Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac (; 8 August 1902 – 20 October 1984) was an English theoretical physicist who is regarded as one of the most significant physicists of the 20th century.Dirac made fundamental contributions to the early development of both quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. Among other discoveries, he formulated the Dirac equation which describes the behaviour of fermions and predicted the existence of antimatter. Dirac shared the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics with Erwin Schrödinger "for the discovery of new productive forms of atomic theory". He also made significant contributions to the reconciliation of general relativity with quantum mechanics.
Dirac was regarded by his friends and colleagues as unusual in character. In a 1926 letter to Paul Ehrenfest, Albert Einstein wrote of Dirac, "I have trouble with Dirac. This balancing on the dizzying path between genius and madness is awful." In another letter he wrote, "I don't understand Dirac at all (Compton effect)."He was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, was a member of the Center for Theoretical Studies, University of Miami, and spent the last decade of his life at Florida State University.
I'm wondering how in Peskin & Schroeder they go from
i\mathcal{M} = {\overline{v}^s^'} (p^{'}) (-ie\gamma^\mu)u^s(p) \left( \frac{-ig_{\mu\nu}}{q^2} \right) \overline{u}^r (k) (-ie\gamma^\nu) v^{r^{'}} (k)
at the bottom of page 131 to (5.1) at the top of 132 which reads
i\mathcal{M}...
I am trying to evaluate the following integral.
\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}{\delta(2t-3)\sin(\pi t) dt}
where delta represents the Dirac delta function.
I am told that the answer is -1. However, when I evaluate it in MATLAB and Maple 11, I get an answer of -1/2. What is the correct way...
Homework Statement
I'm trying to prove that \delta'(y)=-\delta'(-y).
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
I'm having trouble getting the LHS and the RHS to agree. I've used a test function f(y) and I am integrating by parts.
For the LHS, I have...
Homework Statement
Hi there, I'm stuck at a problem where I have (sorry i don't know how to use mathtype so I'll try my best at making this clear) the integral of a dirac delta function squared:
int[delta(x*-x)^2] between minus infinity and infinity (x*=constant)
I know that the function...
Yep, another quick question on the Dirac Equation!
I've become slightly more clued about the use of the DE now in illustrating the negative energy problem in relativistic QM as well as the existence of spin, however one thing is still puzzling me.
I've read this excerpt in a text:
I'm...
[SOLVED] The Dirac Equation
I'm trying to understand the following property of the Dirac equation:
(i \gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu} - m)\Psi(x) = 0
Acting twice with (i \gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu} - m):
(i \gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu} - m)^{2} \Psi(x) = 0
= [ -...
So what we have so far is that any and all subsets are implied by a set. If there exist a set, then all the subsets within it are implied to exist also. This includes the elements of a set. The elements of a set are implied by the existence of a set.
One of the most natural things to do with...
A question concerning Feynman rules for Dirac vs Majorana neutrinos.
Take e.g. the scattering process:
electron + positron -> electron neutrino + electron antineutrino.
Following the electroweak Feynman rules we can calculate an expression for the unpolarized differential cross section...
\PsiHow to intepret the four components of the dirac spinor?
the volume integral of the \Psi^T*\Psi give the probability of finding the releativistic electron in a given volume of space but what exactly do the four
components really mean.
I have read in many Pop physics books that the 4...
Dirac Delta Function:
If, at time t =a, the upper end of an undamped spring-mass system is jerked upward suddenly and returned to its original position, the equation that models the situation is mx'' + kx = kH delta(t-a); x(0) = x(sub zero), x'(0) = x(sub 1), where m is the mass, k is the...
1. The ProblemHomework Statement
4 Parts to the Assignment. Finding the Displacement of a beam assuming w to be constant.
1. Cantilever beam, free at one end. Length =l, Force P applied concentrated at a point distance rl from the clamped end. Boundary Conditions y(0)=0, y'(0)=0, y"(l)=0, and...
Homework Statement
Show that if {x_k} is any sequence of points in space R^n with |{x_k}| \rightarrow \infty , then \delta(x-x_k) \rightarrow 0 weakly
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
I'm still trying to grasp the concept of weak convergence for distributions. It...
