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Particle populations and number operators in quantum theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2016

J. E. Moyal
J. E. Moyal*
Affiliation:
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois
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Abstract

The purpose of the present paper is to give a general theory of the quantum mechanical representation of particle populations.

The first part of the paper, Sections 1 to 5, is devoted to a review of mathematical principles of quantum theory, with particular emphasis on the role played by probability concepts, using an approach adapted to the subsequent development of the theory of particle populations. This approach, which goes back in its essentials to von Neumann [20], leans heavily on the subsequent work of Wigner, Mackey, Jauch, Segal, Wightman and many others (see e.g., Mackey [15], Jauch [11], Streater and Wightman [26]). Sections 6 to 9 deal with the representation of finite particle populations: i.e., quantum systems where the total number of particles is an observable. In Section 10 a brief sketch is given of the generalization of the theory to infinite populations where the total number of particles is not an observable, as e.g., in the statistical theory of an infinitely extended gas (see Ruelle [22]). Finally, Section 11 treats some simple examples.

Keywords

NUMBER OPERATORS IN QUANTUM FIELD THEORYPARTICLE POPULATIONS IN QUANTUM FIELDSPROBABILITY CONCEPTS IN QUANTUM THEORY
Type
Research Article
Information
Advances in Applied Probability , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , April 1972 , pp. 39 - 80
Copyright
Copyright © Applied Probability Trust 1972 

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