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We calculate the minimum magnitude an electric dipole must have for a 1D system, interacting through the dipole, to support bound states., Comment: 6 pages, no figures

The bound eigenfunctions and spectrum of a Dirac hydrogen atom are found taking advantage of the $SU(1, 1)$ Lie algebra in which the radial part of the problem can be expressed. For defining the algebra we need to add to the description an additional angular variable playing essentially the role of a phase. The operators spanning the algebra are used for defining ladder operators for the radial eigenfunctions of the relativistic hydrogen atom and for evaluating its energy spectrum. The status of the Johnson-Lippman operator in this algebra is also investigated., Comment: to appear in Physics Letters A (2005). We corrected a misprint in page 7, in the paragraph baggining with "With the value of ..." the ground state should be |\lambda, \lambda>, not |\lambda, \lambda+1>

A variant of the usual Lagrangian scheme is developed which describes both the equations of motion and the variational equations of a system. The required (prolonged) Lagrangian is defined in an extended configuration space comprising both the original configurations of the system and all the virtual displacements joining any two integral curves. Our main result establishes that both the Euler-Lagrange equations and the corresponding variational equations of the original system can be viewed as the Lagrangian vector field associated with the first prolongation of the original LagrangianAfter discussing certain features of the formulation, we introduce the so-called inherited constants of the motion and relate them to the Noether constants of the extended system.

We introduce an generalized action functional describing the equations of motion and the variational equations for any Lagrangian system. Using this novel scheme we are able to generalize Noether's theorem in such a way that to any $n$-parameter continuous symmetry group of the Lagrangian there exist 1) the usual $n$ constants of motion and 2) $n$ extra constants valid in the variational equations. The new constants are related to the infinitesimal generators of the symmetry transformation by relations similar to the ones that stem from the `nonextended' Noether theorem., Comment: 5 pages, no figures, a slightly different published version exists

We review some recent results on recursion relations which help evaluating arbitrary non-diagonal, radial hydrogenic matrix elements of $r^\lambda$ and of $\beta r^\lambda$ ($\beta$ a Dirac matrix) derived in the context of Dirac relativistic quantum mechanics. Similar recursion relations were derived some years ago by Blanchard in the non relativistic limit. Our approach is based on a generalization of the second hypervirial method previously employed in the non-relativistic Schr\"odinger case. An extension of the relations to the case of two potentials in the so-called unshifted case, but using an arbitrary radial function instead of a power one, is also given. Several important results are obtained as special instances of our recurrence relations, such as a generalization to the relativistic case of the Pasternack-Sternheimer rule. Our results are useful in any atomic or molecular calculation which take into account relativistic corrections., Comment: 27 pages, no figures

Recursion formulae are derived for the calculation of two centre matrix elements of a radial function in relativistic quantum mechanics. The recursions are obtained between not necessarily diagonal radial eigensates using arbitrary radial potentials and any radial functions. The only restriction is that the potentials have to share a common minimum. Among other things, the relations so obtained can help in evaluating relativistic corrections to transition probabilities between atomic Rydberg states., Comment: 12 pages, no figures

We determine exact recurrence relations which help in the evaluation of matrix elements of powers of the radial coordinate between Dirac relativistic hydrogenic eigenstates. The power $\lambda$ can be any complex number as long as the corresponding term vanishes faster than $r^{-1}$ as $r \to \infty$. These formulas allow determining recursively any matrix element of radial powers --$r^\lambda$ or $\beta r^\lambda$, $\beta$ is a Dirac matrix-- in terms of the two previous consecutive elements. The results are useful in relativistic atomic calculations., Comment: 16 pages, no figures

We describe a geometrical method for tracing a planet's orbit using its velocity hodograph, that is, the path of the planet's velocity. The method requires only a straight edge, a compass, and the help of the hodograph. We also obtain analitically the hodograph and some of the features of the motion that can be obtained from it., Comment: 13 text pages, 4 figures in a single pdf file

Recently obtained recurrence formulae for relativistic hydrogenic radial matrix elements are cast in a simpler and perhaps more useful form. This is achieved with the help of a new relation between the $r^a$ and the $\beta r^b$ terms ($\beta$ is a $4\times 4$ Dirac matrix and $a, b$ are constants) in the atomic matrix elements., Comment: 7 pages, no figures

