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Dirac Adjoint
In quantum field theory, the Dirac adjoint defines the dual operation of a Dirac spinor. The Dirac adjoint is motivated by the need to form well-behaved, measurable quantities out of Dirac spinors, replacing the usual role of the Hermitian adjoint. Possibly to avoid confusion with the usual Hermitian adjoint, some textbooks do not provide a name for the Dirac adjoint but simply call it "ψ-bar". Definition Let \psi be a Dirac spinor. Then its Dirac adjoint is defined as :\bar\psi \equiv \psi^\dagger \gamma^0 where \psi^\dagger denotes the Hermitian adjoint of the spinor \psi, and \gamma^0 is the time-like gamma matrix. Spinors under Lorentz transformations The Lorentz group of special relativity is not compact, therefore spinor representations of Lorentz transformations are generally not unitary. That is, if \lambda is a projective representation of some Lorentz transformation, :\psi \mapsto \lambda \psi, then, in general, :\lambda^\dagger \ne \lambda^. The Hermit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quantum Field Theory
In theoretical physics, quantum field theory (QFT) is a theoretical framework that combines classical field theory, special relativity, and quantum mechanics. QFT is used in particle physics to construct physical models of subatomic particles and in condensed matter physics to construct models of quasiparticles. QFT treats particles as excited states (also called Quantum, quanta) of their underlying quantum field (physics), fields, which are more fundamental than the particles. The equation of motion of the particle is determined by minimization of the Lagrangian, a functional of fields associated with the particle. Interactions between particles are described by interaction terms in the Lagrangian (field theory), Lagrangian involving their corresponding quantum fields. Each interaction can be visually represented by Feynman diagrams according to perturbation theory (quantum mechanics), perturbation theory in quantum mechanics. History Quantum field theory emerged from the wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Projective Representation
In the field of representation theory in mathematics, a projective representation of a group ''G'' on a vector space ''V'' over a field ''F'' is a group homomorphism from ''G'' to the projective linear group \mathrm(V) = \mathrm(V) / F^*, where GL(''V'') is the general linear group of invertible linear transformations of ''V'' over ''F'', and ''F''∗ is the normal subgroup consisting of nonzero scalar multiples of the identity transformation (see Scalar transformation). In more concrete terms, a projective representation of G is a collection of operators \rho(g)\in\mathrm(V),\, g\in G satisfying the homomorphism property up to a constant: :\rho(g)\rho(h) = c(g, h)\rho(gh), for some constant c(g, h)\in F. Equivalently, a projective representation of G is a collection of operators \tilde\rho(g)\in\mathrm(V), g\in G, such that \tilde\rho(gh)=\tilde\rho(g)\tilde\rho(h). Note that, in this notation, \tilde\rho(g) is a ''set'' of linear operators related by multiplication with some nonze ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spinors
In geometry and physics, spinors are elements of a complex vector space that can be associated with Euclidean space. Like geometric vectors and more general tensors, spinors transform linearly when the Euclidean space is subjected to a slight (infinitesimal) rotation. Unlike vectors and tensors, a spinor transforms to its negative when the space is continuously rotated through a complete turn from 0° to 360° (see picture). This property characterizes spinors: spinors can be viewed as the "square roots" of vectors (although this is inaccurate and may be misleading; they are better viewed as "square roots" of sections of vector bundles – in the case of the exterior algebra bundle of the cotangent bundle, they thus become "square roots" of differential forms). It is also possible to associate a substantially similar notion of spinor to Minkowski space, in which case the Lorentz transformations of special relativity play the role of rotations. Spinors were introduced in geome ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quantum Field Theory
In theoretical physics, quantum field theory (QFT) is a theoretical framework that combines classical field theory, special relativity, and quantum mechanics. QFT is used in particle physics to construct physical models of subatomic particles and in condensed matter physics to construct models of quasiparticles. QFT treats particles as excited states (also called Quantum, quanta) of their underlying quantum field (physics), fields, which are more fundamental than the particles. The equation of motion of the particle is determined by minimization of the Lagrangian, a functional of fields associated with the particle. Interactions between particles are described by interaction terms in the Lagrangian (field theory), Lagrangian involving their corresponding quantum fields. Each interaction can be visually represented by Feynman diagrams according to perturbation theory (quantum mechanics), perturbation theory in quantum mechanics. History Quantum field theory emerged from the wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rarita–Schwinger Equation
In theoretical physics, the Rarita–Schwinger equation is the relativistic field equation of spin-3/2 fermions. It is similar to the Dirac equation for spin-1/2 fermions. This equation was first introduced by William Rarita and Julian Schwinger in 1941. In modern notation it can be written as: : \left ( \epsilon^ \gamma_5 \gamma_\kappa \partial_\rho - i m \sigma^ \right)\psi_\nu = 0 where \epsilon^ is the Levi-Civita symbol, \gamma_5 and \gamma_\nu are Dirac matrices, m is the mass, \sigma^ \equiv \frac gamma^\mu,\gamma^\nu, and \psi_\nu is a vector-valued spinor with additional components compared to the four component spinor in the Dirac equation. It corresponds to the representation of the Lorentz group, or rather, its part. This field equation can be derived as the Euler–Lagrange equation corresponding to the Rarita–Schwinger Lagrangian: :\mathcal=-\tfrac\;\bar_\mu \left ( \epsilon^ \gamma_5 \gamma_\kappa \partial_\rho - i m \sigma^ \right)\psi_\nu where th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dirac Equation
In particle physics, the Dirac equation is a relativistic wave equation derived by British physicist Paul Dirac in 1928. In its free form, or including electromagnetic interactions, it describes all spin- massive particles, called "Dirac particles", such as electrons and quarks for which parity is a symmetry. It is consistent with both the principles of quantum mechanics and the theory of special relativity, and was the first theory to account fully for special relativity in the context of quantum mechanics. It was validated by accounting for the fine structure of the hydrogen spectrum in a completely rigorous way. The equation also implied the existence of a new form of matter, ''antimatter'', previously unsuspected and unobserved and which was experimentally confirmed several years later. It also provided a ''theoretical'' justification for the introduction of several component wave functions in Pauli's phenomenological theory of spin. The wave functions in the Dirac theo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Probability Current
In quantum mechanics, the probability current (sometimes called probability flux) is a mathematical quantity describing the flow of probability. Specifically, if one thinks of probability as a heterogeneous fluid, then the probability current is the rate of flow of this fluid. It is a real vector that changes with space and time. Probability currents are analogous to mass currents in hydrodynamics and electric currents in electromagnetism. As in those fields, the probability current is related to the probability density function via a continuity equation. The probability current is invariant under gauge transformation. The concept of probability current is also used outside of quantum mechanics, when dealing with probability density functions that change over time, for instance in Brownian motion and the Fokker–Planck equation. Definition (non-relativistic 3-current) Free spin-0 particle In non-relativistic quantum mechanics, the probability current j of the wave function ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Four-vector
In special relativity, a four-vector (or 4-vector) is an object with four components, which transform in a specific way under Lorentz transformations. Specifically, a four-vector is an element of a four-dimensional vector space considered as a representation space of the standard representation of the Lorentz group, the (,) representation. It differs from a Euclidean vector in how its magnitude is determined. The transformations that preserve this magnitude are the Lorentz transformations, which include spatial rotations and boosts (a change by a constant velocity to another inertial reference frame). Four-vectors describe, for instance, position in spacetime modeled as Minkowski space, a particle's four-momentum , the amplitude of the electromagnetic four-potential at a point in spacetime, and the elements of the subspace spanned by the gamma matrices inside the Dirac algebra. The Lorentz group may be represented by 4×4 matrices . The action of a Lorentz transformation o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Self-adjoint Operator
In mathematics, a self-adjoint operator on an infinite-dimensional complex vector space ''V'' with inner product \langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle (equivalently, a Hermitian operator in the finite-dimensional case) is a linear map ''A'' (from ''V'' to itself) that is its own adjoint. If ''V'' is finite-dimensional with a given orthonormal basis, this is equivalent to the condition that the matrix of ''A'' is a Hermitian matrix, i.e., equal to its conjugate transpose ''A''. By the finite-dimensional spectral theorem, ''V'' has an orthonormal basis such that the matrix of ''A'' relative to this basis is a diagonal matrix with entries in the real numbers. In this article, we consider generalizations of this concept to operators on Hilbert spaces of arbitrary dimension. Self-adjoint operators are used in functional analysis and quantum mechanics. In quantum mechanics their importance lies in the Dirac–von Neumann formulation of quantum mechanics, in which physical observables such as positi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lorentz Scalar
In a relativistic theory of physics, a Lorentz scalar is an expression, formed from items of the theory, which evaluates to a scalar, invariant under any Lorentz transformation. A Lorentz scalar may be generated from e.g., the scalar product of vectors, or from contracting tensors of the theory. While the components of vectors and tensors are in general altered under Lorentz transformations, Lorentz scalars remain unchanged. A Lorentz scalar is not always immediately seen to be an invariant scalar in the mathematical sense, but the resulting scalar value is invariant under any basis transformation applied to the vector space, on which the considered theory is based. A simple Lorentz scalar in Minkowski spacetime is the ''spacetime distance'' ("length" of their difference) of two fixed events in spacetime. While the "position"-4-vectors of the events change between different inertial frames, their spacetime distance remains invariant under the corresponding Lorentz transformation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unitary Operator
In functional analysis, a unitary operator is a surjective bounded operator on a Hilbert space that preserves the inner product. Unitary operators are usually taken as operating ''on'' a Hilbert space, but the same notion serves to define the concept of isomorphism ''between'' Hilbert spaces. A unitary element is a generalization of a unitary operator. In a unital algebra, an element of the algebra is called a unitary element if , where is the identity element. Definition Definition 1. A ''unitary operator'' is a bounded linear operator on a Hilbert space that satisfies , where is the adjoint of , and is the identity operator. The weaker condition defines an ''isometry''. The other condition, , defines a ''coisometry''. Thus a unitary operator is a bounded linear operator which is both an isometry and a coisometry, or, equivalently, a surjective isometry. An equivalent definition is the following: Definition 2. A ''unitary operator'' is a bounded linear operator on a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dual Vector Space
In mathematics, any vector space ''V'' has a corresponding dual vector space (or just dual space for short) consisting of all linear forms on ''V'', together with the vector space structure of pointwise addition and scalar multiplication by constants. The dual space as defined above is defined for all vector spaces, and to avoid ambiguity may also be called the . When defined for a topological vector space, there is a subspace of the dual space, corresponding to continuous linear functionals, called the ''continuous dual space''. Dual vector spaces find application in many branches of mathematics that use vector spaces, such as in tensor analysis with finite-dimensional vector spaces. When applied to vector spaces of functions (which are typically infinite-dimensional), dual spaces are used to describe measures, distributions, and Hilbert spaces. Consequently, the dual space is an important concept in functional analysis. Early terms for ''dual'' include ''polarer Raum'' ahn 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
