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628 Am. J. Phys. 74 共7兲, July 2006 http://aapt.org/ajp © 2006 American Association of Physics Teachers 628
III. DIRAC K-OPERATOR AND K-ODD OPERATORS ជ · Vជ 兲共⌺
共⌺ ជ · ជl兲 = 共Vជ · ជl兲 + i共⌺
ជ ,Vជ ⫻ ជl兲 = i共⌺
ជ ,Vជ ⫻ ជl兲. 共11兲
It is well known that the Dirac operator Hence
ជ · ជl + 1兲
K = 共⌺ 共2兲 ជ · Vជ 兲共⌺
ជ · ជl + 1兲 = 共⌺
ជ · Vជ 兲 + i共⌺
ជ ,Vជ ⫻ ជl兲
共⌺
commutes with the Dirac Hamiltonian ជ · ជl + 1兲共⌺
= − 共⌺ ជ · Vជ 兲. 共12兲
a
ជ · pជ + m − ,
H=␣ 共3兲 In the last step we made use of Eq. 共10兲. Thus we obtain the
r anticommutator
where a ⬅ Ze2 = Z␣ and ជl is the angular momentum vector. ជ · ជl + 1,⌺
兵⌺ ជ · Vជ 其 = 0. 共13兲
Here ␣ ជ and  are the usual Dirac matrices and e2 = ␣ is the
ជ is the electron spin matrix
fine structure constant; ⌺ According to Eq. 共2兲, it follows that
⌺ 1
ជ
ជ = ␣ជ = ␥5␣ជ = 0 .
ជ
0
冉 冊 共4兲
ជ · Vជ 兲 = − 共⌺
K共⌺ ជ · Vជ 兲K.
According to the Sommerfeld formula the hydrogen atom It is evident that the class of operators that anticommute
spectrum is given as9 with K 共called K-odd兲 is not restricted to the operators we
冋 册
have just discussed. Any arbitrary operator of the form
E 共Z␣兲2 −1/2
ជ · Vជ 兲, where Ô commutes with K is also K-odd.
= 1+ , 共5兲 Ô共⌺
m 共n − 兩兩 + 冑2 − 共Z␣兲2兲2 The following useful relation holds for the conditions of
where is the eigenvalue of K and 兩 兩 = 冑 j共j + 1兲 + 1 / 4 = j
the theorem:
+ 1 / 2. Because can be positive or negative, the energy
spectrum is twofold degenerate. Note that in Eq. 共1兲 the
ជ · Vជ 兲 = − i ⌺
K共⌺ 共
ជ · 1 关Vជ ⫻ ជl − ជl ⫻ Vជ 兴 .
2 兲 共15兲
Dirac operator is denoted by j. The antisymmetrized vector product characteristic of the
If there is a symmetry that relates the signs of , the cor- Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector appears on the right-hand side of
responding symmetry operator must anticommute with K. Eq. 共15兲. The important special cases resulting from the theo-
This operator also must commute with the Dirac Hamil- rem include V ជ = rជ̂ 共unit radial vector兲, Vជ = pជ 共linear momen-
tonian. The first step is to construct operator共s兲 that anticom- ជ
tum兲, and V = Aជ 共Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector兲. The latter vec-
mute with K. To find such an operator, we generalize a theo-
tor has the form3
rem known earlier for the Pauli equation.13 For the Dirac
case this theorem may be formulated as follows. i
ជ = rជ̂ − 关pជ ⫻ ជl − ជl ⫻ pជ 兴. 共16兲
Theorem: Suppose Vជ be a vector that satisfies the follow- A
2ma
ing commutation relation with the angular momentum ជl:
According to Eq. 共15兲 there is a relation between these
关li,V j兴 = iijkVk . 共6兲 three K-odd operators
Equivalently, in vector product form one has ជ · rជ̂ + i K共⌺
ជ · Aជ = ⌺ ជ · pជ 兲.
⌺ 共17兲
ជl ⫻ Vជ + Vជ ⫻ ជl = 2iVជ . 共7兲
ma
We are now ready to derive the hidden symmetry operator.
Assume that this vector is perpendicular to ជl:
共lជ · V
ជ 兲 = 共Vជ · ជl兲 = 0. 共8兲
IV. THE HIDDEN SYMMETRY OPERATOR
Then K anticommutes with the operator ⌺ ជ · Vជ , which is a
scalar with respect to the total Jជ momentum, that is, it com- The second step of our derivation is to find a K-odd op-
mutes with Jជ = ជl + 21 ⌺
ជ. erator that commutes with the Dirac Hamiltonian. There still
ជ · ជl兲共⌺
ជ · Vជ 兲. If we exploit the remains considerable freedom of choice because of our re-
Proof: Consider the product 共⌺ ជ · Vជ 兲. Let us choose the
18 mark about operators of the form Ô共⌺
known properties of Dirac matrices and the conditions of
the theorem, we can show that ជ ជ
operators ⌺ · rជ̂ and K共⌺ · pជ 兲. This choice is dictated by Eq.
共17兲, which relates them to the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector.
