Three-dimensional ghost-free representations of the Pais-Uhlenbeck model from Tri-Hamiltonians
We present a detailed analysis of the sixth-order Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator and construct three-dimensional ghost-free representations through a Tri-Hamiltonian framework. We identify a six-dimensional Abelian Lie algebra of the PU model’s dynamical flow and derive a hierarchy of conserved Hamiltonians governed by multiple compatible Poisson structures. These structures enable the realisation of a complete Tri-Hamiltonian formulation that generates identical dynamical flows. Positive-definite Hamiltonians are constructed, and their relation to the full Tri-Hamiltonian hierarchy is analysed. Furthermore, we develop a mapping between the PU model and a class of three-dimensional coupled second-order systems, revealing explicit conditions for ghost-free equivalence. We also explore the consequences of introducing interaction terms, showing that the multi-Hamiltonian structure is generally lost in such cases.
Authors
- Bethan Turner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3193-0256)
- Alexander Felski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8021-2286)
- Andreas Fring
Institutions
- Northampton Community College (US)
- City, University of London (GB)
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physics Letters A
- Published
- 2026-01-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physleta.2026.131332
- Primary Topic
- Quantum Mechanics and Non-Hermitian Physics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00