Propagation of a relativistic electron wave packet in the Dirac equation
نویسندگان
چکیده
Solving the Dirac equation is a formidable task due to the high frequency and the degrees of freedom involved. However, this high frequency allows one to obtain an approximation to the equation. Here, we directly solve the Dirac equation using an envelope method and derive analytical solutions of Dirac wave packets to first order for the small momentum spread. We apply the insight gained from this solution to the Zitterbewegung behavior in a Dirac-like system, where we show that it is crucial to include the first-order term in our solution to correctly describe a Dirac packet.
منابع مشابه
Non-Relativistic Limit of Neutron Beta-Decay Cross-Section in the Presence of Strong Magnetic Field
One of the most important reactions of the URCA that lead to the cooling of a neutron star, is neutron beta-decay ( ). In this research, the energy spectra and wave functions of massive fermions taking into account the Anomalous Magnetic Moment (AMM) in the presence of a strong changed magnetic field are calculated. For this purpose, the Dirac-Pauli equation for charged and neutral fermions is ...
متن کاملSADDLE POINT VARIATIONAL METHOD FOR DIRAC CONFINEMENT
A saddle point variational (SPV ) method was applied to the Dirac equation as an example of a fully relativistic equation with both negative and positive energy solutions. The effect of the negative energy states was mitigated by maximizing the energy with respect to a relevant parameter while at the same time minimizing it with respect to another parameter in the wave function. The Cornell pot...
متن کاملRelativistic suppression of wave packet spreading.
We investigate numerically the solution of Dirac equation and analytically the Klein-Gordon equation and discuss the relativistic motion of an electron wave packet in the presence of an intense static electric field. In contrast to the predictions of the (non-relativistic) Schroedinger theory, the spreading rate in the field's polarization direction as well as in the transverse directions is re...
متن کاملVisualizing the kinematics of relativistic wave packets
This article presents visualizations of some solutions of the timedependent free Dirac equation. They illustrate some of the strange phenomena which are caused by the interference of positiveand negative-energy waves. We discuss, in particular, the conditions for the occurrence of effects like the Zitterbewegung , the opposite direction of momentum and velocity in negative-energy wave packets, ...
متن کاملKrylov subspace methods for the Dirac equation
The Lanczos algorithm is evaluated for solving the time-independent as well as the time-dependent Dirac equation with arbitrary electromagnetic fields. We demonstrate that the Lanczos algorithm can yield very precise eigenenergies and allows very precise time propagation of relativistic wave packets. The unboundedness of the Dirac Hamiltonian does not hinder the applicability of the Lanczos alg...
متن کامل