Nonrelativistic Limit of the Dirac-Schwarzschild Hamiltonian: Gravitational Zitterbewegung and Gravitational Spin-Orbit Coupling

Abstract

We investigate the nonrelativistic limit of the gravitationally coupled Dirac Equation via a Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation. The relativistic correction terms have immediate and obvious physical interpretations in terms of a gravitational zitterbewegung, and a gravitational spin-orbit coupling. We find no direct coupling of the spin vector to the gravitational force, which would otherwise violate parity. The particle-antiparticle symmetry described recently by one of us in [Phys.Rev.A 87 (2013) 032101] is verified on the level of the perturbative corrections accessed by the Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation. The gravitational corrections to the electromagnetic transition current are calculated.