable particles.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.hep-th/9904072

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Gamow vectors in non-relativistic quantum mechanics are generalized eigenvectors (kets) of self-adjoint Hamiltonians with complex eigenvalues. Like the Dirac kets, they are mathematically well defined in the Rigged Hilbert Space. Gamow kets are derived from the resonance poles of the S-matrix. They have a Breit-Wigner energy distribution, an exponential decay law, and are members of a basis vector expansion whose truncation gives the finite dimensional effective theories with a complex Hamiltonian matrix. They also have an asymmetric time evolution described by a semigroup generated by the Hamiltonian, which expresses a fundamental quantum mechanical arrow of time. These Gamow kets are generalized to relativistic Gamow vectors by extrapolating from the Galilei group to the Poincare group. This leads to semigroup representations of the Poincare group which are characterized by spin j and complex invariant mass square. In these non-unitary representations the Lorentz subgroup is unitarily represented and the four-momenta are "minimally complex" in the sense that the four-velocity is real. The relativistic Gamow vectors have all the properties listed above for the non-relativistic Gamow vectors and are therefore ideally suited to describe relativistic resonances and quasistable particles.
A state vector description for relativistic resonances is derived from the first order pole of the jjj-th partial SSS-matrix at the invariant square mass value $\sm_R=(m-iΓ/2)^2$ in the second sheet of the Riemann energy surface. To associate a ket, called Gamow vector, to the pole, we use the generalized eigenvectors of the four-velocity operators in place of the customary momentum eigenkets of Wigner, and we replace the conventional Hilbert space assumptions for the in- and out-scattering states with the new hypothesis that in- and out-states are described by two different Hardy spaces with complementary analyticity properties. The Gamow vectors have the following properties: - They are simultaneous generalized eigenvectors of the four velocity operators with real eigenvalues and of the self-adjoint invariant mass operator M=(PμPμ)1/2M=(P_μP^μ)^{1/2}M=(Pμ​Pμ)1/2 with complex eigenvalue $\sqrt{\sm_R}$. - They have a Breit-Wigner distribution in the invariant square mass variable $\sm$ and lead to an exactly exponential law for the decay rates and probabilities.
After a summary of the Rigged Hilbert space formulation of quantum mechanics and a brief statement of its advantages over von Neumann’s formulation, a mathematically correct definition of Gamow’s exponentially decaying vectors as generalized energy eigenvectors is suggested. It is shown that exponentially decaying vectors are obtained from the S-matrix poles in the lower half of the second sheet and exponentially growing vectors from the S-matrix poles in the upper half of the second sheet. Decaying ’’state’’ vectors are defined as functionals over half of the space of physical states and growing ’’state’’ vectors are defined as functionals over the other half. On functionals over these subspaces, the dynamical group of time development splits into two semigroups, one for t ≳ 0 and the other for t < 0. The generalized basis system connected with the spectrum of the Hamiltonian is transformed into a new basis system in which the exponentially decaying component of the density matrix is separated.
Abstract These Gamow kets span an irreducible representation space for Poincaré transformations which, similar to the Wigner representations for stable particles, are characterized by spin (angular momentum of the partial wave amplitude) and complex mass (position of the resonance pole). The Poincaré transformations of the Gamow kets, as well as of the Lippmann‐Schwinger plane wave scattering states, form only a semigroup of Poincaré transformations into the forward light cone. Their transformation properties are derived. From these one obtains an unambiguous definition of resonance mass and width for relativistic resonances. The physical interpretation of these transformations for the Born probabilities and the problem of causality in relativistic quantum physics is discussed.
The Friedrichs model has often been used in order to obtain explicit formulas for eigenvectors associated to complex eigenvalues corresponding to lifetimes. Such eigenvectors are called Gamow vectors and they acquire meaning in extensions of the conventional Hilbert space of quantum theory to the so-called rigged Hilbert space. In this paper, Gamow vectors are constructed for a solvable model of an unstable relativistic field. As a result, we obtain a time asymmetric relativistic extension of the Fock space. This extension leads to two distinct Poincaré semigroups. The time reversal transformation maps one semigroup to the other. As a result, the usual PCT invariance should be extended. We show that irreversibility as expressed by dynamical semigroups is compatible with the requirements of relativity.
Starting from the phenomenological lineshape, relativistic Gamow vectors are defined. They span an irreducible representation ([ j , s R ]) of the causal Poincaré semigroup. Their transformation properties are presented, from which follow the exponential time evolution of the (relativistic) Gamow states (of spin j and mass s R = ( M − iΓ/2) 2 ). The preparation and analysis of decay data are complicated by the presence of a continuous background integral—always omitted in the Weisskopf–Wigner approximation—in the complex basis vector expansion for the in-state of a resonance scattering experiment. This background integral, which is related to the background term in the scattering amplitude, gives rise to deviations from the exponential time evolution. To what extent a prepared state decays exponentially depends on the experiment and not the resonance per se .
In this talk we discuss how to combine aspects of the theory of stable relativistic particles and of the theory of non-relativistic decaying particles into a relativistic theory of unstable particles and resonances. For the theory of stable relativistic particles we use Wigner’s description by unitary irreducible representations (UIR) of the Poincaré group [ 1 ] which has been the foundation for relativistic quantum mechanics and field theory [ 2 ]. For the non-relativistic decaying particles we use a time asymmetric quantum mechanics in which the Hilbert space axiom, that allows only symmetric (unitary group) time evolution, is replaced by time asymmetric boundary conditions which lead to an irreversible , semigroup time evolution [ 3 ]. In the limit in which certain contributions to the energy continuum are neglected, this new quantum mechanics leads to the Weisskopf-Wigner approximate methods [ 4 ] for decay, and to the Breit-Wigner energy distribution [ 5 ] for the resonance lineshape. We thus generalize and combine two fundamental contributions of Wigner into a description of relativistic resonances and decaying states. The central concept of this description is the relativistic Gamow vector, which is a generalized eigenvector (ket) of the self-adjoint invariant square mass operator https://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> M 2 = P μ P μ P μ = P 1 μ + P 2 μ in resonance scattering 1±2→ R →3±4) with a complex eigenvalue, a relativistic Breit-Wigner energy distribution, and an exponential time evolution governed by a semigroup of continuous operators in the space of kets.