ជ · ជl兲共⌺
共⌺ ជ · Vជ 兲 = 共lជ · Vជ 兲 + i共⌺
ជ ,lជ ⫻ Vជ 兲 = i共⌺
ជ ,2iVជ − Vជ ⫻ ជl兲 Both operators are diagonal. After commuting them with the
共9a兲 nondiagonal operator H we will end up with nondiagonal
terms. For example,
ជ · Vជ 兲 − i共⌺
=− 2共⌺ ជ ,lជ ⫻ Vជ 兲. 共9b兲 ជ · rជ̂,H兴 = 2i K␥5 .
关⌺ 共18兲
Therefore r
ជ · ជl + 1兲共⌺
共⌺ ជ · Vជ 兲 = − 关⌺
ជ · Vជ + i共⌺
ជ ,lជ ⫻ Vជ 兲兴. 共10兲 共See Problem 2.兲 The resulting matrix on the right-hand side
is antidiagonal. For this reason we consider the following
Now consider the same product in reversed order, combination of diagonal and antidiagonal matrices:
629 Am. J. Phys., Vol. 74, No. 7, July 2006 Tamari T. Khachidze and Anzor A. Khelashvili 629
ជ · rជ̂兲 + ix K共⌺
A⬘ = x1共⌺ ជ · pជ 兲 + ix K␥5 f共r兲. 共19兲 V. THE PHYSICAL MEANING AND SOME
2 3
APPLICATIONS OF THE JOHNSON-LIPPMANN
The coefficients are chosen in such a way that the A⬘ opera- OPERATOR
tor is Hermitian with x1,2,3 equal to arbitrary real numbers;
f共r兲 is an arbitrary scalar function to be determined later. To understand the physical meaning of the A⬘ operator, we
The commutator of A⬘ with H is given by use Eq. 共15兲 to rewrite Eq. 共26兲 in the form
关A⬘,H兴 = x1
2i
r
a ជ
K␥5 − x2 2 K共⌺
r
ជ · rជ̂兲
· rជ̂兲 − x3 f ⬘共r兲共⌺ 冉
ជ · rជ̂ −
A⬘ = ⌺
i
2ma
冊 i
关pជ ⫻ ជl − ជl ⫻ pជ 兴 + K␥5 .
mr
共28兲
terms are separately zero, Because all the operators in Eq. 共29兲 commute with one an-
other, we can replace them by their eigenvalues. Therefore,
1 we can obtain the energy spectrum algebraically after speci-
x1 = mf共r兲x3 , 共22a兲
r fying the spectrum of A2. Because A2 is a positively defined
operator, the minimal eigenvalue of A2 is zero. For this ei-
a genvalue the solution of Eq. 共29兲 gives the ground state en-
x2 = − f ⬘共r兲x3 . 共22b兲 ergy of the hydrogen atom,
r2
If we integrate Eq. 共22b兲 over the interval 共r , ⬁ 兲, we find 冉
E0 = m 1 −
共Z␣兲2
2
冊 1/2
. 共30兲
冋 册
It is worthwhile to note a full analogy with classical me-
ជ · rជ̂兲 − i K共⌺
A⬘ = x1 共⌺ ជ · pជ 兲 + i K␥5 . 共26兲 chanics, where closed orbits can be derived by calculating
ma mr the square of the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector without solving
the differential equation of motion.5 We believe that the de-
This operator is K-odd and satisfies all the conditions of the generacy of the hydrogen atom spectrum with respect to the
above theorem. interchange → − is related to the existence of the
We have constructed the operator A⬘ associated with a Johnson-Lippmann operator, which in turn takes its physical
hidden symmetry of the Dirac equation in the Coulomb field. origin from the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector. It is also re-
This operator is not new. Equation 共26兲 is just a different markable that the same symmetry is responsible for the ab-
form of the Johnson-Lippmann operator. If we substitute the sence of the Lamb shift in the Dirac-Coulomb problem. The
␣ជ matrices, make use of Eq. 共4兲, and take into account the inclusion of the Lamb shift terms,22
冉 冊
expression 共3兲, A⬘ can be expressed as
冋 册
4␣2 m 1 3 ␣2 ជ · ជl兲,
i 䉭VLamb ⬇ 2 ln − ␦ 共rជ兲 + 共⌺ 共31兲
ជ · rជ̂ −
A⬘ = ␥5 ␣ K␥5共H − m兲 , 共27兲 3m 5 2 m 2r 3
ma
found by calculating radiative corrections to the photon
where we have dropped x1, which is an unessential common propagator and photon-electron vertex function in the Dirac
factor. Equation 共27兲 is the Johnson-Lippmann operator in Hamiltonian, breaks the commutativity of A with H. How-
Eq. 共1兲. ever, it is evident that if radiative correction terms like Eq.
630 Am. J. Phys., Vol. 74, No. 7, July 2006 Tamari T. Khachidze and Anzor A. Khelashvili 630
共31兲 do not appear in the Dirac Hamiltonian and only the ri
Coulomb potential is considered, the appearance of the Lamb 关⌺i, ␣ j p j兴
r
冉冊
shift is forbidden.
