학술논문

What can we learn from the conformal noninvariance of the Klein-Gordon equation?
Document Type
Working Paper
Source
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 36, 2150224 (2021)
Subject
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Quantum Physics
Language
Abstract
It is well known that the Klein-Gordon equation in curved spacetime is conformally noninvariant, both with and without a mass term. We show that such a noninvariance provides nontrivial physical insights at different levels, first within the fully relativistic regime, then in the nonrelativistic regime leading to the Schr\"odinger equation, and then within the de Broglie-Bohm causal interpretation of quantum mechanics. The conformal noninvariance of the Klein-Gordon equation coupled to a vector potential is confronted with the conformal invariance of Maxwell's equations in the presence of a charged current. The conformal invariance of the non-minimally coupled Klein-Gordon equation to gravity is then examined in light of the conformal invariance of Maxwell's equations. Finally, the consequence of the noninvariance of the equation on the Aharonov-Bohm effect in curved spacetime is discussed.
Comment: Length reduced, typos corrected, references added, main results emphasized. Accepted in IJMPA