Abstract

The usual quantum mechanical treatment of a Schrödinger particle is translated into manifestly Galilean-invariant language, primarily through the use of Wigner-distribution methods. The hydrodynamical formulation of quantum mechanics is derived directly from the Wigner-distribution formulation, and the two formulations are compared. Wigner distributions are characterized directly, i.e., without reference to wave functions, and a heuristic interpretation of Wigner distributions and their evolution is developed.