Helmholtz wave trajectories in classical and quantum physics

Abstract: The behavior of classical and quantum wave beams in stationary media is shown to be ruled by a "Wave Potential" function encoded in Helmholtz-like equations, determined by the structure itself of the beam and taking, in the quantum case, the form of Bohm's "Quantum Potential", which is therefore not so much a "quantum" as a "wave" property. Exact, deterministic motion laws, mutually coupled by this term and describing wave-like features such as diffraction and interference, are obtained in terms of well defined Hamiltonian trajectories, and shown to reduce to the laws of usual geometrical optics and/or classical dynamics when this coupling term is neglected. As far as the quantum case is concerned, the approach proposed in the present paper, suggested by the direct extension of the treatment holding for classical waves, describes the motion of classical-looking, point-like particles, without resorting to the use of travelling wave-packets.