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Numerical QFT

The document shows that the Dirac Hamiltonian for a free particle commutes with the operator σ'.p, where p is the momentum operator and σ' are the Dirac matrices. It first writes out the Dirac Hamiltonian and defines the matrices. It then takes the commutator of the Hamiltonian and σ'.p term by term, showing each term is equal to 0. Therefore, the commutator of the Hamiltonian and σ'.p is also 0, meaning they commute. This demonstrates that the helicity operator, which is σ'.p, commutes with the Dirac Hamiltonian and is a constant of motion.

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Sagar Rawal
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
73 views

Numerical QFT

The document shows that the Dirac Hamiltonian for a free particle commutes with the operator σ'.p, where p is the momentum operator and σ' are the Dirac matrices. It first writes out the Dirac Hamiltonian and defines the matrices. It then takes the commutator of the Hamiltonian and σ'.p term by term, showing each term is equal to 0. Therefore, the commutator of the Hamiltonian and σ'.p is also 0, meaning they commute. This demonstrates that the helicity operator, which is σ'.p, commutes with the Dirac Hamiltonian and is a constant of motion.

Uploaded by

Sagar Rawal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Q. Show that the Dirac Hamiltonian for a free particle commutes with operator ' .

p, where p is
momentum operator in the space of four component spinor and  ' is the Dirac spin matrices.

Soln:

The Dirac Hamiltonian for a free particle is ,

H D  c  . p   mc 2  1

Where  and  are 4 4 matrices introduced by Dirac to linearize the Hamiltonian and turns out to

0  I 0 
Be    ,  = 
 0  0 I 

t
 0 

is
Where  ' 
0 
ic
ys
Now
Ph

 H D , '. p   c  '. p   mc 2 , '. p 


 c  '. p, '. p   mc 2   , '. p   2
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Let’s calculate term by term


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First

 . p, ' p    . p  '. p    '. p  . p 


 0  . p   . p 0    . p 0  0  . p 
    
  . p 0  0  . p   0  . p   . p 0 
 0  . p   0  . p 
2 2

  
  . p  2  
0    . p 
2
0 

0 0
 
0 0

 . p,  . p  0   3
Second:

 ,  .p     '.p    '.p  
 I 0   .p 0    .p 0  I 0 
  0  .p    0  .p  0  I 
 0  I     
  .p 0    .p 0 
   
 0  .p   0  .p 
0 0
 
0 0

  , '.p  0   4

Substituting (3) and (4) in equation (2), we get

t
is
HD,  '.p  0   5
ic
Hence, the Dirac Hamiltonian for free particle commutes with the operators  '.p We recognize that
ys
the operator  .p is the projection of the spin along the direction of momentum which by definition is
Ph

the Helicity operator. Equation (5) shows that Helicity operator commutes with the Dirac Hamiltonian
and therefore represents a constant of motion. Hence the Dirac Hamiltonian and helicity have a
common set of eigenvectors .This is also the reason for the two fold generacy found for every energy
al

eigen state of Dirac Hamiltonian


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