Refined comparison theorems for the Dirac equation in d dimensions

Abstract

A single spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ particle obeys the Dirac equation in $d\ge 1$ spatial dimension and is bound by an attractive central monotone potential which vanishes at infinity (in one dimension the potential is even). This work refines the relativistic comparison theorems which were derived by Hall \cite{p75}. The new theorems allow the graphs of the two comparison potentials $V_a$ and $V_b$ to crossover in a controlled way and still imply the spectral ordering $E_a\le E_b$ for the eigenvalues at the bottom of each angular momentum subspace. More specifically in a simplest case we have: in dimension $d=1$, if $\int_0^x (V_b(t)-V_a(t)) dt\ge 0,\ x\in [0,\ \infty)$, then $E_a\le E_b$; and in $d>1$ dimensions, if $\int_0^r (V_b(t)-V_a(t))t^{2|k_d|} dt\ge 0,\ r\in [0,\ \infty)$, where $k_d=\tau\left(j+\frac{d-2}{2}\right)$ and $\tau=\pm 1$, then $E_a\le E_b$.