84

SYMMETRIES AND CONSERVATION LAWS

3.2 CONTINUOUS SYMMETRY OPERATORS 3.2.1 Translations

We take as an example the translation operator that corresponds to a translation of a coordinate system along its x-axis by an amount ax in the positive x-direction. Label the original coordinate system A and label the translated coordinate system B. A physical system located at a position x as measured in coordinate system B can be represented by the ket x . The system will appear to be at the position x + ax in the coordinate system A, and it can be represented by the ket x + ax . We dene the operator Tx that connects the two kets as in Equation (3.2) x + ax = Tx x where the kets are eigenkets of the position operator X Xx =xx and X x + ax = (x + ax ) x + a (3.9) (3.8)

The subscript x on Tx reminds us that the translation is along the x-direction. We require that the kets x + ax and x have the same norm, that is x + ax x + ax = x x or x T T x = x x . Because this relation must hold independently of the choice of the kets x we have
Tx Tx = 1

(3.10)

1 and satises by denition the relation The inverse operator of Tx is Tx 1 1 Tx Tx = Tx Tx = 1. Using Equation (3.10) we nd 1 = Tx Tx

(3.11)

so Tx is a unitary operator. Note that Tx is not Hermitian so its eigenvalues, if any, are not real and thus are not observable. 1 from the left to Equation (3.8) we obtain Applying Tx
1 x + ax = x Tx

(3.12)

1 corresponds to a translation of a coordiThis shows that the operator Tx nate system by an amount ax in the negative x-direction, as expected. We will now derive an expression for the operator T . Consider the 1 working on the ket x + a combination Tx XTx x 1 Tx XTx x + ax = Tx X x = Tx x x = xTx x = x x + ax

= (X ax 1) x + ax

(3.13)