Dynamics as Shadow of Phase Space Geometry

Abstract

Starting with the generally well accepted opinion that quantizing an arbitrary Hamiltonian system involves picking out some additional structure on the classical phase space (the {\sl shadow} of quantum mechanics in the classical theory), we describe classical as well as quantum dynamics as a purely geometrical effect by introducing a {\sl phase space metric structure}. This produces an ${\cal O}(\hbar)$ modification of the classical equations of motion reducing at the same time the quantization of an arbitrary Hamiltonian system to standard procedures. Our analysis is carried out in analogy with the adiabatic motion of a charged particle in a curved background (the additional metric structure) under the influence of a universal magnetic field (the classical symplectic structure). This allows one to picture dynamics in an unusual way, and reveals a dynamical mechanism that produces the selection of the right set of physical quantum states.