Influence of Lorentz- and CPT-violating terms on the Dirac equation

Abstract

The influence of Lorentz- and CPT-violating terms (in "vector" and "axial vector" couplings) on the Dirac equation is explicitly analyzed: plane wave solutions, dispersion relations and eigenenergies are explicitly obtained. The non-relativistic limit is worked out and the Lorentz-violating Hamiltonian identified in both cases, in full agreement with the results already established in the literature. Finally, the physical implications of this Hamiltonian on the spectrum of hydrogen are evaluated both in the absence and presence of a magnetic external field. It is observed that the fixed background, when considered in a vector coupling, yields no qualitative modification in the hydrogen spectrum, whereas it does provide an effective Zeeman-like splitting of the spectral lines whenever coupled in the axial vector form. It is also argued that the presence of an external fixed field does not imply new modifications on the spectrum.