Noether Symmetries, Dynamical Constants of Motion, and Spectrum Generating Algebras

When discussing consequences of symmetries of dynamical systems based on Noether's first theorem, most standard textbooks on classical or quantum mechanics present a conclusion stating that a global continuous Lie symmetry implies the existence of a time independent conserved Noether charge which is the generator of the action on phase space of that symmetry, and which necessarily must as well commute with the Hamiltonian. However this need not be so, nor does that statement do justice to the complete scope and reach of Noether's first theorem. Rather a much less restrictive statement applies, namely that the corresponding Noether charge as an observable over phase space may in fact possess an explicit time dependency, and yet define a constant of the motion by having a commutator with the Hamiltonian which is nonvanishing, thus indeed defining a dynamical conserved quantity. Furthermore, and this certainly within the Hamiltonian formulation, the converse statement is valid as well, namely that any dynamical constant of motion is necessarily the Noether charge of some symmetry leaving the system's action invariant up to some total time derivative contribution. The present contribution revisits these different points and their consequences, straightaway within the Hamiltonian formulation which is the most appropriate for such issues. Explicit illustrations are also provided through three general but simple enough classes of systems.Comment: 1+27 pages, to appear in the Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics, Engineered Hierarchies of Integrable Potentials, and the Generalised Laguerre Polynomials

Within the context of Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics and its related hierarchies of integrable quantum Hamiltonians and potentials, a general programme is outlined and applied to its first two simplest illustrations. Going beyond the usual restriction of shape invariance for intertwined potentials, it is suggested to require a similar relation for Hamiltonians in the hierarchy separated by an arbitrary number of levels, N. By requiring further that these two Hamiltonians be in fact identical up to an overall shift in energy, a periodic structure is installed in the hierarchy of quantum systems which should allow for its solution. Specific classes of orthogonal polynomials characteristic of such periodic hierarchies are thereby generated, while the methods of Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics then lead to generalised Rodrigues formulae and recursion relations for such polynomials. The approach also offers the practical prospect of quantum modelling through the engineering of quantum potentials from experimental energy spectra. In this paper these ideas are presented and solved explicitly for the cases N=1 and N=2. The latter case is related to the generalised Laguerre polynomials, for which indeed new results are thereby obtained. At the same time new classes of integrable quantum potentials which generalise that of the harmonic oscillator and which are characterised by two arbitrary energy gaps are identified, for which a complete solution is achieved algebraically.Comment: 1+19 page