Kim Young Suh Kim – författare

Einstein''s energy-momentum relation is applicable to particles of all speeds, including the particle at rest and the massless particle moving with the speed of light. If one formula or formalism is applicable to all speeds, we say it is ''Lorentz-covariant.'' As for the internal space-time symmetries, there does not appear to be a clear way to approach this problem. For a particle at rest, there are three spin degrees of freedom. For a massless particle, there are helicity and gauge degrees of freedom. The aim of this book is to present one Lorentz-covariant picture of these two different space-time symmetries. Using the same mathematical tool, it is possible to give a Lorentz-covariant picture of Gell-Mann''s quark model for the proton at rest and Feynman''s parton model for the fast-moving proton. The mathematical formalism for these aspects of the Lorentz covariance is based on two-by-two matrices and harmonic oscillators which serve as two basic scientific languages for many different branches of physics. It is pointed out that the formalism presented in this book is applicable to various aspects of optical sciences of current interest.

This book covers the theory and applications of the Wigner phase space distribution function and its symmetry properties. The book explains why the phase space picture of quantum mechanics is needed, in addition to the conventional Schrödinger or Heisenberg picture. It is shown that the uncertainty relation can be represented more accurately in this picture. In addition, the phase space picture is shown to be the natural representation of quantum mechanics for modern optics and relativistic quantum mechanics of extended objects.

The topics in this volume range from mathematical aspects of the theory of the Poincaré group, Clifford algebras and the CPT theorem, through new theoretical physical constructions and concepts (such as the physical significance of the 4-potential, the interplay between quantum mechanics and gravity, Majorana-like models, the photon as a composite particle, action-at-a-distance and superluminal phenomena), to experiments in neutrino physics. The book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers working in fundamental physics and phenomenology, and also to experimentalists.