Abstract

We reinvestigate Bargmann's superselection rule for the overall mass ofnparticles in ordinary quantum mechanics with Galilei invariant interaction potential. We point out that in order for mass to define a superselection rule it should be considered as a dynamical variable. We present a minimal extension of the original dynamics in which mass it treated as dynamical variable. Here the classical symmetry group turns out to be given by anR-extension of the Galilei group. Unlike before, there is now no obstruction to implement an action of the classical symmetry group on Hilbert space. We include some comments of a general nature on formal derivations of superselection rules without dynamical context.

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