Dirac current

E504368

Dirac current is the conserved four-current associated with the global U(1) symmetry of the Dirac field, representing the flow of probability (or charge) for relativistic spin-½ particles.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Dirac current canonical 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Noether current ⓘ
conserved current ⓘ
four-current ⓘ
physical quantity ⓘ
appearsInInteractionTerm e \bar{ψ} γ^μ ψ A_μ ⓘ
associatedWith Dirac field ⓘ
charge conservation ⓘ
global U(1) symmetry ⓘ
probability conservation ⓘ
quantum field theory ⓘ
relativistic quantum mechanics ⓘ
conservedQuantityCorrespondsTo total electric charge ⓘ
total probability ⓘ
couplesTo electromagnetic four-potential A_μ ⓘ
definedFor fermions ⓘ
spin-1/2 particles ⓘ
definedIn Minkowski spacetime ⓘ
derivedFrom Dirac Lagrangian density ⓘ
linked to: Dirac Lagrangian
hasAdjointField \bar{ψ} = ψ^† γ^0 ⓘ
hasComponentType four-vector field ⓘ
hasDimension (length)^{-3} in natural units ⓘ
hasMathematicalExpression j^μ = \bar{ψ} γ^μ ψ ⓘ
hasSignProperty time component j^0 is positive definite for physical states ⓘ
hasSpatialComponents \vec{j} = ψ^† \vec{α} ψ ⓘ
hasTimeComponent j^0 = ψ^† ψ ⓘ
integralOfTimeComponentGives total charge (with appropriate coupling) ⓘ
total probability ⓘ
isBilinearIn Dirac spinor field ψ ⓘ
isClassifiedAs vector bilinear covariant of the Dirac field ⓘ
isConservedDueTo Noether theorem ⓘ
linked to: Noether's theorem

global U(1) phase invariance of the Dirac Lagrangian ⓘ
isConservedOnShell when Dirac equation is satisfied ⓘ
isGaugeInvariantUnder global U(1) transformations ⓘ
isLocal true ⓘ
isLorentzCovariant true ⓘ
relatedConcept Dirac adjoint ⓘ
linked to: Dirac adjoint field

continuity equation in field theory ⓘ
probability density in relativistic quantum mechanics ⓘ
relatedTo Dirac equation ⓘ
represents electric charge current density ⓘ
probability current density ⓘ
satisfiesEquation ∂_μ j^μ = 0 ⓘ
transformsAs four-vector under Lorentz transformations ⓘ
usedIn covariant formulation of probability current ⓘ
electromagnetic interaction of Dirac fields ⓘ
relativistic scattering theory ⓘ
usesMatrix α^i (Dirac alpha matrices) ⓘ
γ^μ (gamma matrices) ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Dirac field → hasConservedCurrent → Dirac current ⓘ
Dirac adjoint field → usedToConstruct → Dirac current ⓘ