Avoiding Negative Probabilities in Quantum Mechanics.docVIP

Journal of Modern Physics, 2013, 4, 1066-1074 /10.4236/jmp.2013.48143 Published Online August 2013 (/journal/jmp) Avoiding Negative Probabilities in Quantum Mechanics Golden Gadzirayi Nyambuya Department of Applied Physics, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Republic of Zimbabwe Email: physicist.ggn@ Received April 13, 2013; revised May 17, 2013; accepted June 30, 2013 Copyright ? 2013 Golden Gadzirayi Nyambuya. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ABSTRACT As currently understood since its discovery, the bare Klein-Gordon theory consists of negative quantum probabilities which are considered to be physically meaningless if not outright obsolete. Despite this annoying setback, these nega- tive probabilities are what led the great Paul Dirac in 1928 to the esoteric discovery of the Dirac Equation. The Dirac Equation led to one of the greatest advances in our understanding of the physical world. In this reading, we ask the seemingly senseless question, “Do negative probabilities exist in quantum mechanics?” In an effort to answer this ques- tion, we arrive at the conclusion that depending on the choice one makes of the quantum probability current, one will obtain negative probabilities. We thus propose a new quantum probability current of the Klein-Gordon theory. This quantum probability current leads directly to positive definite quantum probabilities. Because these negative probabili- ties are in the bare Klein-Gordon theory, intrinsically a result of negative energies, the fact that we here arrive at a the- ory with positive probabilities, means that negative energy particles are not to be considered problematic as is the case in the bare Klein-Gordon theory. From an abstract—objective stand-point; in comparis