Analytic representation of the Dirac equation
Creators
- 1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059 (United States)
- 2. Computational Physics Laboratory, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059 (United States)
Description
In this paper, we construct an analytical separation (diagonalization) of the full (minimal coupling) Dirac equation into particle and antiparticle components. The diagonalization is analytic in that it is achieved without transforming the wavefunctions, as is done by the Foldy-Wouthuysen method, and reveals the nonlocal time behaviour of the particle-antiparticle relationship. We then show explicitly that the Pauli equation is not completely valid for the study of the Dirac hydrogen atom problem in s-states (hyperfine splitting). We conclude that there are some open mathematical problems with any attempt to explicitly show that the Dirac equation is insufficient to explain the full hydrogen spectrum. If the perturbation method can be justified, our analysis suggests that the use of cut-offs in QED is already justified by the eigenvalue analysis that supports it. Using a new method, we are able to effect separation of variables for full coupling, solve the radial equation and provide graphs of the probability density function for the 2p- and 2s-states, and compare them with those of the Dirac-Coulomb case
Availability note (English)
Available online at http://stacks.iop.org/0305-4470/38/6955/a5_31_006.pdf or at the Web site for the Journal of Physics. A, Mathematical and General (ISSN 1361-6447) http://www.iop.org/Additional details
Identifiers
- URL
- http://stacks.iop.org/0305-4470/38/6955/a5_31_006.pdf; http://www.iop.org/;
- DOI
- 10.1088/0305-4470/38/31/006;
- PII
- S0305-4470(05)82750-7;
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Journal of Physics. A, Mathematical and General
- Journal Volume
- 38
- Journal Issue
- 31
- Journal Page Range
- p. 6955-6976
- ISSN
- 0305-4470
- CODEN
- JPHAC5
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United Kingdom
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 36095664
- Subject category
- S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
- Descriptors DEI
- ANTIPARTICLES; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DENSITY; DIRAC EQUATION; EIGENVALUES; FOLDY-WOUTHUYSEN TRANSFORM; HYDROGEN; PROBABILITY; QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS; S STATES; WAVE FUNCTIONS
- Descriptors DEC
- ANTIMATTER; CANONICAL TRANSFORMATIONS; DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; ELECTRODYNAMICS; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ELEMENTS; ENERGY LEVELS; EQUATIONS; EVALUATION; FIELD EQUATIONS; FIELD THEORIES; FUNCTIONS; MATTER; NONMETALS; PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; QUANTUM FIELD THEORY; TRANSFORMATIONS; WAVE EQUATIONS