# Angular momentum of a relativistic wave packet

Strange, Paul (2017) Angular momentum of a relativistic wave packet. Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 96 (5). 052103-1. ISSN 1050-2947. E-ISSN 1094-1622. (doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.96.052103) (KAR id:64298)

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.96.052103

## Abstract

Quantum-mechanical spin is often thought of in terms of classical angular momentum. In fact spin is defined by its commutation relations and the spin and orbital angular momentum operators are very different. Here we solve the Dirac equation in a rotating frame of reference and create a localized wave packet from the resulting wave functions to examine the consequences of the rotational motion. We highlight some unexpected effects in the properties of the wave packet and show that the spin operator and orbital angular momentum operator describe different aspects of the rotational properties of the wave packet. It is also observed that neither quantum-mechanical spin nor orbital angular momentum can be fully understood within an inertial frame.

Item Type: Article 10.1103/PhysRevA.96.052103 Physics of Quantum Materials, relativistic quantum mechanics, spin, angular momentum Q Science > QC Physics > QC174.12 Quantum theory Faculties > Sciences > School of Physical Sciences Paul Strange 07 Nov 2017 14:42 UTC 17 Jul 2019 10:42 UTC https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/64298 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5818-8032