English

Quantum connection, charges and virtual particles

High Energy Physics - Theory 2024-02-13 v4 High Energy Physics - Phenomenology Mathematical Physics math.MP Quantum Physics

Abstract

Geometrically, quantum mechanics is defined by a complex line bundle LL_\hbar over the classical particle phase space TR3R6T^*{R}^3\cong{R}^6 with coordinates xax^a and momenta pap_a, a,...=1,2,3a,...=1,2,3. This quantum bundle LL_\hbar is endowed with a connection AA_\hbar, and its sections are standard wave functions ψ\psi obeying the Schr\"odinger equation. The components of covariant derivatives A\nabla_{A_\hbar}^{} in LL_\hbar are equivalent to operators x^a{\hat x}^a and p^a{\hat p}_a. The bundle L=:LC+L_\hbar=: L_{C}^+ is associated with symmetry group U(1)_\hbar and describes particles with quantum charge q=1q=1 which is eigenvalue of the generator of the group U(1)_\hbar. The complex conjugate bundle LC:=LC+L^-_{C}:={\overline{L_{C}^+}} describes antiparticles with quantum charge q=1q=-1. We will lift the bundles LC±L_{C}^\pm and connection AA_\hbar on them to the relativistic phase space TR3,1T^*{R}^{3,1} and couple them to the Dirac spinor bundle describing both particles and antiparticles. Free relativistic quarks and leptons are described by the Dirac equation on Minkowski space R3,1{R}^{3,1}. This equation does not contain interaction with the quantum connection AA_\hbar on bundles LC±TR3,1L^\pm_{C}\to T^*{R}^{3,1} because AA_\hbar has non-vanishing components only along pap_a-directions in TR3,1T^*{R}^{3,1}. To enable the interaction of elementary fermions Ψ\Psi with quantum connection AA_\hbar on LC±L_{C}^\pm, we will extend the Dirac equation to the phase space while maintaining the condition that Ψ\Psi depends only on tt and xax^a. The extended equation has an infinite number of oscillator-type solutions with discrete energy values as well as wave packets of coherent states. We argue that all these normalized solutions describe virtual particles and antiparticles living outside the mass shell hyperboloid. The transition to free particles is possible through squeezed coherent states.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2310.06507,
  title  = {Quantum connection, charges and virtual particles},
  author = {Alexander D. Popov},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2310.06507},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

53 pages; v4: corrections and additions

R2 v1 2026-06-28T12:45:45.963Z