paper

Bundle Theoretic Descriptions of Massless Single-Particle State Spaces; How do we perceive a moving quantum particle

arXiv:2201.11372 · doi:10.1088/1751-8121/acd5bc

Abstract

Recently, a bundle theoretic description of massive single-particle state spaces, which is better suited for Relativistic Quantum Information Theory than the ordinary Hilbert space description, has been suggested. However, the mathematical framework presented in that work does not apply to massless particles. It is because, unlike massive particles, massless particles cannot assume the zero momentum state and hence the mass shell associated with massless particles has non-trivial cohomology. To overcome this difficulty, this paper suggests a new framework that can be applied to massless particles. Applications to the cases of massless particles with spin-1 and 2, namely photon and graviton, will reveal that the field equations, the gauge conditions, and the gauge freedoms of Electromagnetism and General Relativity naturally arise as manifestations of an inertial observer's perception of the internal quantum states of a photon and a graviton, respectively. Finally, we show that gauge freedom is exhibited by all massless particles, except those with spin-0 and 1/2.

arXiv commentThis is the Accepted Manuscript version of an article accepted for publication in [Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical]. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at [https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1751-8121/acd5bc]

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