2011•Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fieldsOpen access

Dirac fermions in strong gravitational fields

Yuri N. Obukhov, Alexander J. Silenko, Oleg V Teryaev

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Abstract

We discuss the dynamics of the Dirac fermions in the general strong gravitational and electromagnetic fields. We derive the general Hermitian Dirac Hamiltonian and transform it to the Foldy-Wouthuysen representation for the spatially isotropic metric. The quantum operator equations of motion are obtained and the semiclassical limit is analyzed. The comparison of the quantum mechanical and classical equations shows their complete agreement. The helicity dynamics in strong fields is discussed. Squaring the covariant Dirac equation explicitly shows a similarity of the interactions of electromagnetic and gravitational fields with a charged and spinning particle.

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We discuss the dynamics of the Dirac fermions in the general strong gravitational and electromagnetic fields. We derive the general Hermitian Dirac Hamiltonian and transform it to the Foldy-Wouthuysen representation for the spatially isotropic metric. The quantum operator equations of motion are obtained and the semiclassical limit is analyzed. The comparison of the quantum mechanical and classical equations shows their complete agreement. The helicity dynamics in strong fields is discussed. Squaring the covariant Dirac equation explicitly shows a similarity of the interactions of electromagnetic and gravitational fields with a charged and spinning particle.

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Available abstract

We discuss the dynamics of the Dirac fermions in the general strong gravitational and electromagnetic fields. We derive the general Hermitian Dirac Hamiltonian and transform it to the Foldy-Wouthuysen representation for the spatially isotropic metric. The quantum operator equations of motion are obtained and the semiclassical limit is analyzed. The comparison of the quantum mechanical and classical equations shows their complete agreement. The helicity dynamics in strong fields is discussed. Squaring the covariant Dirac equation explicitly shows a similarity of the interactions of electromagnetic and gravitational fields with a charged and spinning particle.

Key concepts: Physics, Dirac equation, Causal fermion system, Dirac sea, Semiclassical physics, Dirac fermion, Two-body Dirac equations, Covariant transformation

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