Ricardo A. Mosna

The bundles of algebraic and Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields

Our main objective in this paper is to clarify the ontology of Dirac–Hestenes spinor fields (DHSF) and its relationship with even multivector fields, on a Riemann–Cartan spacetime (RCST) M=(M,g,∇,τg,↑) admitting a spin structure, and to give a mathematically rigorous derivation of the so-called Dirac–Hestenes equation (DHE) in the case where M is a Lorentzian spacetime (the general case when M is a RCST will be discussed in another publication). To this aim we introduce the Clifford bundle of multivector fields (Cl(M,g)) and the left (ClSpin1,3el(M)) and right (ClSpin1,3er(M)) spin-Clifford bundles on the spin manifold (M,g). The relation between left ideal algebraic spinor fields (LIASF) and Dirac–Hestenes spinor fields (both fields are sections of ClSpin1,3el(M)) is clarified. We study in detail the theory of covariant derivatives of Clifford fields as well as that of left and right spin-Clifford fields. A consistent Dirac equation for a DHSF Ψ∈sec ClSpin1,3el(M) (denoted DECll) on a Lorentzian spacetim...

Some remarks on the coupling prescription of teleparallel gravity

By using a nonholonomic moving frame version of the general covariance principle, an active version of the equivalence principle, an analysis of the gravitational coupling prescription of teleparallel gravity is made. It is shown that the coupling prescription determined by this principle is always equivalent with the corresponding prescription of general relativity, even in the presence of fermions. An application to the case of a Dirac spinor is made.

Quantum tomography for Dirac spinors

We present a tomographic scheme, based on spacetime symmetries, for the reconstruction of the internal degrees of freedom of a Dirac spinor. We discuss the circumstances under which the tomographic group can be taken as SU(2), and how this crucially depends on the choice of the gamma matrix representation. A tomographic reconstruction process based on discrete rotations is considered, as well as a continuous alternative.

Fisher information and kinetic energy functionals: A dequantization approach

We strengthen the connection between information theory and quantum-mechanical systems using a recently developed dequantization procedure whereby quantum fluctuations latent in the quantum momentum are suppressed. The dequantization procedure results in a decomposition of the quantum kinetic energy as the sum of a classical term and a purely quantum term. The purely quantum term, which results from the quantum fluctuations, is essentially identical to the Fisher information. The classical term is complementary to the Fisher information and, in this sense, it plays a role analogous to that of the Shannon entropy. We demonstrate the kinetic energy decomposition for both stationary and nonstationary states and employ it to shed light on the nature of kinetic energy functionals.

Classical kinetic energy, quantum fluctuation terms and kinetic-energy functionals

We employ a recently formulated dequantization procedure to obtain an exact expression for the kinetic energy which is applicable to all kinetic-energy functionals. We express the kinetic energy of an N-electron system as the sum of an N-electron classical kinetic energy and an N-electron purely quantum kinetic energy arising from the quantum fluctuations that turn the classical momentum into the quantum momentum. This leads to an interesting analogy with Nelson’s stochastic approach to quantum mechanics, which we use to conceptually clarify the physical nature of part of the kinetic-energy functional in terms of statistical fluctuations and in direct correspondence with Fisher Information Theory. We show that the N-electron purely quantum kinetic energy can be written as the sum of the (one-electron) Weizsäcker term and an (N−1)-electron kinetic correlation term. We further show that the Weizsäcker term results from local fluctuations while the kinetic correlation term results from the nonlocal fluctuations. We then write the N-electron classical kinetic energy as the sum of the (one-electron) classical kinetic energy and another (N−1)-electron kinetic correlation term. For one-electron orbitals (where kinetic correlation is neglected) we obtain an exact (albeit impractical) expression for the noninteracting kinetic energy as the sum of the classical kinetic energy and the Weizsäcker term. The classical kinetic energy is seen to be explicitly dependent on the electron phase, and this has implications for the development of accurate orbital-free kinetic-energy functionals. Also, there is a direct connection between the classical kinetic energy and the angular momentum and, across a row of the periodic table, the classical kinetic energy component of the noninteracting kinetic energy generally increases as Z increases. Finally, we underline that, although our aim in this paper is conceptual rather than practical, our results are potentially useful for the construction of improved kinetic-energy functionals.

Quantum–classical correspondence via a deformed kinetic operator

We propose an approach to quantum–classical correspondence based on a deformation of the momentum and kinetic operators of quantum mechanics. Making use of the factorization method, we construct classical versions of the momentum and kinetic operators which, in addition to the standard quantum expressions, contain terms that are functionals of the N-particle density. We show that this implementation of quantum–classical correspondence is related to Wittens deformation of the exterior derivative and Laplacian, introduced in the context of supersymmetric quantum mechanics. The corresponding deformed action is also shown to be related to the Fisher information. Finally, we briefly consider the possible relevance of our approach to the construction of kinetic-energy density functionals.

Z2-gradings of Clifford algebras and multivector structures

Let C�(V , g) be the real Clifford algebra associated with the real vector space V ,e ndowed with a nondegenerate metric g .I n this paper, we study the class of Z2-gradings of C�(V , g) which are somehow compatible with the multivector structure of the Grassmann algebra over V .A complete characterization for such Z2-gradings is obtained by classifying all the even subalgebras coming from them. An expression relating such subalgebras to the usual even part of C�(V , g) is also obtained. Finally, we employ this framework to define spinor spaces, and to parametrize all the possible signature changes on C�(V , g) by Z2-gradings of this algebra.

Volume elements and torsion

We reexamine here the issue of consistency of minimal action formulation with the minimal coupling procedure (MCP) in spaces with torsion. In Riemann-Cartan spaces, it is known that a proper use of the MCP requires that the trace of the torsion tensor be a gradient, Tμ=∂μθ, and that the modified volume element τθ=eθgdx1∧⋯∧dxn be used in the action formulation of a physical model. We rederive this result here under considerably weaker assumptions, reinforcing some recent results about the inadequacy of propagating torsion theories of gravity to explain the available observational data. The results presented here also open the door to possible applications of the modified volume element in the geometric theory of crystalline defects.

Nonsingular solutions of Hitchin's equations for noncompact gauge groups

We consider a general ansatz for solving the 2-dimensional Hitchins equations, which arise as dimensional reduction of the 4-dimensional self-dual Yang–Mills equations, with remarkable integrability properties. We focus on the case when the gauge group G is given by a real form of . For G = SO(2,1), the resulting field equations are shown to reduce to either the Liouville, elliptic sinh-Gordon or elliptic sine-Gordon equations. As opposed to the compact case, given by G = SU(2), the field equations associated with the noncompact group SO(2,1) are shown to have smooth real solutions with nonsingular action densities, which are furthermore localized in some sense. We conclude by discussing some particular solutions, defined on , S2 and T2, that come out of this ansatz.

Geometry of the cholesteric phase

We propose a construction of a cholesteric pitch axis for an arbitrary nematic director field as an eigenvalue problem. Our definition leads to a Frenet-Serret description of an orthonormal triad determined by this axis, the director, and the mutually perpendicular direction. With this tool, we are able to compare defect structures in cholesterics, biaxial nematics, and smectics. Though they all have similar ground state manifolds, the defect structures are different and cannot, in general, be translated from one phase to the other.