Optimality of a delta distribution for the lowest Dirac-Coulomb eigenvalue

Let D0=iα+βD_0=-i\boldsymbol{\alpha}\cdot\nabla+\beta be the free Dirac operator, and let μ\mu be a non-negative finite measure on R3\mathbb{R}^3 with Coulomb potential Vμ=μx1V_\mu=\mu\ast|x|^{-1}. Write λ1(D0Vμ)\lambda_1(D_0-V_\mu) for the lowest eigenvalue, and let λ1(ν)\lambda_1(\nu) denote the corresponding value when μ=νδ0\mu=\nu\delta_0.

Optimality for a delta. The first eigenvalue is minimal when the charge distribution is concentrated at the origin, namely when μ=μ(R3)δ0\mu=\mu(\mathbb{R}^3)\delta_0. Equivalently, for all 0ν<10\leqslant\nu<1,

λ1(ν)=λ1(D0νx1)=1ν2.\lambda_1(\nu)=\lambda_1(D_0-\nu|x|^{-1})=\sqrt{1-\nu^2}.

In particular, this would imply

ν0=ν1=1.\nu_0=\nu_1=1.

For the Schrödinger operator, the analogous delta-optimality statement is well known. The conjecture asks whether the same phenomenon holds for the Dirac operator and would determine the critical constants ν0\nu_0 and ν1\nu_1.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Maria J. Esteban, Mathieu Lewin and Éric Séré, “Dirac-Coulomb operators with general charge distribution. II. The lowest eigenvalue”, arXiv:2003.04051 (2020).

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