Abstract
The classical limit of real Dirac theory is derived as the lowest-order contribution in\(\mathchar'26\mkern-10mu\lambda = \hslash /mc\) of a new, exact polar decomposition. The resulting classical spinor equation is completely integrated for stationary solutions to arbitrary central fields. Imposing single-valuedness on the covering space of a bivector-valued extension to these classical solutions, orbital angular momentum, energy, and spin directions are quantized. The quantization of energy turns out to yield the WKB formula of Bessey, Uhlenbeck, and Good. It is demonstrated that the success of Sommerfeld's old quantization is due to a complete mutual cancellation between wave mechanical half-integers and spin in the particular case of the relativistic Kepler problem.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D. Hestenes, “Observables, operators, and complex numbers in the Dirac theory,”J. Math. Phys. 16, 556–572 (1975).
D. Hestenes, “The Zitterbewegung interpretation of quantum mechanics,”Found. Phys. 20, 1213–1232 (1990).
D. Hestenes, “A unified language for mathematics and physics,” inClifford Algebras and Their Applications in Mathematical Physics, J. S. R. Chisholm and A. K. Common (eds.) (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1986), pp. 1–24.
D. Hestenes and G. Sobczyk,Clifford Algebra to Geometric Calculus (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1984).
D. Hestenes, “Real spinor fields,”J. Math. Phys. 8, 798–808 (1967), Section 4.
D. Hestenes, “Local observables in the Dirac theory,”J. Math. Phys. 14, 893–905 (1973), Section 5.
G. Lochak, “Wave equation for a magnetic monopole,”Int. J. Theor. Phys. 24, 1019–1050 (1985), Section 12.
J. Yvon, “Equations de Dirac-Madelung,”J. Phys. Radium 1, 18–24 (1940).
T. Takabayashi, “Relativistic hydrodynamics of the Dirac matter,”Prog. Theor. Phys. Suppl. 4, 1–80 (1957).
A Proca, “Sur la méchanique spinorielle du point chargé,”J. Phys. Radium 17, 81–84 (1956).
D. Hestenes, “Proper dynamics of a rigid point particle,”J. Math. Phys. 15, 1778–1786 (1974).
D. Bohm and B. J. Hiley, “Measurement understood through the quantum potential approach,”Found. Phys. 14, 255–274 (1984).
H. C. Lee, “On plane factorizations of pseudo-Euclidean rotations,”Qt. J. Math. 15, 7–10 (1944).
D. Hestenes,New Foundations for Classical Mechanics (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1986), pp. 460–462.
V. P. Maslov and M. V. Fedoriuk,Semiclassical Approximation in Quantum Mechanics (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1981), p. 78.
R. Abraham and J. E. Marsden,Foundations of Mechanics (Benjamin/Cummings, Reading, Massachusetts, 1980), 2nd edn., p. 95.
J. O. Hirschfelder and K. T. Tang, “Quantum mechanical streamlines. IV. Collision of two spheres with square potential wells or barriers,”J. Chem. Phys. 65, 470–486 (1976).
J. B. Keller, “Corrected Bohr-Sommerfeld quantum conditions for nonseparable systems,”Ann. Phys. (N.Y.) 4, 180–188 (1958).
B. Ju. Sternin, “On quantization conditions in the complex theory of Maslov's canonical operator. The complex theory of Fourier integral operators,”Sov. Math. Dokl. 18, 250–254 (1977).
D. Hestenes, “Quantum mechanics from self-interaction,”Found. Phys. 15, 63–87 (1985).
R. H. Good, Jr., “The generalization of the WKB method to radial wave equations,”Phys. Rev. 90, 131–137 (1953).
A. Sommerfeld, “Zur Quantentheorie der Spekttrallinien,”Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 51, 1–94 (1916), see pp. 52–54.
S. I. Rubinow and J. B. Keller, “Asymptotic solution of the Dirac equation,”Phys. Rev. 131, 2789–2796 (1963).
K. Rafanelli and R. Schiller, “Classical motions of spin-1/2 particles,”Phys. Rev. B 135, 279–281 (1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Krüger, H. Classical limit of real Dirac theory: Quantization of relativistic central field orbits. Found Phys 23, 1265–1288 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01883679
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01883679