This document summarizes solutions to the Dirac equation. It defines two-component eigenstates χ± of the matrix ~σ · ~p that satisfy (~σ · ~p)χ± = ±pχ±. Positive energy solutions ψ± have the form u±(p)e−iEt+i~p·~x, where u± are explicit solutions in terms of χ± and E, p. Negative energy solutions ψ± have the form v±(p)e+iEt−i~p·~x, where v± are also explicit solutions. It notes that ūu and v̄v are Lorentz invariants and ūγμu and
This document summarizes solutions to the Dirac equation. It defines two-component eigenstates χ± of the matrix ~σ · ~p that satisfy (~σ · ~p)χ± = ±pχ±. Positive energy solutions ψ± have the form u±(p)e−iEt+i~p·~x, where u± are explicit solutions in terms of χ± and E, p. Negative energy solutions ψ± have the form v±(p)e+iEt−i~p·~x, where v± are also explicit solutions. It notes that ūu and v̄v are Lorentz invariants and ūγμu and
This document summarizes solutions to the Dirac equation. It defines two-component eigenstates χ± of the matrix ~σ · ~p that satisfy (~σ · ~p)χ± = ±pχ±. Positive energy solutions ψ± have the form u±(p)e−iEt+i~p·~x, where u± are explicit solutions in terms of χ± and E, p. Negative energy solutions ψ± have the form v±(p)e+iEt−i~p·~x, where v± are also explicit solutions. It notes that ūu and v̄v are Lorentz invariants and ūγμu and
This document summarizes solutions to the Dirac equation. It defines two-component eigenstates χ± of the matrix ~σ · ~p that satisfy (~σ · ~p)χ± = ±pχ±. Positive energy solutions ψ± have the form u±(p)e−iEt+i~p·~x, where u± are explicit solutions in terms of χ± and E, p. Negative energy solutions ψ± have the form v±(p)e+iEt−i~p·~x, where v± are also explicit solutions. It notes that ūu and v̄v are Lorentz invariants and ūγμu and
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Solutions to the Dirac equation
Dirac equation is given by
∂ ih̄ ψ = c(α · ~p + mcβ)ψ, (1) ∂t
where ~p = −ih̄∇~ (to be distinguished with c-number ~p). Below, we set h̄ = c = 1.
First, for a momentum
p~ = p(sin θ cos φ, sin θ sin φ, cos θ),
we define two-component eigen-states of the matrix ~σ · ~p for later convenience:
! cos θ2 χ+ (~p) = , (2) sin θ2 eiφ ! − sin θ2 e−iφ χ− (~p) = , (3) cos θ2
which satisfy (~σ · ~p)χ± (~p) = ±pχ± (~p). (4) Using χ± , we can write down solutions to the Dirac equation in a simple manner. Positive energy solutions with momentum ~p have space and time dependence ψ± (x, t) = u± (p)e−iEt+i~p·~x . The subscript ± refers to the helicities ±1/2. The Dirac equation then reduces to an equation with no derivatives:
Eψ = (α · ~p + mβ)ψ, (5)
where ~p is the momentum vector (not an operator). Explicit solutions can be
obtained easily as ! 1 (E + m)χ+ (~p) u+ (p) = √ , (6) E+m pχ+ (~p) ! 1 (E + m)χ− (~p) u− (p) = √ . (7) E+m −pχ− (~p) √ Here and below, we adopt normalization u†± (p)u± (p) = 2E and E = ~p2 + m2 . Negative energy solutions must be filled in the vacuum and their “holes” are regarded as anti-particle√states. Therefore, it is convenient to assign momentum −~p and energy −E = − ~p2 + m2. The solutions have space and time dependence ψ± (x, t) = v± (p)e+iEt−i~p·~x. The Dirac equation again reduces to an equation with no derivatives: −Eψ = (−α · ~p + mβ)ψ. (8) Explicit solutions are given by ! 1 −pχ− (~p) v+ (p) = √ , (9) E+m (E + m)χ− (~p) ! 1 pχ+ (~p) v− (p) = √ . (10) E+m (E + m)χ+ (~p)
It is convinient to define “barred” spinors ū = u†γ 0 = u† and v̄ = v †γ 0 . The γ
matrices are defined by ! ! 0 1 0 i i 0 σi γ =β= , γ = βα = . (11) 0 −1 −σ i 0
The combination ūu is a Lorentz-invariant, ūu = 2m, and similarly, v̄v = −2m. The combination ūγ µ u transforms as a Lorentz vector:
ūκ (p)γ µ uλ(p) = 2pµ δκ,λ, (12)
where κ, λ = ±, and similarly,
v̄κ (p)γ µ vλ(p) = 2pµ δκ,λ . (13)
They can be interpreted as the “four-current density” which generates electromag-
netic field: ūγ 0 u = u†u is the “charge density,” and ūγ i u = u† αi u is the “current density.” Note that the matrix ! 0 1 2 3 0 1 γ5 = iγ γ γ γ = (14) 1 0
commutes with the Hamiltonian in the massless limit m → 0. In fact, at high
energies E m, the solutions are almost eigenstates of γ5 , with eigenvalues +1 for u+ and v− , and −1 for u− and v+ . The eigenvalue of γ5 is called “chirality.” Therefore chirality is a good quantum number in the high energy limit. Neutrinos have chirality minus, and they do not have states with positive chirality.
