On the Problem of Defining Charge Operators for the Dirac Quantum Field

Abstract

It is well known how to define the operator $Q$ for the total charge (i.e., positron number minus electron number) on the standard Hilbert space of the second-quantized Dirac equation. Here we ask about operators $Q_A$ representing the charge content of a region $A\subseteq \mathbb{R}^3$ in 3d physical space. There is a natural formula for $Q_A$ but, as we explain, there are difficulties about turning it into a mathematically precise definition. First, $Q_A$ can be written as a series but its convergence seems hopeless. Second, we show for some choices of $A$ that if $Q_A$ could be defined then its domain could not contain either the vacuum vector or any vector obtained from the vacuum by applying a polynomial in creation and annihilation operators. Both observations speak against the existence of $Q_A$ for generic $A$.