dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaDirac Hamiltonian with superstrong Coulomb field
| Authors | B. L. Voronov, D. M. Gitman, I. V. Tyutin |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0608221 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0608221 |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11232-007-0004-5 |
| Journal | Theor.Math.Phys.150:34-72,2007 |
Abstract
We consider the quantum-mechanical problem of a relativistic Dirac particle moving in the Coulomb field of a point charge $Ze$. In the literature, it is often declared that a quantum-mechanical description of such a system does not exist for charge values exceeding the so-called critical charge with $% Z=\alpha ^{-1}=137$ based on the fact that the standard expression for the lower bound state energy yields complex values at overcritical charges. We show that from the mathematical standpoint, there is no problem in defining a self-adjoint Hamiltonian for any value of charge. What is more, the transition through the critical charge does not lead to any qualitative changes in the mathematical description of the system. A specific feature of overcritical charges is a non uniqueness of the self-adjoint Hamiltonian, but this non uniqueness is also characteristic for charge values less than the critical one (and larger than the subcritical charge with $Z=(\sqrt{3}% /2)\alpha ^{-1}=118$). We present the spectra and (generalized) eigenfunctions for all self-adjoint Hamiltonians. The methods used are the methods of the theory of self-adjoint extensions of symmetric operators and the Krein method of guiding functionals. The relation of the constructed one-particle quantum mechanics to the real physics of electrons in superstrong Coulomb fields where multiparticle effects may be of crucial importance is an open question.
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"abstract": "We consider the quantum-mechanical problem of a relativistic Dirac particle\nmoving in the Coulomb field of a point charge $Ze$. In the literature, it is\noften declared that a quantum-mechanical description of such a system does not\nexist for charge values exceeding the so-called critical charge with $%\nZ=\\alpha ^{-1}=137$ based on the fact that the standard expression for the\nlower bound state energy yields complex values at overcritical charges. We show\nthat from the mathematical standpoint, there is no problem in defining a\nself-adjoint Hamiltonian for any value of charge. What is more, the transition\nthrough the critical charge does not lead to any qualitative changes in the\nmathematical description of the system. A specific feature of overcritical\ncharges is a non uniqueness of the self-adjoint Hamiltonian, but this non\nuniqueness is also characteristic for charge values less than the critical one\n(and larger than the subcritical charge with $Z=(\\sqrt{3}% /2)\\alpha\n^{-1}=118$). We present the spectra and (generalized) eigenfunctions for all\nself-adjoint Hamiltonians. The methods used are the methods of the theory of\nself-adjoint extensions of symmetric operators and the Krein method of guiding\nfunctionals. The relation of the constructed one-particle quantum mechanics to\nthe real physics of electrons in superstrong Coulomb fields where multiparticle\neffects may be of crucial importance is an open question.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0608221",
"authors": [
"B. L. Voronov",
"D. M. Gitman",
"I. V. Tyutin"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph",
"hep-th",
"math-ph",
"math.MP"
],
"doi": "10.1007/s11232-007-0004-5",
"journal_ref": "Theor.Math.Phys.150:34-72,2007",
"title": "Dirac Hamiltonian with superstrong Coulomb field",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0608221"
},
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