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Classical perspectives on the Newton–Wigner position observable

Philip K. Schwartz

Institute for Theoretical Physics, Leibniz University Hannover, Appelstraße 2, 30167 Hannover, Germany

E-mail Address: [email protected]

Corresponding author.

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and

Domenico Giulini

Institute for Theoretical Physics, Leibniz University Hannover, Appelstraße 2, 30167 Hannover, Germany

Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity, University of Bremen, Am Fallturm 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany

E-mail Address: [email protected]

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https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219887820501765Cited by:5 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract

This paper deals with the Newton–Wigner position observable for Poincaré-invariant classical systems. We prove an existence and uniqueness theorem for elementary systems that parallels the well-known Newton–Wigner theorem in the quantum context. We also discuss and justify the geometric interpretation of the Newton–Wigner position as “center of spin”, already proposed by Fleming in 1965 again in the quantum context.

Keywords:

AMSC: 37J39, 70H33, 83A05

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