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arXiv:quant-ph/9804037

Hamiltonian path integral quantization in polar coordinates

Ashok Kumar Kapoor, Pankaj Sharan

Published Apr 15, 1998• 2 citations
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Abstract

Using a scheme proposed earlier we set up Hamiltonian path integral quantization for a particle in two dimensions in plane polar coordinates.This scheme uses the classical Hamiltonian, without any $O(\hbar^2)$ terms, in the polar varivables. We show that the propagator satisfies the correct Schrödinger equation.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.quant-ph/9804037

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Using a scheme proposed earlier we set up Hamiltonian path integral quantization for a particle in two dimensions in plane polar coordinates.This scheme uses the classical Hamiltonian, without any O(ℏ2)O(\hbar^2)O(ℏ2) terms, in the polar varivables. We show that the propagator satisfies the correct Schrödinger equation.
Inspired by the usefulness of local scaling of time in the path integral formalism, we introduce a new kind of hamiltonian path integral in this paper. A special case of this new type of path integral has been earlier found useful in formulating a scheme of hamiltonian path integral quantization in arbitrary coordinates. This scheme has the unique feature that quantization in arbitrary co-ordinates requires hamiltonian path integral to be set up in terms of the classical hamiltonian only, without addition of any adhoc $ O(\hbar ^2) $terms. In this paper we further study the properties of hamiltonian path integrals in arbitrary co-ordinates with and without local scaling of time and obtain the Schrodinger equation implied by the hamiltonian path integrals. As a simple illustrative example of quantization in arbitrary coordinates and of exact path integration we apply the results obtained to the case of Coulomb problem in two dimensions.
A new axiomatic formulation of path integrals is used to construct a path integral solution of the Schrödinger equation in curvilinear coordinates. An important feature of the formalism is that a coordinate transformation in the variables of the wavefunction does not imply a change of variable of integration in the path integral. Consequently, a transformation from Euclidean to curvilinear coordinates is simple to handle; there is no need to introduce ‘‘quantum corrections’’ into the action functional. Furthermore, the paths are differentiable: hence, issues related to stochastic paths do not arise. The procedure for constructing the path integral solution of the Schrödinger equation is straightforward. The case of the Schrödinger equation in spherical coordinates for a free particle is presented in detail.
The path integral formulation of quantum mechanics constructs the propagator by evaluating the action S for all classical paths in coordinate space. A corresponding momentum path integral may also be defined through Fourier transforms in the endpoints. Although these momentum path integrals are especially simple for several special cases, no one has, to my knowledge, ever formally constructed them from all classical paths in momentum space. I show that this is possible because there exists another classical mechanics based on an alternate classical action R. Hamilton's Canonical equations result from a variational principle in both S and R. S uses fixed beginning and ending spatial points while R uses fixed beginning and ending momentum points. This alternative action's classical mechanics also includes a Hamilton-Jacobi equation. I also present some important points concerning the beginning and ending conditions on the action necessary to apply a Canonical transformation. These properties explain the failure of the Canonical transformation in the phase space path integral. It follows that a path integral may be constructed from classical position paths using S in the coordinate representation or from classical momentum paths using R in the momentum representation. Several example calculations are presented that illustrate the simplifications and practical advantages made possible by this broader view of the path integral. In particular, the normalized amplitude for a free particle is found without using the Schrodinger equation, the internal spin degree of freedom is simply and naturally derived, and the simple harmonic oscillator is calculated.
A salient feature of the Schrödinger equation is that the classical radial momentum term p2r in polar coordinates is replaced by the operator , where the operator is not hermitian in general. This fact has important implications for the path integral and semi-classical approximations. When one defines a formal hermitian radial momentum operator , the relation holds in d-dimensional space and this extra potential appears in the path integral formulated in polar coordinates. The extra potential, which influences the classical solutions in the semi-classical treatment such as in the analysis of solitons and collective modes, vanishes for d = 3 and attractive for d = 2 and repulsive for all other cases d ≥ 4. This extra term induced by the non-hermitian operator is a purely quantum effect, and it is somewhat analogous to the quantum anomaly in chiral gauge theory.