Hydrogen states described by solutions of the Dirac equation: Role of spinor invariants

Abstract

The solution of the Dirac equation with the Coulomb potential is used to analyze bound electron states in a hydrogen atom. The analysis is based on the fact that such states are characterized by a set of quantum numbers which describe definite values of the complete set of physical quantities that can be determined simultaneously. This set includes the energy, square of the total angular momentum, one of its component and a spinor invariant. The latter, spinor invariant gives two-valued quantum number which determines the sign of its eigenvalue. In addition to the known Dirac and Johnson–Lippman invariant, there exists a new one. Operators of these three spinor invariants do not commute between themselves which results in the degeneracy of the energy levels with respect to the two-valued quantum number. Three different systems of the eigenbispinor corresponding to the three spinor invariants are obtained and the generalized solution with free parameters is calculated. Variation of the free parameters transforms one particular solution into any other. It is shown that the electron probability densities and spin polarizations in an electron cloud depend essentially on the invariant set, demonstrating physical difference of the states corresponding to different spinor invariants.