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Maxwell-Like Equations for Free Dirac Electrons

Article  in  Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung a · February 2018

DOI: 10.1515/zna-2017-0328

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S.A. Bruce*

Maxwell-Like Equations for Free Dirac Electrons

https://doi.org/10.1515/zna-2017-0328 equations for the free Dirac electron bispinor components.
Received September 15, 2017; accepted January 12, 2018 If this is really possible, we need to find (electric-like)
vector and (magnetic-like) pseudo-vector fields describ-
Abstract: In this article, we show that the wave equation
ing the electron bispinor wavefunction in a way similar
for a free Dirac electron can be represented in a form that
to electrodynamic formalism. At first sight, this appears
is analogous to Maxwell’s electrodynamics. The electron
quite reasonable in view of the fact that the eigenvalue
bispinor wavefunction is explicitly expressed in terms of
of the electron velocity operator is ±c, which resembles a
its real and imaginary components. This leads us to incor-
photon-like behaviour.
porate into it appropriate scalar and pseudo-scalar fields
in advance, so that a full symmetry may be accomplished.
The Dirac equation then takes on a form similar to that
of a set of inhomogeneous Maxwell’s equations involving
2 M
 axwellian Description of a Free
a particular self-source. We relate plane wave solutions Dirac Electron
of these equations to waves corresponding to free Dirac
electrons, identifying the longitudinal component of the To begin with, we consider the well-known [25] basic free-
electron motion, together with the corresponding Zitter- field Lorentz scalar Dirac Lagrangian density from which
bewegung (“trembling motion”). the field equations are derived (hereafter ħ = c = 1):

Keywords: Dirac Equation; Maxwell’s Equations; i

L( Ψ , Ψ , ∂Ψ , ∂Ψ ) = − ( Ψ( x ) γ α ∂ α Ψ( x ) − ( ∂ α Ψ( x )) γ α Ψ( x ))
Zitterbewegung. 2
(1) + me Ψ( x )Ψ( x ),

where x = (t, x), with metric signature g(+−−−). Here, we

1 Introduction choose the standard Dirac representation

There have been many attempts to construct classical  I 0  i  0 σi  5  0 I 

models for a spin-1/2 particle [1–9]. This interest arises γ0 =   , γ =  − σ 0  , γ =  I 0 , (2)
 0 −I  i    
from the need to more fully understand the somehow
intriguing internal structure of the electron. In the Barut-
in which σi, i = 1, 2, 3, are Pauli spin matrices. Varying L
Zanghi theory [9], the electron is characterised by a
with respect to Ψ = Ψ † γ0 , we find the (Euler-Lagrange)
Lagrangian whose equations of motion exhibit a classi-
Dirac equation for a free electron of mass me:
cal analogue to the phenomenon of Zitterbewegung (ZB).
Based on these ideas, Salesi and Recami [10–13] present (i γ α ∂ α − me )Ψ( x ) = 0. (3)
a field theory of the spinning electron that constructs a
classically intelligible description of the electron. Differ- The Dirac bispinor Ψ can be written in terms of two-
ent approaches have also been proposed [14–18]. In par- component spinors φ and χ:
ticular, Campolattaro [19] shows that the Dirac equation is
equivalent to Maxwell’s equations for the electromagnetic 1  φ( x )
Ψ( x ) =   ∈C ,
4
(4)
field generated by two currents: one electric in nature and 2  χ( x ) 
one magnetic-monopolar.
where, in general, we can write
This article gives a different representation to this
problem. It is well known [20–24] that Maxwell’s equa- φ( x ) = φR ( x ) + i φI ( x ), χ( x ) = χ R ( x ) + i χ I ( x ), (5)
tions can be written in spinor notation which resembles
that used for the Dirac electron. Here, we want to proceed with φR,I and χR,I spinors with real components. Let ψ
in the opposite direction, by writing down Maxwell-like denote either φ or χ. Thus, we define
1 i
ψ N (t , x ) = ( ψR (t , x ) ± ψR (t , − x)) + ( ψI (t , x) ± ψI (t , − x)),
*Corresponding author: S.A. Bruce, Facultad de Ingeniería y
M
2 2
Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Los Andes, Complex Systems
Group, Santiago, Chile, E-mail: stanleybruces@gmail.com (6)

