The present paper deals with some kind of quantum ``velocity'' which is introduced by the method of hydrodynamical analogy. It is found that this ``velocity'' is in general irrotational, namely, a vorticity vanishes, and then a velocity potential must exist in quantum mechanics. In some elementary examples of stable systems we will see what the ``velocities'' are. In particular, the two-dimensional flows of these examples can be expressed by complex velocity potentials whose real and imaginary parts are the velocity potentials and stream functions, respectively.
The present paper deals with some kind of quantum velocity'' which is introduced by the method of hydrodynamical analogy. It is found that this velocity'' is in general irrotational, namely, a vorticity vanishes, and then a velocity potential must exist in quantum mechanics. In some elementary examples of stable systems we will see what the ``velocities'' are. In particular, the two-dimensional flows of these examples can be expressed by complex velocity potentials whose real and imaginary parts are the velocity potentials and stream functions, respectively.
THE dissertation deals with the two-dimensional isotropic parabolic potential barrier as a solvable model of a two-dimensional unstable system in non-relativistic quantum mechanics. The time-independent Schrodinger equation for this model is set up as the eigenvalue problem in Gel'fand triplet and its exact solutions are expressed by generalized eigen-functions belonging to complex energy eigenvalues. There are stationary states with a real energy eigenvalues. There are statinary states with a real energy eigenvalue involved in those solutions, and they are infinitely degenerate. A physical picture of the generalized eigenstates of the unstable system is obtained from the hydrodynamical point of view. For the first few stationary states of the two-dimensional parabolic potential barrier, the complex velocity potentials in the hydrodynamical formulation of quantum mechanics express the two-dimensional irrotational flows round a right angle. We find that this result can be deduced from the general connection between complex velocity potentials and singular potentials in two-dimensional quantum systems.
Abstract In this note we first set up an analogy between spin and vorticity of a perfect 2d-fluid flow, based on the complex polynomial (i.e. Borel-Weil) realization of the irreducible unitary representations of SU(2), and looking at the Madelung-Bohm velocity attached to the ensuing spin wave functions. We also show that, in the framework of finite dimensional geometric quantum mechanics, the Schrödinger velocity field on projective Hilbert space is divergence-free (being Killing with respect to the Fubini-Study metric) and fulfils the stationary Euler equation, with pressure proportional to the Hamiltonian uncertainty (squared). We explicitly determine the critical points of the pressure of this “Schrödinger fluid”, together with its vorticity, which turns out to depend on the spacings of the energy levels. These results follow from hydrodynamical properties of Killing vector fields valid in any (finite dimensional) Riemannian manifold, of possible independent interest.
The formulation of quantum mechanics in terms of the picture of trajectory ensemble or of the hydrodynamical picture, developed in a previous article, is further supplemented for some points. Individual trajectories for some typical non-stationary state are explicitly obtained, illustrating that they generally show complicated fluctuations due to the action of quantum potential. Next, emphasis is placed on the fact that the Schrödinger field admits a mechanical model. Also the Klein-Gordon field is represented with a quasi-irrotational flow under some additional scalar field. This representation of Klein-Gordon field suggests its possible generalization to include the vortical motion. Such treatments of interacting Klein-Gordon and electromagnetic fields involve the formalism of Dirac's recent classical electrodynamics as a limiting case. Some remarks are given on this Dirac's theory. Finally, the picture of trajectory ensemble is generalized so as to represent wave equations with sources. In an appendix criticism is given on the attempt to interpret quantum mechanics in terms of Markoff process.
A nonlinear wave mechanical equation is proposed by inserting an imaginary quantum potential into the Schrödinger equation. An explicit expression for its solution is given under certain assumptions and it is shown that it entails attenuation related effects as non-unitary evolution, non-exponential quantum decay and entropy production. In the quantum hydrodynamical formulation the existence of circulation effects for the osmotic velocity field is established. Finally, a time-invariant equation for the probability density is derived, analogous to the tensor Lighthill equation in aeroacoustics, which admits both retarded and advanced solutions.
Abstract A formalism of classical mechanics is given for time-dependent many-body states of quantum mechanics, describing both fluid flow and point mass trajectories. The familiar equations of energy, motion, and those of Lagrangian mechanics are obtained. An energy and continuity equation is demonstrated to be equivalent to the real and imaginary parts of the time dependent Schrödinger equation, respectively, where the Schrödinger equation is in density matrix form. For certain stationary states, using Lagrangian mechanics and a Hamiltonian function for quantum mechanics, equations for point-mass trajectories are obtained. For 1-body states and fluid flows, the energy equation and equations of motion are the Bernoulli and Euler equations of fluid mechanics, respectively. Generalizations of the energy and Euler equations are derived to obtain equations that are in the same form as they are in classical mechanics. The fluid flow type is compressible, inviscid, irrotational, with the nonclassical element of local variable mass. Over all space mass is conserved. The variable mass is a necessary condition for the fluid flow to agree with the zero orbital angular momentum for s states of hydrogen. Cross flows are examined, where velocity directions are changed without changing the kinetic energy. For one-electron atoms, the velocity modification gives closed orbits for trajectories, and mass conservation, vortexes, and density stratification for fluid flows. For many body states, under certain conditions, and by hypotheses, Euler equations of orbital-flows are obtained. One-body Schrödinger equations that are a generalization of the Hartree–Fock equations are also obtained. These equations contain a quantum Coulomb’s law, involving the 2-body pair function of reduced density matrix theory that replace the charge densities.
In (1), the Schrodinger equation is derived using a hydrodynamical continuity of density approach. Thus, spatial density represents x probability. There, however, is also a flow velocity field in the problem v(x) and it is assumed this is irrotational. From this it is stated in (1) that v(x) is proportional to 1/m d/dx S(x) ((1)) where S(x) is some function and m is mass. In this note, we argue that a particle moving in one dimension with constant p (momentum) is automatically irrotational, but it should satisfy ((1)) from (1). In other words, a constant p particle hence constant velocity is associated with a function of x, S(x) even though its density in space is not. If one considers S(x)=ln(B(x)), then ((1)) is equivalent to: p = d/dx ln(B(x)). If one tries to associate B(x) with a probability, then ln(B(x)) is information = px. B(x), however, is a different kind of x probability from density(x) which should be constant for a free moving particle. In fact, using -id/dx instead of d/dx and exp(ipx) for B(x), one finds exp(ipx) as a second x probability. Its modulus yields the constant value of density(x). Thus the irrotational flow assumption leads to p= dS/dx. Incidentally, this form is equivalent to Fermat’s least time principle for light with p=p (x component). We argue that applying p=dS/dx associates an x probability distribution even to a constant p, so the assumption p=dS/dx is essentially a quantum mechanical statement, even if one does not derive the Schrodinger equation. The time independent Schrodinger equation may be obtained by using exp(ipx) as a relative probability and using energy conservation.