1
= 2ijk␣k p jri
r
VI. SUGGESTED PROBLEMS
Problem 1: Show that the Dirac operator commutes with
= 2iijk␣k共ri p j − i␦ij兲 冉冊1
r
共36a兲
ជ · ជl + 1兲, ␣ជ · pជ + m + V共r兲兴
关K,H兴 = 关共⌺ 共32a兲 We group these terms together and find
ជ · rជ̂,H兴 = 2i ␥5 + 2i ␥5共⌺
关⌺ ជ · ជl兲
ជ · ជl兲, ␣ជ · pជ 兴 + 关, ␣ជ · pជ 兴
=关共⌺ 共32b兲 r r
2i 5 ជ ជ 2i
= ␥ 共⌺ · l + 1兲 = ␥5K. 共37兲
ជ · ជl兲共␣ជ · pជ 兲 − 共␣ជ · pជ 兲共⌺
= 共⌺ ជ · ជl兲 + 2共␣ជ · pជ 兲 共32c兲 r r
ជ · pជ 兲 , H兴.
Problem 3: Calculate the commutator 关K共⌺
ជ · ជl兲共␣ជ · pជ 兲 + 共␣ជ · pជ 兲共⌺
= 共⌺ ជ · ជl兲 + 2共␣ជ · pជ 兲. Solution:
共32d兲 ជ · pជ 兲,H兴
关K共⌺
ជ matrices,
ជ to ⌺
Make the transition from ␣ ជ · pជ ,H兴 + 关K,H兴共⌺
= K关⌺ ជ · pជ 兲 共38a兲
ជ · ជl兲共⌺
关K,H兴 = ␥5关共⌺ ជ · pជ 兲 + 共⌺
ជ · pជ 兲共⌺
ជ · ជl兲 + 2共⌺
ជ · pជ 兲兴 共33a兲 ជ · pជ , ␣ជ · pជ + m + V共r兲兴
=K关⌺ 共38b兲
ជ · pជ 兲 − i共⌺
= ␥5关− 2共⌺ ជ pជ ⫻ ជl兲 + i共⌺
ជ pជ ⫻ ជl兲 + 2共⌺
ជ · pជ 兲兴 = 0. ជ · pជ , ␣ជ · pជ 兴 + mK关⌺
=K关⌺ ជ · pជ , 兴 + K关⌺
ជ · pជ ,V共r兲兴. 共38c兲
共33b兲 The individual commutators are
In the last step we made use of the theorem given in the text. ជ · pជ , ␣ជ · pជ 兴 = 关⌺ ␣ 兴p p = 2i ␣ p p = 0,
关⌺ 共39兲
i i i j ijk k i j
Problem 2: Calculate the commutator 关⌺ ជ · rជ̂ , H兴.
Solution: ជ · pជ , 兴 = 0,
关⌺ 共40兲
ជ · rជ̂, ␣ជ · pជ + m + V共r兲兴 = 关⌺
关⌺ ជ · rជ̂, ␣ជ · pជ 兴
ជ · pជ ,V共r兲兴 = ⌺ 关p ,V共r兲兴 = − i⌺ ri V⬘共r兲 = − i共⌺
关⌺ ជ · rជ̂兲V⬘共r兲.
冋 册
i i i
ri ri r
= ⌺i , ␣ j p j + 关⌺i, ␣ j p j兴 . 共41兲
r r
共34兲 For the Coulomb potential, V共r兲 = −a / r, and it follows that
V⬘共r兲 = a / r2 and hence
In what follows the subscript indices run over 1 , 2 , 3 and
summation is assumed with respect to the repeated indices. ជ · pជ 兲,H兴 = − ia K共⌺
关K共⌺ ជ · rជ̂兲. 共42兲
Calculate individual terms, r2
Problem 4: Calculate the commutator 关K␥5 f共r兲 , H兴.
⌺i 冋 册
ri
r
, ␣ jp j
Solution:
关K␥5 f共r兲,H兴
1
r
1
r
冋 册
= ⌺i 关ri, ␣ j p j兴 + ⌺i , ␣ j p j ri 共35a兲
= K关␥5 f共r兲,H兴 + 关K,H兴␥5 f共r兲
= K␥5关f共r兲,H兴 + K关␥5,H兴f共r兲 共43a兲
冋 册
ជ · pជ 兴 + K · 2m␥5 f共r兲
=K␥5关f共r兲, ␣
=
⌺ i␣ j 1
关ri,p j兴 + ⌺i␣ j ,p j ri =
iជ ជ · rជ ␣ជ · rជ 共35b兲
ជ − i⌺
⌺·␣
r r r r3 ជ · rជ̂ f ⬘共r兲 + 2mK␥5 f共r兲
= K ␥ 5i ␣ 共43b兲
631 Am. J. Phys., Vol. 74, No. 7, July 2006 Tamari T. Khachidze and Anzor A. Khelashvili 631
11
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632 Am. J. Phys., Vol. 74, No. 7, July 2006 Tamari T. Khachidze and Anzor A. Khelashvili 632