GAUGE INVARIANCE AND SPECTRAL REPRESENTATIONS IN QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1962 · Dissertation Abstr.

OSTI ID:4817458

Shankland, D G

It is shown that in quantum electrodynamics, with a Lagrangian which yields the Maxwell and Dirac equations, it is impossible to have a unitary transformation between interacting operators at different times; to have observables, such as current, invariant under gauge transformations; and to have only positive energy states taking part in physical processes. The explicit change in the observed current due to a gauge change is calculated by using the Schwinger formalism. The vanishing of this change is shown to imply that the spectral function for the electromagnetic field is a Dirac delta function, and hence that the electromagnetic field has no interactions, contradicting the original assumptions. Some possible consequences of this inconsistency are then discussed.

• Research Organization: Ohio State Univ., Columbus
• NSA Number: NSA-16-024923
• OSTI ID: 4817458
• Journal Information: Dissertation Abstr., Vol. Vol: 22; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

PHYSICS
CURRENTS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DIRAC EQUATIONS
ELECTRODYNAMICS
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
ENERGY
FIELD THEORY
GAUGE INVARIANCE
INTERACTIONS
LAGRANGIAN
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
RELATIVITY THEORY
SCHWINGER METHOD
SPECTRA