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2      S.A. Bruce: Maxwell-Like Equations for Free Dirac Electrons

with complex spinors ψN and ψM symmetric and antisym- We derive the (coupled) differential equations of
metric under space inversion x → −x, respectively. motion for Mi, Nj, US, and UP from (3) by directly using
If the spinor (4) describes either a positive-energy free the bispinor representation (7). After a straightforward
electron or a negative-energy free electron, φ and χ must algebra, we find a set of eight (formally) simple Maxwell-
have opposite parity. Motivated by [26, 27], for a state of like equations:
positive parity (an electron), we set
∇⋅ M( x ) − ∂tU S ( x ) = −meq ⋅ N( x ),
 N ( x ) + iU S ( x )  M ( x ) + iU P ( x ) ∇ × M( x ) + ∂t N( x ) + ∇U P ( x ) = me ( q × N( x ) − qU S ( x )),
φN ( x ) =  3  , χM ( x ) = i  3 , (7)
 N 1 ( x ) + iN 2 ( x )  M1 ( x ) + iM 2 ( x )  ∇⋅ N( x ) + ∂tU P ( x ) = −meq ⋅ M( x ),
− ∇ × N( x ) + ∂t M( x ) − ∇U S ( x ) = me ( M( x ) × q + qU P ( x )).
where Mi, Nj, US, and UP, i = 1, 2, 3, are eight independent
real fields, which under space inversion transform as (14)

Mi (t , − x ) = − Mi (t , x ), N i (t , − x ) = N i (t , x ), In the above equations, we have chosen a reference

(8)
U P (t , − x ) = −U P (t , x ), U S (t , − x ) = U S (t , x ). frame where (qα) = (0, 0, 0, 1) = (0, q), which is consist-

ent with the Dirac representation (2). From (3), we find
that Fa = {Mi, Nj, US, UP} also satisfies the Klein-Gordon
The parity P and the charge conjugation C operators
equations:
for the Dirac field Ψ are defined as usual:
( ∂ α ∂ α + me2 ) Fa ( x ) = 0. (15)
Ψ(t , x ) → Ψ P (t , x ) = γ0 Ψ(t , − x ) = + Ψ(t , x ),
1  φ (t , x ) (9)
C
Note that on similar grounds, the massless case is dis-
Ψ (t , x ) → Ψ C (t , x ) = γ 2 Ψ ∗ (t , x ) =  C ,
2  χ (t , x ) cussed in [26, 27].

Lorentz invariance of (14) can easily be checked as
with φC ( x ) = σ 2 χ∗M ( x ) and χC ( x ) = − σ 2 φ∗N ( x ). one does in the case of Maxwell’s equations for dyons
Inserting (7) and (4) into (1), we can rewrite the [27]. From (14), we define electric and magnetic-like (self)
Lagrangian density in the form four-currents

1 4 π( jMα ( x )) = −me ( q ⋅ N( x ), M( x ) × q + qU P ( x )),

L′(G, G , ∂G, ∂G ) = (q αG βα ( x )∂ γG γβ ( x ) − q αG βα ( x )∂ γG γβ ( x ))
2
1 4 π( jNα ( x )) = −me ( q ⋅ M( x ), q × N( x ) − qU S ( x )), (16)
+ me (G βα ( x )G αβ ( x ) − G βα ( x )G αβ ( x )), 
(10)
8
where, as represented above, q transforms as the spatial
where G (x) and G αβ ( x ) are second-rank tensors defined
αβ
component of a four-vector. Hence, we can write (14) in the
by covariant form

G αβ ( x ) = K αβ ( x ) − g αβU S ( x ), G αβ ( x ) = K αβ ( x ) − g αβU P ( x ). (11) ∂ αG αβ ( x ) = 4 πjMβ ( x ) = −meqαG αβ ( x ),

∂ G αβ ( x ) = 4 πj β ( x ) = −m q G αβ ( x ). (17)
Here, Kαβ = gαγKγδgδβ is the analogue of the antisymmet- α N e α 
ric EM field-strength tensor whose components are
These equations of motion can be derived by varying
K0 j ( x ) = M j ( x ), K ij ( x ) = −εijk N k ( x ), (12) the Lagrangian (10) with respect to the four-vectors
χη = qαGηα and χ η = q αG ηα , so that (17) are deduced from the
with K αβ = (1 / 2)εαβγδ K γδ , where εαβγδ is the Levi-Civita Euler-Lagrange equations
pseudo-tensor (ε0123 = 1). The symmetric fields (in the
indices α and β) gαβUS and gαβUP transform like tensor and  δL ′  δL ′  δL ′  δL ′
∂µ   − δχ = 0, ∂ µ  δ( ∂ χ ) − δχ = 0. (18)
pseudo-tensor, respectively. In (10), qα is a constant space-  δ( ∂ χ )
µ η   µ η 
η η

like four-vector (it does not depend on the space-time
coordinates) under restricted Lorentz transformations,
Here, we should emphasise that, in general, the fol-
which will be specified for a particular inertial reference
lowing terms do not vanish
frame below. Thus, the electromagnetic-like tensors (11)
are no longer traceless:
 δ( ∂ γG γβ )   δ( ∂ γG γβ ) 
∂ µ  Gβ 3  ≠ 0 ≠ ∂ µ  G β 3 . (19)
tr(G (x )) = −4U S ( x ), tr(G (x )) = −4U P ( x ). (13)
αβ αβ δ( ∂ µGη 3 )  δ( ∂ µG η 3 )  
 

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 S.A. Bruce: Maxwell-Like Equations for Free Dirac Electrons      3

Note that the presence of US and UP (identified as N1 ( x ) = 0 = N2 ( x ), N 3 ( x ) = Cp cos ϕp ( x ), US ( x ) = Cp sin ϕp ( x ),

scalar and pseudo-scalar fields, respectively) induces
Cp
longitudinal components in M and N, since from (14) we M1 ( x ) = ( p1 sin ϕp ( x ) + p2 cos ϕp ( x )),
me + Ep
can obtain the (Klein-Gordon) second-order differential
equations Cp
M2 ( x ) = − ( p1 cos ϕp ( x ) − p2 sin ϕp ( x )),
me + Ep
∂M 2
 ∂J 
∇2 M − 2 = 4 π  ∇ × JN + M + ∇J M0  = me2 M, Cp
∂t  ∂t 
M3 ( x ) = p3 sin ϕp ( x ),
me + Ep
∂2 N  ∂J 
∇2 N − 2 = 4 π  −∇ × J M + N + ∇J N0  = me2 N. (20)
∂t  ∂t  Cp
 UP ( x ) = −
(26) p cos ϕp ( x ),
me + Ep 3
On the left-hand side of (20), the terms in US and UP
vanish because [∇, ∂t] = 0. with Cp = (me + Ep ) / Ep . Correspondingly, for spin-down
It is worth mentioning that jMβ ( x ) and jNβ ( x ) are, gen- solutions,
erally, not conserved four-currents as it is easily deter-
N1 ( x ) = Cp cos ϕp ( x ), N2 ( x ) = Cp sin ϕp ( x ), N 3 ( x ) = 0 = US ( x ),
mined from (17). In fact
Cp
4 π∂ β jMβ ( x ) = −me2U S ( x ), 4 π∂ β jNβ ( x ) = −me2U P ( x ). (21) M1 ( x ) = − p3 sin ϕp ( x ),
me + Ep

However, from (15), we can define conserved four- Cp

M2 ( x ) = p3 cos ϕp ( x ),
currents by making me + Ep

4 πjMβ ( x ) → 4 πjMβ ( x ) − ∂ βU S ( x ), Cp
M3 ( x ) = ( p1 sin ϕp ( x ) − p2 cos ϕp ( x )),
me + Ep
4 πjNβ ( x ) → 4 πjNβ ( x ) − ∂ βU P ( x ). (22)
Cp
Starting with (17), it follows that the scalar product (27)
UP ( x ) = − ( p cos ϕp ( x ) + p2 sin ϕp ( x )),
of jMβ ( x ) and jNβ ( x ) is the pseudo-scalar (invariant) me + Ep 1
quantity
where p → −p under space inversion x → −x. Thus, in
jM ⋅ jN ∝ M ⋅ N + U SU P = inv. (23) both cases, jM · jN = 0. For the latter case, M · N = 0 in any
inertial reference frame because US(x) = 0.
In what follows, we regard a particularly interesting
expression for the flux density associated with the Dirac
3 Plane Wave Solutions and ZB field, as represented by (4) and (7). Consider a basic non-
definite parity Dirac bispinor Φ as a linear superposition
Next, we want to study plane wave solutions for (14). First, of positive- and negative-energy contributions:
we choose a positive-energy solution of (3): 1
Φ( x ) = ( Ψ( x ) + Ψ C ( x )). (28)
2

me + Ep  u ±

Ψ ±E ( x ) =  ±
exp i ϕp ( x ) ∈C4 , (24) The corresponding flux density is given by
p 2 Ep  (me + Ep ) σ ⋅ pu 
−1

S( x ) = Φ† ( x ) αΦ( x ) = S( x ) + SZB ( x )
where 1
= { Ψ † ( x ) αΨ( x ) + Ψ C † ( x ) αΨ C ( x )}
2
 1  0
u+ =   , u− =   , (25) 1
 0  1  + [ Ψ † ( x ) αΨ C ( x ) + Ψ C † ( x ) αΨ( x )]
2
= { M(x ) × N(x ) + U P ( x )N(x ) − U S ( x )M( x )}
for spin-up (down) wavefunctions, respectively,
where ϕp(x) = p · x − Ept is the invariant phase, with + [( M1 M 2 + N 1 N 2 − M 3U P − N 3U S )ˆε1
+ (U P2 + U S2 + 2( M 22 + N 22 ) − M ⋅ M − N ⋅ N)ˆε2
Ep = + me2 + p2 . Identifying Ψ → Ψ ±E , we get, for spin-up
p
solutions, + ( M 2 M 3 + N 2 N 3 + M1U P + N 1U S )ˆε3 ]. (29)

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4      S.A. Bruce: Maxwell-Like Equations for Free Dirac Electrons

to incorporate appropriate scalar and pseudo-scalar fields

US and UP into the Dirac bispinor (4), according to both (7)
and (8). We then studied plane wave solutions associated
to this system. To this end, we defined a Dirac bispinor
as a linear superposition of positive- and negative-energy
S contributions obtaining the corresponding flux density,
which exhibits a helical trajectory due to the electron ZB,
p3/Ep3

as depicted in Figure 1.
A natural ensuing task is to attempt (second) quanti-
sation of the free fields (11) which satisfy the equations of
motion (14). Here, we have to follow, as much as possible,
the quantisation procedure we know for the electron case,
considering that the occupation number of a particular
(m os
2ϕ p 3 electron state is at most one. This problem will be treated
e /E )c
p3 ) sin2
ϕ
/E p 3 in a future article.
(m e
Finally, note that (to some extent conversely) for
p3

a realistic, classical version of ZB, see [28], where this

Figure 1: Schematic graph (not to scale) of the flux density (30)
“trembling” motion at constant speed c is used to derive
when the electron is in the superposition state Φ(x) for spin-down
solutions ΨE− ( x ). the Schrödinger equation. For the physical origin of ZB
as a due to self-reaction, see [29–31]. It is noteworthy to
p3

mention that ZB of a free particle has never been directly

observed [32–35]. For one author [36], ZB is not even
Here, αi are the Dirac matrices and εˆi , i = 1, 2, 3, is the
observable. Nonetheless, it has been already simulated.
usual Cartesian canonical basis. The flux S(x) contains
First, it was simulated with a trapped ion, by putting it in
two pieces: (i) a longitudinal component in curl bracket
an environment such that the non-relativistic Schrödinger
{…}, and (ii) a ZB component in squared bracket […]. Note
equation for the ion has a similar mathematical form as
that S(x) represents the analogue of the Poynting vector
the Dirac equation (although the physical condition is dif-
for the electron [27]. Let us consider the motion of a spin-
ferent) [32–34]. Second, it was simulated in a configura-
down electron along the z axis (p1 = 0 = p2). From either
tion with Bose-Einstein condensates [37]. Further research
(24) or (26) together with (29), we find that
could lead to applications of (14) in these and some other
p3 physical systems whose Hamiltonians are listed in [33].
S( z , t ) = S( z , t ) + SZB ( z , t ) = εˆ3
Ep
3

m m
+ εˆ1 e sin2 ϕ p ( z , t ) + εˆ2 e cos2 ϕ p ( z , t ). (30)
Ep 3
3
Ep
3
3
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