Abstract
In this note we give a variational characterization of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors for the operator
where H0) is the relativistic (free) Hamiltonian operator and V is a real valued potential. Our results hold when \(V(x) = \frac{1}{{\left| x \right|}}\) and H describe a relativistic atom. The characterization we give for the eigenvectors is useful in proving regularity and exponential decay of the solutions — properties which have been object of investigation by B. Simon with different techniques.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S. Agmon, Lectures on exponential decay of solutions of second-order elliptic equations: bounds on eigenfunctions of N-body Schrödinger operators, Mathematical Notes, vol. 29, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ; University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, 1982.
X. Cabré and J. Solà-Morales, Layer solutions in a half-space for boundary reactions, Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 58 (2005), no. 12, 1678–1732.
L. Caffarelli and L. Silvestre, An extension problem related to the fractional Laplacian, Comm. Partial Differential Equations 32 (2007), no. 7–9, 1245–1260.
R. Carmona, W. C. Masters, and B. Simon, Relativistic Schrödinger operators: asymptotic behavior of the eigenfunctions, J. Funct. Anal. 91 (1990), no. 1, 117–142.
V. Coti Zelati and M. Nolasco, Existence of ground states for nonlinear, pseudorelativistic Schrödinger equations, Rend. Lincei Mat. Appl. 22 (2011), 51–72.
1, Ground states for pseudo-relativistic Hartree equations of critical type, Rev. Mat. Iberoam. 29 (2013), no. 4, 1421–1436.
2, A variational approach to the Brown-Ravenhall operator for the relativistic one-electron atoms, preprint, 2014, arXiv:1103.2649.
J. Dolbeault, M. J. Esteban, and E. Séré, Variational characterization for eigenvalues of Dirac operators, Calc. Var. Partial Differential Equations 10 (2000), no. 4, 321–347.
M. J. Esteban, M. Lewin, and E. Séré, Variational methods in relativistic quantum mechanics, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. (N.S.) 45 (2008), no. 4, 535–593.
I. W. Herbst, Spectral theory of the operator (p2 + m2)1/2−Ze2/r, Comm. Math. Phys. 53 (1977), no. 3, 285–294.
V. Kovalenko, M. Perelmuter, and Y. Semenov, Schrödinger operators with potentials, J.Math.Phys. 22 (1981), no. 5, 1033–1044.
E. Lenzmann, Well-posedness for semi-relativistic Hartree equations of critical type, Math. Phys. Anal. Geom. 10 (2007), no. 1, 43–64.
E. H. Lieb and M. Loss, Analysis, Graduate Studies in Mathematics, no. 14, American Mathematical Society, 1997.
F. Nardini, Exponential decay for the eigenfunctions of the two-body relativistic Hamiltonian, J. Analyse Math. 47 (1986), 87–109.
A. J. O’Connor, Exponential decay of bound state wave functions, Comm. Math. Phys. 32 (1973), 319–340.
B. Simon, Fifty years of eigenvalue perturbation theory, AMS-MAA Joint Lecture Series, American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 1990, A joint AMS-MAA lecture presented in Louisville, Kentucky, January 1990.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Research partially supported by MIUR grant PRIN 201274FYK7, “Variational and perturbative aspects of nonlinear differential problems”. One of the Authors (V. Coti Zelati) is also partially supported by Program STAR, UniNA and Compagnia di San Paolo.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zelati, V.C., Nolasco, M. A Variational Approach to the Eigenfunctions of the One Particle Relativistic Hamiltonian. J Elliptic Parabol Equ 1, 89–108 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03377370
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03377370