Author(s)

Gintautas P. Kamuntavičius

Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania.

The free relativistic particle, by definition, has to move in an inertial reference frame with uniform velocity less than the speed of light. The corresponding movement of a material quantum particle describes a wave packet, composed of matter waves—solutions of the Schr?dinger equation. The maximum of packet, corresponding to the largest probability to find the particle, has to move with the same uniform velocity, defined by the initial condition. It has been shown that the traditional definition of the quantum momentum operator i.e. taking it to correspond to the special relativity theory, relativistic momentum, cannot produce precise description of a relativistic matter particle. Different definitions are investigated and one that solves this issue is found. Obtained original expression of relativistic kinetic energy operator creates new possibilities for relativistic quantum systems theory.

Special Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Relativistic Wave Equations

Kamuntavičius, G. (2018) Quantum Mechanics and Special Relativity: The Origin of Momentum Operator. Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics, 6, 2006-2023. doi: 10.4236/jamp.2018.610172.