Massless fields with half-integral spin

J. Fang and C. Fronsdal
Phys. Rev. D 18, 3630 – Published 15 November 1978
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Abstract

The Fierz-Pauli Lagrangian for massive particles with spin s=n+12, n integer, is examined in the limit of vanishing mass. A considerable simplification occurs. The potential h is a Rarita-Schwinger spinor-tensor of tensorial rank n. The "spinor-trace" h, defined by hνλγμhμνλ does not vanish, and neither does h(h); but h does vanish. The wave equation admits a gauge group, hh+symgrad ξ, with ξ=0. The most interesting feature is that the source t need not be divergence free, only the traceless part of pμtμν must vanish. This weaker condition on t turns out to be sufficient to guarantee that only helicities±s are transmitted between sources.

  • Received 5 July 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.18.3630

©1978 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

J. Fang and C. Fronsdal

  • Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024

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Issue

Vol. 18, Iss. 10 — 15 November 1978

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