Lie Derivative and acceleration

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between the Lie derivative, acceleration, and quantum mechanics, particularly in the context of non-relativistic quantum mechanics and the role of the Hamiltonian. Participants explore the implications of time evolution of observables and the potential generalization of these concepts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes an interesting observation regarding the time evolution of an observable and proposes a form for the position operator that suggests a connection to acceleration.
  • Another participant questions the definitions of \(\mathcal{L}_H\) and \(\mathbf{u}\), seeking clarification on their meanings.
  • A participant suggests that \(\mathcal{L}_{H}\) represents the Lie derivative with respect to the Hamiltonian and that \(\mathbf{u}\) is the velocity vector, while expressing uncertainty about the parametrization of the second derivative.
  • A later reply raises a concern about the notation used for the Lie derivative, questioning whether the Hamiltonian should be treated as a vector in this context.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the definitions and implications of the terms used, indicating that multiple competing interpretations exist without a clear consensus.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the proper parametrization of the second derivative and the treatment of the Hamiltonian in the context of the Lie derivative.

jfy4
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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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depends... what's \mathcal{L}_H and what's u?
 
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...
 
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
 

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