ZITTERBEWEGUNG IS NOT AN OBSERVABLE
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It has recently been claimed that Zitterbewegung has been observed. However, we argue that it is not an observable and that the authors' observations must be reinterpreted.
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In the Foldy-Wouthuysen representation, Zitterbewegung disappears for massless Dirac particles.
“In the FW representation, it disappears not only for massive [9-11] but also for massless Dirac particles.”
From <i>Zitterbewegung</i> of massless particles (2022) · cites this paper as [10]
The discussion on p. 2 says the Foldy–Wouthuysen representation of a free Dirac particle has no Zitterbewegung. It does not address massless Dirac particles specifically, so it does not establish the claim's massless qualification. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThis conclusion agrees with previous studies [3-5,9-14] for massive particles.
“This is the same conclusion which has been made in the previous studies [3-5,9-14].”
From <i>Zitterbewegung</i> of massless particles (2022) · cites this paper as [10]
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Cites
Relativistic Quantum Mechanics
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On the Dirac Theory of Spin 1/2 Particles and Its Non-Relativistic Limit
Foldy, L. L., & Wouthuysen, S. A. (1950) · Physical Review · doi:10.1103/physrev.78.29 · Cited by 2,183 · see citing works
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Nongeodesic motion in general relativity
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Self-citationOn the relation between momentum and velocity for elementary systems
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [4]C. Moller, 'The Theory of Relativity,' 2nd ed. (Oxford University Press, 1972), p. 176.
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Direct observation of zitterbewegung in a Bose–Einstein condensate
LeBlanc, L. J., Beeler, M. C., Jiménez-García, K., Perry, A. R., Sugawa, S., Williams, R. A., & Spielman, I. B. (2013) · New Journal of Physics · doi:10.1088/1367-2630/15/7/073011 · Cited by 186 · see citing works
Position and spin in relativistic quantum mechanics
Zou, L., Zhang, P., & Silenko, A. J. (2020) · Physical Review A · doi:10.1103/physreva.101.032117 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Propagation of a relativistic electron wave packet in the Dirac equation
Park, S. T. (2012) · Physical Review A · doi:10.1103/physreva.86.062105 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Silenko, Zhang, and Zou Reply:
Silenko, A. J., Zhang, P., & Zou, L. (2019) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.122.159302 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Silenko, A. J. (2020) · Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters · doi:10.1134/s1547477120020193 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Observable Zitterbewegung in curved spacetimes
Kobakhidze, A., Manning, A., & Tureanu, A. (2016) · Physics Letters B · doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2016.03.049 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
<i>Zitterbewegung</i> of massless particles
Silenko, A. J. (2022) · Physical Review A · doi:10.1103/physreva.105.062211 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“We can repeat the conclusion [6, 7] that Zitterbewegung is the result of the interference between positive and negative energy states.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialThe Stationary Dirac Equation as a Generalized Pauli Equation for Two Quasiparticles
Chuprikov, N. L. (2015) · Foundations of Physics · doi:10.1007/s10701-015-9888-3 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Awobode, A. M. (2021) · Canadian Journal of Physics · doi:10.1139/cjp-2020-0430 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Zitterbewegung and the Charge of an ElectronPreprint
Davis, B. S. (2020) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2006.16003 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
The 1 + 2 vector DKP oscillator as a pseudo-Hermitian model of quantum optics
CHARGUI, Y., & Dhahbi, A. (2024) · The European Physical Journal Plus · doi:10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05261-5 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Maxwell-Like Equations for Free Dirac Electrons
Bruce, S. A. (2018) · Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A · doi:10.1515/zna-2017-0328 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Zitterbewegung in quantum mechanics of Proca particles
Silenko, A. J. (2020) · Journal of Physics: Conference Series · doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1435/1/012057 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Chen, M.-N., Yu, X.-J., & Li, Z. (2023) · Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters · doi:10.1134/s0021364023600386 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
From Special Relativity to embedded generators in Cartan subalgebras of rank-4 spin algebrasPreprint
Leon, Z.-C. (2016) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1610.09913
Relativistic Motion of the Electron and the Heaviest Element
dos Santos, C. A. M., da Luz, M. S., Oliveira, F. S., & Rousselle, O. (2025) · Journal of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science · doi:10.70923/001c.133962
Mathematical paradoxes of Dirac equation representations
Незнамов, В. П. (2025) · Uspekhi Fizicheskih Nauk · doi:10.3367/ufnr.2025.11.040057
Vortex-enhanced Zitterbewegung in relativistic Dirac wave packets
Guo, Z., Xu, B., & Gu, Q. (2026) · Nuclear Physics B · doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2026.117542
- Authors
- O'CONNELL, R. F.
- Affiliations
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001, USA
- Venue
- Modern Physics Letters A
- Publisher
- World Scientific Pub Co Pte Lt
- Published
- 2011-03-07
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 07
- Pages
- 469-471
- ISSN
- 0217-7323 (ISSN-L)
- 1793-6632
- OpenAlex
- W2081991567
- Cited by
- 18
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- arxiv.org
- Locations
- Modern Physics Letters A (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- Civil War Book Review (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum Mechanics and Applications
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Relativity and Gravitational Theory
- Keywords
- Zitterbewegung, electron spin precession, quantum measurement, observability
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