Remarks on a gauge theory for continuous spin particles

Author(s)

Rivelles, Victor O.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL C; v. 77, n. 7 JUN 29 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 7

Abstract

We discuss in a systematic way the gauge theory for a continuous spin particle proposed by Schuster and Toro. We show that it is naturally formulated in a cotangent bundle over Minkowski spacetime where the gauge field depends on the spacetime coordinate chi(mu) and on a covector eta(mu). We discuss how fields can be expanded in eta(mu) in different ways and how these expansions are related to each other. The field equation has a derivative of a Dirac delta function with support on the eta-hyperboloid eta(2) + 1 = 0 and we show how it restricts the dynamics of the gauge field to the eta-hyperboloid and its first neighbourhood. We then show that on-shell the field carries one single irreducible unitary representation of the Poincare group for a continuous spin particle. We also show how the field can be used to build a set of covariant equations found by Wigner describing the wave function of one-particle states for a continuous spin particle. Finally we show that it is not possible to couple minimally a continuous spin particle to a background abelian gauge field, and we make some comments about the coupling to gravity. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/18634-9 - Gauge/Gravity duality
• Grantee: Victor de Oliveira Rivelles
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 11/11973-4 - ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research: a regional center for theoretical physics
• Grantee: Nathan Jacob Berkovits
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants