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Is the group velocity times the phase velocity always the velocity of light squared?

Physics Asked by VCA on November 27, 2020

Can there be cases where it is different from $c$ squared? If so in what situations would it differ?

3 Answers

For a classical relativistic scalar field, we have $$E(p) = sqrt{(pc)^2 + left( mc^2 right)^2},$$ and using $E = hbar omega$ and $p = hbar k$ we find that (in units with $hbar = c = 1$) $$omega(k) = sqrt{k^2 + m^2},$$ so a wave with wave number $k$ has phase velocity $$frac{omega}{k} = sqrt{1 + left(frac{m}{k} right)^2}$$ and group velocity $$frac{domega}{dk} = frac{1}{sqrt{1 + left(frac{m}{k}right)^2}}.$$

So indeed, such a wave has that the product of the group and phase velocities equals $c^2$ for any wave number $k$.

But this only holds for relativistic scalar fields; in general waves can have pretty much any dispersion relation $omega(k)$ and so any relation between the group and phase velocities. (For example, waves like sounds waves or water waves obviously don't have any direct connection to the speed of light.)

Answered by tparker on November 27, 2020

$$c^2~stackrel{?}{=}~v_pv_g~=~frac{E}{p}frac{d E}{d p}~=~frac{d (E^2)}{d (p^2)}qquadLeftrightarrow qquad E^2-c^2p^2 ~=~{rm const} $$ is true for relativistic scalar matter, but is violated e.g. for non-relativistic matter waves $$ E~=~frac{p^2}{2m}qquadRightarrow qquad v_g~=~2v_p .$$

Answered by Qmechanic on November 27, 2020

No.

$v_g v_p=c^2$ is true for waves in waveguides. But that's just one area where $v_g$ and $v_p$ are different, and that happens whenever the velocity depends on the wavelength (or frequency). In other areas - matter waves, and even the basic dispersion of colours by a prism - it does not apply.

This is quite a common trap for students. If they first meet group velocity when learning about waveguides they assume that $v_g v_p=c^2$ is fundamental. It isn't: it happens to be true in this case but not in general.

Answered by RogerJBarlow on November 27, 2020

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