[b]1. Homework Statement
\int x[delta(x)-delta(x/3+4)] dx
Homework Equations
so I'm supposed to use this principle:
\int f(x)delta(x-xo)dx=f(xo)
The Attempt at a Solution
So it seems simple but I just want to make sure that I'm applying the above principle correctly.
I...
but I am confused
how do you proof that the dirac field describes spin half quanta when quantized?
please refer me to a link on the net where this derivation is shown if possible
i can't find it in any of the books on quantized field theory
Homework Statement
SO I'm given a dirac delta function, also known as a unit impulse function.
d(t-t'_=(1/P) sum of e^[in(t-t')], for n from negative to positive infinity.
I need to graph this.
Homework Equations
I understand that at t', there is a force made upon the system which...
Hey guys,
I am having difficulty interpreting M(x,x') into dirac notation. How do i write M(x,x') in dirac notation? The actual problem is to write the following in dirac notation:
int { int { m(x)* M(x,x') g(x') } dx} dx'
I would appreciate your help.
Q: Integral of Delta(x-b)dx and the lower limit is (-) infinity and upper is a
Please help me in steps tried my best to solve.Note this is not homework I was doing the book problems or my practice
Thanks
I figured out this one, just thought it was quite nice...
We start with the only requirement that the Green's function of the propagator is causal in the sense that it propagates stricktly forward in time, so that the Green's function is zero at t<0. Using the Heaviside step function we can...
Homework Statement
How would one show that dirac delta is the limit of the normal distribution?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirac_delta
using the definition \delta(k) = 1/(2\pi)\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}e^{ikx}dx
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
Homework Statement
I need to solve the Klein-Gordon-Schrodinger and the Dirac equation for the Coulombian potential.Homework Equations
KGS:
[(\partial^{\mu}\partial_{\mu} + m^2c^2/h^2)\Psi=0
I don't know how I can add the potential term...
Dirac:
[\gamma^{\mu}(ih\partial_{\mu} - (e/c)...
OK, I'm currently reading Hughes' Finite Element Method book, and I'm stuck on a chapter the goal of which is to prove that the Galerkin solution to a boundary value problem is exact at the nodes.
So, the author first speaks about the Dirac delta function: "Let \delta_{y}(x) = \delta(x-y)...
I have seen two formulations of the dirac delta function with the Fourier transform. The one on wikipedia is
\int_{-\infty}^\infty 1 \cdot e^{-i 2\pi f t}\,dt = \delta(f)
and the one in my textbook (Robinett) is
1/2\pi \int_{-\infty}^\infty 1 \cdot e^{-i f t}\,dt = \delta(f)
I...
hi!
I have a system from which i want to compute a expression for a time domain impulse response. The expressions for modulus and phase of the system is quite complicated and I'm using maple in order to do the inverse transforming.
now, maple tells me the inverse transform is an expression...
I do not know if it is true but is this identity true
\frac{\delta _{n}^{x} }{h} \rightarrow \delta (x-n)
as h tends to 0 ?, the first is Kronecker delta the second Dirac delta.
i suspect that the above it is true but can not give a proof
If the universe is a Dirac Sea, then wouldn't the light generated from virtual particle annihilation be detectable? Not only this, but wouldn't it drown out all other light sources? I can't find any good explanations so far for why virtual particle annihilation does/doesn't produce photons or...
Dirac developed his delta function in the context of QM. But there are various functions under the integral that give the delta function. My question is does one Dirac delta function equal any other? Are all ways of getting the Dirac delta function equivalent? Thanks.
Fourier transforms were invented before dirac delta functions but hidden in every Fourier transform is a dirac delta function. But it went unnoticed until dirac came along? Then they argued for the legitamacy of the delta function but it is present in every Fourier transform which is legitamate.
Defining the state | \alpha > such that:
| \alpha > = Ce^{\alpha {\hat{a}}^{\dagger}} | 0 >\ ,\ C \in \mathbf{R};\ \alpha \in \mathbf{C};
Now, | \alpha > is an eigenstate of the lowering operator \hat{a}, isn't it?
In other words, the statement that \hat{a} | \alpha >\ =\ \alpha | \alpha >...
