Uncertainty principle for proper time and mass II

Abstract

When we quantize a system consisting of a single particle, the proper time $τ$ and the rest mass $m$ are usually dealt with as parameters. In the present article, however, we introduce a new quantization rule by which these quantities are regarded as operators in addition to the position and the momentum. Applying this new rule to a scalar particle and to a particle with spin $ 1/2 $, we analyze the time evolution of the operator $τ$. In the former case, the evolution of the proper time perfectly matches several well-established classical formulae. In the case of the particle with spin 1/2, our new rule implies that an oscillation appears in the time evolution of the operator $τ$. This oscillation is similar to Zitterbewegung which is well-known in the ordinary Dirac theory. We formulate one physical effect of this oscillation by considering the interaction with a gravitational field, and estimate how small it is.