Localizing the Relativistic Electron

Bracken, A. J. (1998) Localizing the Relativistic Electron. (Preprint)

Text DIAS-STP-98-13.pdf Download (1MB)

Abstract

A causally well-behaved solution of the localization problem for the free electron is given, with natural space-time transformation properties, in terms of Dirac’s position operator x, It is shown that, although x is not an observable in the usual sense, and has no positive-energy (generalized) eigenstates, the 4-vector density (ρ(x,t), j(x,t)/c) is observable, and can be localized arbitrarily precisely about any point in space, at any instant of time, using only positive-energy states. A suitable spin operator can be diagonalized at the same time.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	School of Theoretical Physics > Preprints
Date Deposited:	19 Jun 2018 14:07
Last Modified:	15 Dec 2022 03:03
URI:	https://dair.dias.ie/id/eprint/683

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads