WIGNER DENSITY OF A RIGID ROTATOR

Authors
MALTA CP MARSHALL TS SANTOS E
Citation
Cp. Malta et al., WIGNER DENSITY OF A RIGID ROTATOR, Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics, 55(3), 1997, pp. 2551-2556
Citations number
11
Categorie Soggetti
Physycs, Mathematical","Phsycs, Fluid & Plasmas
Journal title
Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics → ACNP
ISSN journal
1063651X
Volume
55
Issue
3
Year of publication
1997
Part
A
Pages
2551 - 2556
Database
ISI
SICI code
1063-651X(1997)55:3<2551:WDOARR>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
We show that the Wigner density of the rigid rotator, in an appropriat e, i.e., four-dimensional, phase space, is positive. This result holds in the ground state (S state), and also in the thermal mixture state at all finite temperatures. We discuss the implications of our result for the description of angular momentum in quantum mechanics; in parti cular, we reexamine, in the light of this new evidence, the Suggestion made by Einstein and Stern [Am. Phys. 40, 551 (1913)] that there is a nontrivial distribution of angular momentum in the S state.