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arXiv:quant-ph/0002081

A group of invariance transformations for nonrelativistic quantum mechanics

Bruno Galvan

Published Feb 27, 2000• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

This paper defines, on the Galilean space-time, the group of asymptotically Euclidean transformations (AET), which are equivalent to Euclidean transformations at space-time infinity, and proposes a formulation of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics which is invariant under such transformations. This formulation is based on the asymptotic quantum measure, which is shown to be invariant under AET's. This invariance exposes an important connection between AET's and Feynman path integrals, and reveals the nonmetric character of the asymptotic quantum measure. The latter feature becomes even clearer when the theory is formulated in terms of the coordinate-free formalism of asymptotically Euclidean manifold, which do not have a metric structure. This mathematical formalism suggests the following physical interpretation: (i) Particles evolution is represented by trajectories on an asymptotically Euclidean manifold; (ii) The metric and the law of motion are not defined a priori as fundamental entities, but they are properties of a particular class of reference frames; (iii) The universe is considered as a probability space in which the asymptotic quantum measure plays the role of a probability measure. Points (ii) and (iii) are used to build the asymptotic measurement theory, which is shown to be consistent with traditional quantum measurement theory. The most remarkable feature of this measurement theory is the possibility of having a nonchaotic distribution of the initial conditions (NCDIC), an extremely counterintuitive but not paradoxical phenomenon which allows to interpret typical quantum phenomena, such as particle diffraction and tunnel effect, while still providing a description of their motion in terms of classical trajectories.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.quant-ph/0002081

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This paper defines, on the Galilean space-time, the group of asymptotically Euclidean transformations (AET), which are equivalent to Euclidean transformations at space-time infinity, and proposes a formulation of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics which is invariant under such transformations. This formulation is based on the asymptotic quantum measure, which is shown to be invariant under AET's. This invariance exposes an important connection between AET's and Feynman path integrals, and reveals the nonmetric character of the asymptotic quantum measure. The latter feature becomes even clearer when the theory is formulated in terms of the coordinate-free formalism of asymptotically Euclidean manifold, which do not have a metric structure. This mathematical formalism suggests the following physical interpretation: (i) Particles evolution is represented by trajectories on an asymptotically Euclidean manifold; (ii) The metric and the law of motion are not defined a priori as fundamental entities, but they are properties of a particular class of reference frames; (iii) The universe is considered as a probability space in which the asymptotic quantum measure plays the role of a probability measure. Points (ii) and (iii) are used to build the asymptotic measurement theory, which is shown to be consistent with traditional quantum measurement theory. The most remarkable feature of this measurement theory is the possibility of having a nonchaotic distribution of the initial conditions (NCDIC), an extremely counterintuitive but not paradoxical phenomenon which allows to interpret typical quantum phenomena, such as particle diffraction and tunnel effect, while still providing a description of their motion in terms of classical trajectories.
Closed systems in Newtonian mechanics obey the principle of Galilean relativity. However, the usual Lagrangian for Newtonian mechanics, formed from the difference of kinetic and potential energies, is not invariant under the full group of Galilean transformations. In quantum mechanics, Galilean boosts require a non-trivial transformation rule for the wave function and a concomitant “projective representation” of the Galilean symmetry group. Using Feynman's path integral formalism, this latter result can be shown to be equivalent to the non-invariance of the Lagrangian. Thus, using path integral methods, the representation of certain symmetry groups in quantum mechanics can be simply understood in terms of the transformation properties of the classical Lagrangian and conversely. The main results reported here should be accessible to students and teachers of physics—particularly classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and mathematical physics—at the advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate levels, providing a useful exposition for those wanting to explore topics such as the path integral formalism for quantum mechanics, relativity principles, Lagrangian mechanics, and representations of symmetries in classical and quantum mechanics.
Quantum field theory is the traditional solution to the problems inherent in melding quantum mechanics with special relativity. However, it has also long been known that an alternative first-quantized formulation can be given for relativistic quantum mechanics, based on the parametrized paths of particles in spacetime. Because time is treated similarly to the three space coordinates, rather than as an evolution parameter, such a spacetime approach has proved particularly useful in the study of quantum gravity and cosmology. This paper shows how a spacetime path formalism can be considered to arise naturally from the fundamental principles of the Born probability rule, superposition, and Poincaré invariance. The resulting formalism can be seen as a foundation for a number of previous parametrized approaches in the literature, relating, in particular, “off-shell” theories to traditional on-shell quantum field theory. It reproduces the results of perturbative quantum field theory for free and interacting particles, but provides intriguing possibilities for a natural program for regularization and renormalization. Further, an important consequence of the formalism is that a clear probabilistic interpretation can be maintained throughout, with a natural reduction to nonrelativistic quantum mechanics.
In Feynman's space-time approach to nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, the wave function may be considered to be the sum of path integrals over Brownian-motion trajectories. This formalism is entirely equivalent to the Schr\"odinger-equation treatment with its intrinsic indeterminacy. Pursuing the analogy with Brownian motion further, one may introduce a hidden variable corresponding to particle velocity in order to represent the wave function as a sum of path integrals taken over phase-space trajectories. By means of a hidden parameter corresponding to the time scale of fictitious interactions of the particle with the vacuum, one can define generalized propagators which over very short times produce wave functions which are localizable in phase space and hence are deterministic. For long times the conventional Feynman formalism is recovered. This short-time causality does not violate the von Neumann injunction against hidden variables since the new velocity variable turns out to be non-Hermitian over the long time scales normally considered. In contrast to the models proposed by Bohm and others, the present Brownian model is linear and preserves the usual statistical interpretation of the wave function for sufficiently long times.
By taking into account the quantum aspects intrinsic to any operational definition of spatio-temporal relationships, a stochastic concept of spacetime emerges. In relation to its classical counterpart is realized as a stochastic mean around which quantum fluctuations become negligible only in the limit of macroscopic spacetime intervals. The test-particle propagators used in the proposed quantum concept of spacetime are derived by solving in a consistent manner the localizability problem for relativistic particles. This is achieved in the framework of the stochastic phase space formulation of quantum mechanics, which in the nonrelativistic context is shown to result from systems of imprimitivity related to phase space conserved probability currents derivable from bona fide convariant probability densities in stochastic phase spaces of one particle systems, which can be interpreted as due to measurements performed with extended rather than pointlike test particles. The associated particle propagators can be therefore consistently related to coordinate probability densities measurable by the exchange of photons in between test particles from a chosen standard. Quantum spacetime is defined as the family of propagators corresponding to all conceivable coherent flows of test particles. This family of free-fall propagators has to satisfy certain self-consistency conditions as well as consistent laws ofmore » motion which inplicitly determine the stochastic geometro-dynamics of quantum space-time. Field theory on quantum spacetime retains many of the formal features of conventional quantum field theory. On a fundamental epistemological level stochastic geometries emerge as essential prerequisites in the construction of spacetime models that would be operationally based and yet consistent with the relativity principle as well as with the uncertinty principle.« less
The equivalence postulate approach to quantum mechanics aims to formulate quantum mechanics from a fundamental geometrical principle. Underlying the formulation there exists a basic cocycle condition which is invariant under D -dimensional Mobius transformations with respect to the Euclidean or Minkowski metrics. The invariance under global Mobius transformations implies that spatial space is compact. Furthermore, it implies energy quantisation and undefinability of quantum trajectories without assuming any prior interpretation of the wave function. The approach may be viewed as conventional quantum mechanics with the caveat that spatial space is compact, as dictated by the Möbius symmetry, with the classical limit corresponding to the decompactification limit. Correspondingly, there exists a finite length scale in the formalism and consequently an intrinsic regularisation scheme. Evidence for the compactness of space may exist in the cosmic microwave background radiation.
A new idea for the quantization of dynamic systems, as well as space time itself, using a stochastic metric is proposed. The quantum mechanics of a mass point is constructed on a space time manifold using a stochastic metric. A stochastic metric space is, in brief, a metric space whose metric tensor is given stochastically according to some appropriate distribution function. A mathematically consistent model of a space time manifold equipping a stochastic metric is proposed in this work. The quantum theory in the local Minkowski space can be recognized as a classical theory on the stochastic Lorentz-metric-space. A stochastic calculus on the space time manifold is performed using white noise functional analysis. A path-integral quantization is introduced as a stochastic integration of a function of the action integral, and it is shown that path-integrals on the stochastic metric space are mathematically well-defined for large variety of potential functions. The Newton–Nelson equation of motion can also be obtained from the Newtonian equation of motion on the stochastic metric space. It is also shown that the commutation relation required under the canonical quantization is consistent with the stochastic quantization introduced in this work. The quantum effects of general relativity are also analyzed through natural use of the stochastic metrics. Some example of quantum effects on the Universe is discussed.