Homework Statement
int[d(x-a)f(x)dx]=f(a) is the dirac delta fn
but is int[d(a-x)f(x)]=f(a) as well? If so why?The Attempt at a Solution
Is it because at x=a, d(0)=infinite and integrate dirac delta over a region including x=0 when d(0) is in the value in the integral will produce 1 hence f(a).
I've had some trouble with the argument "spin angular mometum has no classical analogue", that everyone seems to be repeating. I used Noether's theorem to calculate angular momentum of a classical Dirac's field, and found that it has internal angular mometum density, that cannot be written as a...
For my statistical mechanics class I need to find the cumulants of a special distribution of which all moments are constant and equal to a. I followed two different approaches and obtained imcompatible results, something is wrong but I couldn't figure it out.
Here's what I did:
Since all...
Dear all,
I need a simple proof of the following:
Let [tex]u \in C(\mathbb{R}^3)[\tex] and [tex]\|u\|_{L^1(\mathbb{R}^3)} = 1[\tex]. For [tex]\lambda \geq 1[\tex], let us define the
transformation [tex]u\mapsto u_{\lambda}[\tex], where [tex] u_{\lambda}(x)={\lambda}^3 u(\lambda...
A professor of mine recently remarked that dirac notation is easily the best in physics & we'd quickly realize this once we take a course in relativity. I've already taken the course & I find myself disagreeing with him, but maybe that's only because I enjoy relativity more. Curious what you...
Suppose that we have a compact manifold \mathcal{M} with a positive definite metric g_{ij}. The volume of the manifold is then
V = \int_\mathcal{M} d^3x \sqrt{g(x)},
where x^i are coordinates on \mathcal{M} and \sqrt{g(x)} is the square root of the determinant of the metric. Suppose now that...
A vector function
V(\vec{r}) = \frac{ \hat r}{r^2}
If we calculate it's divergence directly:
\nabla \cdot \vec{V} = \frac{1}{r^2} \frac{\partial}{\partial r} \left( r^2 \frac{1}{r^2} \right) = 0
However, by divergence theorem, the surface integral is 4\pi . This paradox can be solved by...
There is many projection (or measurement) postulates in quantum mechanics axioms: von Neumann measurement, Luders postulate...
But does anybody know sth. about DIRAC POSTULATE?
Thx
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=73447
I saw the above tutorial by arildno and looked at how he defined the Dirac Delta "function" as a functional. But isn't there a more easier way to do this. I have seen the following definition in a lot of textbooks.
\delta(t) \triangleq...
I often see this in electrodynamics in the form of a point charge density function. There are some rules on how to manipulate the thing in integrals.
But what is it mathematically?
I can't figure out how to integrate this:
\int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{x}{\sqrt{m^2+x^2}}sin(kx)sin(t\sqrt{m^2+x^2}) dx
m, k and t are constants.
The book has for m = 0, the solution is some dirac delta functions.
There is a step that bothers me in my book (Ryder) on QFT and I can't seem to figure it out. It concerns the (spatial) rotation of the spatial part of the Dirac four current:
\bar{\psi} \gamma \psi
The crucial step here is
\frac{1}{4}(\vec{\sigma} \cdot \vec{\theta})...
Question:
Consider the motion of a particle of mass m in a 1D potential V(x) = \lambda \delta (x). For \lambda > 0 (repulsive potential), obtain the reflection R and transmission T coefficients.
[Hint] Integrate the Schordinger equation from -\eta to \eta i.e.
\Psi^{'}(x=\epsilon...
Suppose that we take the delta function \delta(x) and a function f(x). We know that
\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} f(x)\delta(x-a)\,dx = f(a).
However, does the following have any meaning?
\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} f(x)\delta(x-a)\delta(x-b)dx,
for some constants -\infty<a,b<\infty.
Let be the exponential:
e^{inx}=cos(nx)+isin(nx) n\rightarrow \infty
Using the definition (approximate ) for the delta function when n-->oo
\delta (x) \sim \frac{sin(nx)}{\pi x} then differentiating..
\delta ' (x) \sim \frac{ncos(nx)}{\pi x}- \frac{\delta (x)}{\pi x}...