Hilbert Book Model Project/Dirac Equation

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The Dirac equation

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In its original form, the Dirac equation is a complex equation that uses spinors, matrices, and partial derivatives.

Dirac was searching for a split of the Klein-Gordon equation into two first order differential equations.

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Here   is the d’Alembert operator.

Dirac used a combination of matrices and spinors to reach this result. He applied the Pauli matrices to simulate the behavior of vector functions under differentiation.

The unity matrix   and the Pauli matrices   are given by [15]:

 ;  ;  ;  ;  

 

 

 

 

(3)

For one of the potential orderings of the quaternionic number system, the Pauli matrices together with the unity matrix   relate to the quaternionic base vectors  .

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

 

 

 

 

 

(5)

Instead of the usual  we want to use operators  . The subscript   indicates the scalar part. The operator   relates to the applied parameter space. This means that the parameter space is also configured of combinations  of a scalar   and a vector  . Also the functions   can be split in scalar functions   and vector functions  .

The different ordering possibilities of the quaternionic number system correspond to different symmetry flavors. Half of these possibilities offer a right handed external vector product. The other half offer a left-handed external vector product.

The Pauli matrices implement the cross product behavior of three dimensional vectors. A 4X4 dimensional matrix can implement the choice between right handed and left handed vector product.

We will use the momentum operator to represent the nabla operator:

 

 

 

 

 

(6)

 

 

 

 

 

(7)

 

 

 

 

 

(8)

 

 

 

 

 

(9)

 

 

 

 

 

(10)

These two equations hide the fact that the cross product can be right or left handed.

 

 

 

 

 

(11)

 

 

 

 

 

(12)

 

 

 

 

 

(13)

Thus this corresponds with the Klein-Gordon equation if

 

 

 

 

 

(14)

We can split this into two first order partial differential equations.

 

 

 

 

 

(15)

 

 

 

 

 

(16)

 

 

 

 

 

(17)

Similarly

 

 

 

 

 

(18)

 Dirac’s approach

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The original Dirac equation uses 4x4 matrices   and  .

  and   are matrices that implement the quaternion arithmetic behavior including the possible symmetry flavors of quaternionic number systems and continuums.

  

 

 

 

 

 

(19)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(20)

 

 

 

 

 

(21)

The interpretation of the Pauli matrices as a representation of a special kind of angular momentum has led to the half-integer eigenvalue of the corresponding spin operator.

Dirac’s selection leads to  

 

 

 

 

 

(22)

  is a four-component spinor.

This equation does not split into two first order partial differential equations. Using gamma matrices cures this.

 

 

 

 

 

(23)

 

 

 

 

 

(24)

 

 

 

 

 

(25)

 

 

 

 

 

(26)

This time   is a two component spinor. The equation splits into 

 

 

 

 

 

(27)

 

 

 

 

 

(28)

The spinors   and   are not quaternionic fields. Instead they are combinations of fields that show different symmetry. The fields differ in the way that they handle the direction of progression.

The spinors  ,  ,  , and   also differ in the right or left handed treatment of the cross product. In this way they form four different combinations of handling progression and handiness of the cross product.

The symmetry flavors of the parameter spaces combine 16 different symmetry flavors. These differences cover the four differences of the spinors. The spinors do not distinguish anisotropy.

Interpretation

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According to conventional physics, the split divides the Klein-Gordon second-order partial differential equation into a first order partial differential equation for the electron and a first order partial differential equation for the positron. However, these equations are no quaternionic first order partial differential equations.

Instead, the equation

 

 

 

 

 

(29)

splits into two quaternionic first order partial differential equations.

 

 

 

 

 

(30)

 

 

 

 

 

(31)

In conventional physics this equation has not yet found a proper interpretation.