Lie Derivative and acceleration

In summary, the conversation discusses the time evolution of an observable and the position operator in non-relativistic quantum mechanics. There is a question about whether the expression for acceleration can be generalized to include the Hamiltonian and velocity vector. The conversation also touches on the lie derivative and its relation to the Hamiltonian.
  • #1
jfy4
649
3
Hi,

This thread looks like GR/SR, but it has grounds QM and maybe only stays in that realm, which is what I'm asking

I was looking at some everyday non-relativistic quantum mechanics and I spotted something I thought was interesting. Consider the time evolution of an observable
[tex]
\frac{d \hat{A}}{dt}=\frac{i}{\hbar}[H,\hat{A}]
[/tex]
and next consider a form of that for the position operator
[tex]
\frac{d^2 \hat{x}}{dt^2}=\frac{i}{\hbar}[H,\hat{v}]
[/tex]
This seems to give an expression for the acceleration. My question is whether there is anything deeper going on here. Is this expression trying to say that "the extent to which the velocity field doesn't commute with the Hamiltonian of the system is the acceleration"? More specifically, can this be generalized to
[tex]
\frac{d^2 \mathbf{x} }{dt^2}=\mathcal{L}_{H}\,\mathbf{u}?
[/tex]

Thanks,
 
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  • #2
depends... what's \mathcal{L}_H and what's u?
 
  • #3
Well, in my mind I was thinking that [itex]\mathcal{L}_{H}[/itex] was the lie derivative with respect to the Hamiltonian, and that [itex]\mathbf{u}[/itex] was the velocity vector. I wasn't sure how to parametrize the second derivative since this is coming from my guess, but I figured that the Hamiltonian has to do with time translation so I wrote it wrt time, I wasn't sure a) if it even is true, or b) if it should be proper time...
 
  • #4
jfy4 said:
[tex]
\mathcal{L}_{H}\,\mathbf{u}
[/tex]

In [itex]\mathcal{L}_{X}[/itex], shouldn't the X be a vector? I.e., in coordinates, shouldn't it be something like [itex]\mathcal{L}_{X} = X^k \partial_k[/itex] ?
(But a Hamiltonian by itself is not a vector.)

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie_derivative
 

1. What is a Lie derivative?

The Lie derivative is a mathematical operation that measures the change in a vector field along the flow of another vector field. It can be thought of as the rate of change of a vector field with respect to a direction given by another vector field.

2. How is the Lie derivative related to acceleration?

The Lie derivative can be used to calculate the acceleration of a particle moving along a vector field. It measures how the vector field is changing at a specific point, which can be interpreted as the acceleration of the particle at that point.

3. What is the significance of the Lie derivative in physics?

The Lie derivative is a fundamental concept in differential geometry and is used extensively in physics, particularly in the study of general relativity and fluid dynamics. It allows for the calculation of important quantities such as acceleration and change of momentum.

4. Can the Lie derivative be applied to any type of vector field?

Yes, the Lie derivative can be applied to any smooth vector field on a manifold, as long as the necessary conditions are met. This includes both curved and flat spaces, making it a powerful tool in a variety of mathematical and physical contexts.

5. How is the Lie derivative related to the Lie bracket?

The Lie bracket is another mathematical operation that measures the difference between two vector fields at a given point. The Lie derivative is closely related to the Lie bracket, and in fact, the Lie bracket can be thought of as a special case of the Lie derivative. Both concepts are important in the study of differential geometry and have numerous applications in physics.

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