I study the dynamical effects due to the Brans-Dicke scalar $\phi$-field at the early stages of a supposedly anisotropic Universe expansion in the scalar-tensor cosmology of Jordan-Brans-Dicke. This is done considering the behaviour of the general solutions for the homogeneous model of Bianchi type VII in the vacuum case. I conclude that the Bianchi-VII$_0$ model shows an isotropic expansion and that its only physical solution is equivalent to a Friedman-Robertson-Walker spacetime whose evolution can, depending on the value of the JBD coupling constant, begin in a singularity and, after expanding (inflating, if $\omega>0$), shrink to another, or starting in a non-singular state, collapse to a singularity. I also conclude that the general Bianchi-VII$_h$ (with $h\neq 0$) models show strong curvature singularities producing a complete collapse of the homogeinity surfaces to 2D-manifolds, to 1D-manifolds or to single points. Our analysis depends crucially on the introduction of the so-called intrinsic time, $\Phi$, as the product of the JBD scalar field $\phi$ times a mean scale factor $a^3=a_1a_2a_3$, in which the finite-cosmological-time evolution of this universe unfolds into an infinite $\Phi$-range. These universes isotropize from an anisotropic initial state, thence I conclude that they are stable against anisotropic perturbations., Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Gen. Rel. Grav. Scheduled for publication in October 2001

Employing a relativistic version of a hypervirial result, recurrence relations for arbitrary non-diagonal radial hydrogenic matrix elements have recently been obtained in Dirac relativistic quantum mechanics. In this contribution honoring Professor L\"owdin, we report on a new relation we have recently discovered between the matrix elements $<2| r^\lambda |1 >$ and $<2|\beta r^\lambda |1>$---where $\beta$ is a Dirac matrix and the numbers distiguish between different radial eigenstates--- that allow for a simplification and hence for a more convenient way of expressing the recurrence relations. We additionally derive another relation that can be employed for simplifying two center matrix element calculations in relativistic atomic or molecular calculations., Comment: 12 pages, no figures. Submitted to the Int. J. Quantum Chem. P.O. L\"owdin memorial issue

We discuss a recently proposed variational principle for deriving the variational equations associated to any Lagrangian system. The principle gives simultaneously the Lagrange and the variational equations of the system. We define a new Lagrangian in an extended configuration space ---which we call D'Alambert's--- comprising both the original coordinates and the compatible ``virtual displacements'' joining two solutions of the original system. The variational principle is Hamilton's with the new Lagrangian. We use this formulation to obtain constants of motion in the Jacobi equations of any Lagrangian system with symmetries. These constants are related to constants in the original system and so with symmetries of the original Lagrangian. We cast our approach in an intrinsic coordinate free formulation. Our results can be of interest for reducing the dimensions of the equations that characterize perturbations in a Lagrangian control system., Comment: 13 pages, no figures, to appear in A. Anzaldo-Meneses, B. Bonnard, J. P. Gauthier and F. Monroy-P\'erez, Eds. Contemporary trends in geometric control theory and applications, World Scientific, Singapore, 2001

General recurrence relations for arbitrary non-diagonal, radial hydrogenic matrix elements are derived in Dirac relativistic quantum mechanics. Our approach is based on a generalization of the second hypervirial method previously employed in the non-relativistic Schr\"odinger case. A relativistic version of the Pasternack-Sternheimer relation is thence obtained in the diagonal (i.e. total angular momentum and parity the same) case, from such relation an expression for the relativistic virial theorem is deduced. To contribute to the utility of the relations, explicit expressions for the radial matrix elements of functions of the form $r^\lambda$ and $\beta r^\lambda$ ---where $\beta$ is a Dirac matrix--- are presented., Comment: 21 pages, to be published in J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. in April

A variational principle is proposed for obtaining the Jacobi equations in systems admitting a Lagrangian description. The variational principle gives simultaneously the Lagrange equations of motion and the Jacobi variational equations for the system. The approach can be of help in finding constants of motion in the Jacobi equations as well as in analysing the stability of the systems and can be related to the vertical extension of the Lagrangian formalism. To exemplify two of such aspects, we uncover a constant of motion in the Jacobi equations of autonomous systems and we recover the well-known sufficient conditions of stability of two dimensional orbits in classical mechanics., Comment: 7 pages, no figures

Recurrence formulae for arbitrary hydrogenic radial matrix elements are obtained in the Dirac form of relativistic quantum mechanics. Our approach is inspired on the relativistic extension of the second hypervirial method that has been succesfully employed to deduce an analogous relationship in non relativistic quantum mechanics. We obtain first the relativistic extension of the second hypervirial and then the relativistic recurrence relation. Furthermore, we use such relation to deduce relativistic versions of the Pasternack-Sternheimer rule and of the virial theorem., Comment: 10 pages, no figures

The momentum representation is seldom used in quantum mechanics courses. Some students are thence surprised by the change in viewpoint when, in doing advanced work, they have to use the momentum rather than the coordinate representation. In this work, we give an introduction to quantum mechanics in momentum space, where the Schr\"odinger equation becomes an integral equation. To this end we discuss standard problems, namely, the free particle, the quantum motion under a constant potential, a particle interacting with a potential step, and the motion of a particle under a harmonic potential. What is not so standard is that they are all conceived from momentum space and hence they, with the exception of the free particle, are not equivalent to the coordinate space ones with the same names. All the problems are solved within the momentum representation making no reference to the systems they correspond to in the coordinate representation., Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, to be submitted to the Eur. J. Phys

The Dirac oscillator is an exactly soluble model recently introduced in the context of many particle models in relativistic quantum mechanics. The model has been also considered as an interaction term for modelling quark confinement in quantum chromodynamics. These considerations should be enough for demonstrating that the Dirac oscillator can be an excellent example in relativistic quantum mechanics. In this paper we offer a solution to the problem and discuss some of its properties. We also discuss a physical picture for the Dirac oscillator's non-standard interaction, showing how it arises on describing the behaviour of a neutral particle carrying an anomalous magnetic moment and moving inside an uniformly charged sphere., Comment: 19 pages, 1 figure

The dynamical effects on the scale factors due to the scalar $\phi$-field at the early stages of a supposedly anisotropic Universe expansion in the scalar-tensor cosmology of Jordan-Brans and Dicke is studied. This universe shows an {\sl isotropic} evolution and, depending on the value of the theorie's coupling parameter $\omega$, it can begin from a singularity if $\omega>0$ and after expanding shrink to another one; or, if $\omega <0$ and $-3/2< \omega\leq -4/3$, it can evolve from a flat spatially-infinite state to a non extended singularity; or, if $ -4/3 < \omega < 0$, evolve from an extended singularity to a non singular state and, at last, proceed towards a singularity.

The hodograph, i.e. the path traced by a body in velocity space, was introduced by Hamilton in 1846 as an alternative for studying certain dynamical problems. The hodograph of the Kepler problem was then investigated and shown to be a circle, it was next used to investigate some other properties of the motion. We here propose a new method for tracing the hodograph and the corresponding configuration space orbit in Kepler's problem starting from the initial conditions given and trying to use no more than the methods of synthetic geometry in a sort of Newtonian approach. All of our geometric constructions require straight edge and compass only., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures

We study the dynamical effects in the scale factors due to the scalar $\phi$-field at the early stages of a supposedly anisotropic Universe expansion in connection with the problem of the initial singularity in the scalar-tensor cosmology of Jordan-Brans-Dicke. This is done by considering the behaviour of the general analytical solutions for the homogeneous model of Bianchi type VII in the vacuum case. We conclude that the Bianchi-VII$_0$ model shows an isotropic expansion and that its only physical solution is equivalent to a Friedman-Robertson-Walker spacetime whose evolution begins in a singularity and ends in another; moreover, we obtain that the general Bianchi-VII$_h$ (with $h\neq 0$) models show strong curvature singularities that produces a complete collapse of the homogeinity surfaces to a 2-plane, to a string-like one-dimensional manifold, or to a single point., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures submitted to Gen. Rel. Grav

The superposition principle is a very basic ingredient of quantum theory. What may come as a surprise to many students, and even to many practitioners of the quantum craft, is tha superposition has limitations imposed by certain requirements of the theory. The discussion of such limitations arising from the so-called superselection rules is the main purpose of this paper. Some of their principal consequences are also discussed. The univalence, mass and particle number superselection rules of non-relativistic quantum mechanics are also derived using rather simple methods., Comment: 22 pages, no figures

The hodograph of the Kepler-Coulomb problem, that is, the path traced by its velocity vector, is shown to be a circle and then it is used to investigate other properties of the motion. We obtain the configuration space orbits of the problem starting from initial conditions given using nothing more than the methods of synthetic geometry so close to Newton's approach. The method works with elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic orbits; it can even be used to derive Rutherford's relation from which the scattering cross section can be easily evaluated. We think our discussion is both interesting and useful inasmuch as it serves to relate the initial conditions with the corresponding trajectories in a purely geometrical way uncovering in the process some seldom discussed interesting connections., Comment: 14 pages and 6 eps figures, in a single zipped file. Submitted to Rev. Mex. Fis