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Classical mechanics and the propagation of the discontinuities of the quantum wave function
Author(s) -
Alfredo Luis
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
physical review a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1094-1622
pISSN - 1050-2947
DOI - 10.1103/physreva.67.024102
Subject(s) - physics , classification of discontinuities , classical mechanics , discontinuity (linguistics) , geometrical optics , electromagnetic radiation , wave propagation , matter wave , electromagnetic field , quantum mechanics , wavelength , high frequency approximation , wave function , diffraction , quantum , mathematical analysis , mathematics , scattering
Geometrical optics can be regarded both as the short-wavelength approximation of the propagation of electromagnetic waves, and as the exact way in which propagate the surfaces of discontinuity of the classical electromagnetic field. In this work we translate this last idea to quantum mechanics (both relativistic and nonrelativistic). We find that the surfaces of discontinuity of the wave function propagate exactly following the classical trajectories determined by the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. As an example, we consider the lack of diffraction of abrupt wave fronts

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