A Formulation of Spin Dynamics Using Schrödinger Equation

• 作者: Vu B. Ho
• 来源期刊: 现代物理(英文)
• 学科: 物理学
• 关键词: SPIN ANGULAR MOMENTUM SPIN Dynamics ORBITAL ANGULAR MOMENTUM Schr?dinger Equation Half-Integer Values Intrinsic COORDINATE Systems Negative Mass
• 年，卷（期）: xdwlyw_2019,（11）
• 页码范围: 1374-1393
• 页数: 20页
• 分类号: O57

摘要

In quantum mechanics, there is a profound distinction between orbital angular momentum and spin angular momentum in which the former can be associated with the motion of a physical object in space but the latter cannot. The difference leads to a radical deviation in the formulation of their corresponding dynamics in which an orbital angular momentum can be described by using a coordinate system but a spin angular momentum cannot. In this work, we show that it is possible to treat spin angular momentum in the same manner as orbital angular momentum by formulating spin dynamics using Schrödinger equation in an intrinsic coordinate system. As an illustration, we apply the formulation to the dynamics of a hydrogen atom and show that the intrinsic spin angular momentum of the electron can take half-integral values and, in particular, the intrinsic mass of the electron can take negative values. We also consider a further extension by generalising the formulation so that it can be used to describe other intrinsic dynamics that may associate with a quantum particle, for example, when a hydrogen atom radiates a photon, the photon associated with the electron may also possess an intrinsic dynamics that can be described by an intrinsic wave equation that has a similar form to that for the electron.