In physics, the zitterbewegung (German pronunciation:[ˈtsɪtɐ.bəˌveːɡʊŋ], from German zittern 'to tremble, jitter', and Bewegung 'motion') is the theoretical prediction of a rapid oscillatory motion of elementary particles that obey relativistic wave equations. This prediction was first discussed by Gregory Breit in 1928[1][2] and later by Erwin Schrödinger in 1930[3][4] as a result of analysis of the wave packet solutions of the Dirac equation for relativistic electrons in free space, in which an interference between positive and negative energy states produces an apparent fluctuation (up to the speed of light) of the position of an electron around the median, with an angular frequency of 2mc2/ℏ, or approximately 1.6×1021 radians per second.
This apparent oscillatory motion is often interpreted as an artifact of using the Dirac equation in a single particle description and disappears when using quantum field theory. For the hydrogen atom, the zitterbewegung is related to the Darwin term, a small correction of the energy level of the s-orbitals.[5]
^Breit, Gregory (1928). "An Interpretation of Dirac's Theory of the Electron". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 14 (7): 553–559. Bibcode:1928PNAS...14..553B. doi:10.1073/pnas.14.7.553. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 1085609. PMID 16587362.
^Greiner, Walter (1995). Relativistic Quantum Mechanics. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-88082-7. ISBN 978-3-540-99535-7. S2CID 124404090.
^Schrödinger, E. (1930). Über die kräftefreie Bewegung in der relativistischen Quantenmechanik [On the free movement in relativistic quantum mechanics] (in German). pp. 418–428. OCLC 881393652.
^Schrödinger, E. (1931). Zur Quantendynamik des Elektrons [Quantum Dynamics of the Electron] (in German). pp. 63–72.
^Tong, David (2017). Applications of Quantum Mechanics(PDF). University of Cambridge.
In physics, the zitterbewegung (German pronunciation: [ˈtsɪtɐ.bəˌveːɡʊŋ], from German zittern 'to tremble, jitter', and Bewegung 'motion') is the theoretical...
and the Darwin term coming from the quantum fluctuating motion or zitterbewegung of the electron. These corrections can also be obtained from the non-relativistic...
reference is named after him. He was one of the first to notice the zitterbewegung (jittery motion) in the solutions of the Dirac equation. In 1934, together...
causing the electron to shift about in a jittery fashion (known as zitterbewegung), which results in a net circular motion with precession. This motion...
a particle. Subsequently, David Hestenes has proposed a link to the zitterbewegung that was suggested by Schrödinger. While attempts at verifying the internal...
similar to, but distinct from, the calculation of the Darwin term using Zitterbewegung, a contribution to the fine structure that is of lower order in α {\displaystyle...
theory, because in quantum field theory a charged particle experiences Zitterbewegung due to interference with virtual particle–antiparticle pairs, thus effectively...
of physical space Casimir invariant Casimir operator Wigner D-matrix Zitterbewegung Two-body Dirac equations Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider Symmetry (physics)...
significant conclusion linking it to Schrödinger's zitterbewegung and proposing a zitterbewegung interpretation of quantum mechanics. Research in this...
[clarification needed] This has been proposed as an intuitive explanation of Zitterbewegung, as these massless components would propagate at the speed of light...
non-relativistic calculation due to effects like spin–orbit interaction, zitterbewegung, and corrections to the kinetic energy. Chemistry portal Physics portal...
Umklappprozess) Vierbein, and variations such as vielbein, in general relativity Zitterbewegung Befehl ist Befehl Berufsverbot Kritik, a type of argument in policy...
Dirac equation emerged as a continuum limit. Subsequently, the roles of zitterbewegung, antiparticles and the Dirac sea in the chessboard model have been elucidated...
introduces electron hole theory 1930 Erwin Schrödinger predicts the zitterbewegung motion 1930 Fritz London explains van der Waals forces as due to the...
can be identified with the kinetic energy of the internal motion ("zitterbewegung") associated with the spin of a spin-½ particle observed in a center-of-mass...
locally varying vector- and scalar-valued observables and support for the Zitterbewegung interpretation of quantum mechanics originally proposed by Schrödinger...
peculiar behaviour of the Compton region. In particular, electrons display zitterbewegung at the Compton scale. From this point of view, the ring model does not...
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