Abstract
The customary notion of superselection rule stipulates the vanishing of those matrix elements of the density matrix that connect states separated by the superselection rule, i.e., the relative phases of which are, according to the superselection rule, meaningless. It is shown that, if any two states for which an additive conserved quantity has different values are separated for all physical systems by a superselection rule at one time, the separation will persist for all times. It is concluded that the states with different electric (or baryonic) charges are so separated. The reason for the difference between electric charge and other additive conserved quantities, such as momentum, is brought out.
Research supported in part by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Reference
R. Mirman, Phys. Rev. 186, 1380 (1969); V. Aharonov and L. Susskind, ibid. 155, 1428 (1967).
E. P. Wigner, in Physikertag. Hauptvortraege Jahrestag. Verbandes Deut. Physik. Ges. (Physik Verlag, \Iosbach/Baden, 1962). The superselection rule for electric charge was first proposed by G.-C. Wick, A. S. Wightman, and E. P. Wigner, Phys. Rev. 88, 101 (1952)
The reader who is familiar with (1), or is willing to take it for granted, should skip the present section.
Y. Aharonov and L. Susskind, Ref. 1. This article already contains the form (5) for the “permissible” density matrix.
Cf. Ref. 2.
E. P. Wigner and M. Yanase, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. 49, 910 (196.3). The more general statement referred to in the Introduction (and Ref. 2) is that if, with respect to an additive conserved quantity, the skew information is zero to begin with, it will remain zero throughout.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wick, G.C., Wightman, A.S., Wigner, E.P. (1997). Superselection Rule for Charge. In: Wightman, A.S. (eds) Part I: Particles and Fields. Part II: Foundations of Quantum Mechanics. The Scientific Papers, vol A / 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09203-3_26
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09203-3_26
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-08179-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-09203-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive