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How the Geometric Calculus Resolves the Ordering Ambiguity of Quantum Theory in Curved Space

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2009-11-07 v4 High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

The long standing problem of the ordering ambiguity in the definition of the Hamilton operator for a point particle in curved space is naturally resolved by using the powerful geometric calculus based on Clifford Algebra. The momentum operator is defined to be the vector derivative (the gradient) multiplied by i-i; it can be expanded in terms of basis vectors γμ\gamma_\mu as p=iγμ\pμp = -i \gamma^\mu \p_\mu. The product of two such operators is unambiguous, and such is the Hamiltonian which is just the D'Alambert operator in curved space; the curvature scalar term is not present in the Hamiltonian if we confine our consideration to scalar wave functions only. It is also shown that pp is Hermitian and self-adjoint operator: the presence of the basis vectors γμ\gamma^\mu compensates the presence of g\sqrt{|g|} in the matrix elements and in the scalar product. The expectation value of such operator follows the classical geodetic line.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.gr-qc/0111092,
  title  = {How the Geometric Calculus Resolves the Ordering Ambiguity of Quantum Theory in Curved Space},
  author = {Matej Pavsic},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/0111092},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

27 pages ; published version of the paper