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Klein-Gordon Equation

In non-relativistic mechanics, the energy for a free particle is E= p2 . 2m (35)

To get quantum mechanics, we make the following substitutions: Ei , t p i , (36)

and the Schrdinger equation for a free particle is o

2

2m

=i

. t

(37)

In relativistic mechanics, the energy of a free particle is E= p 2 c2 + m 2 c4 . (38)

Making the same substitution we obtain 2 c2

2

+ m 2 c2 = i

. t

(39)

Its dicult to interprete the operator on the left hand side, so instead we try E 2 = p 2 c2 + m 2 c4 1 or 2 c where 1 2= 2 c t t
2

(40) (41) (42)

= 2 c2
2

+ m2 c4 , ,

2 =
2

m2 c 2
2

= .

(43)

Plane-wave solutions are readily found by inspection, 1 = exp V i i p x exp Et , (44)

where E 2 = p2 c2 + m2 c4 and thus E = p2 c2 + m2 c4 . Note that there is a negative energy solution as well as a positive energy solution for each value of p. Na vely one should just discard the negative energy solution. For a free particle in a positive energy state, there is no mechanism for it to make a transition to 6

the negative energy state. However, if there is some external potential, the KleinGordon equation is then altered by the usual replacements, e (45) E E e, p p A, c e (i t e)2 = c2 (i A)2 + m2 c4 . (46) c The solution can always be expressed as a superposition of free particle solutions, provided that the latter form a complete set. They from a complete set only if the negative energy components are retained, so they cannot be simply discarded. Recall the probability density and current in Schrdinger equation. If we multiply o the Schrdinger equation by on the left and multiply the conjugate of the o Schrdinger equation by , and then take the dierence, we obtain o
2

2m
2

( (
2mi

) = i ( + ) ( ) t (47)

2m

) = i

s + js = 0 (48) t Now we can carry out the same procedure for the free-particle Klein-Gordon equation: m2 c 2 2 = 2 = Taking the dierence, we obtain 2 2 = ( |psi ) = 0. This suggests that we can dene a probability 4-current, j = ( ), where is a constant (51) (50) m2 c 2 (49)

Using s = , js = continuity,

), we then obtain the equation of

and its conserved, j = 0, j = (j 0 , j). To make j agree with js , is chosen to be = 2mi . So, i j0 = = . (52) c 2mc2 t t does reduce to s = in the non-relativistic limit. However, is not positive -denite and hence can not describe a probability density for a single particle. Pauli and Weisskopf in 1934 showed that Klein-Gordon equation describes a spin-0 (scalar) eld. and j are interpreted as charge and current density of the particles in the eld. 7