A non-covariant but approximately relativistic two-body wave equation describing the quantum mechanics of two fermions interacting with one another through a potential containing scalar, pseudoscalar and vector parts is presented. It is based on a generalisation of the equation introduced by Breit in 1929. After expressing the sixteen component twobody wavefunction in terms of a radial and an angular function by means of the multi pole expansion, the initial equation can be reduced into a set of sixteen radial equations which, in turn, can be classified in accordance to the parity and the state of the wavefunctions involved. The adequacy of the reduced equations in describing real problems is discussed, first, by applying the theory to a QED problem, the calculation of the lowest bound states, 1So and 351, of positronium to order 0'4. Second, the knowledge of the bottomium and charrnoniurn spectra serves as a laboratory to test both the efficiency of the potential which is supposed to represent the interaction between two quarks leading to the formation of mesons, and the reliability of the Breit equation. The final results are presented in such a form as to allow a direct comparison with both experimental data and existing theories. Results are, also, obtained for a stronger Coulomb-like vector potential as well as for a scalar square well potential. The former case is applied to a bound state of a monopoleantimonopole system.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:390131 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Tsibidis, George D. |
| Publisher | University of Sussex |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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