1968Journal of Mathematical PhysicsRequires access

``Lorentz Basis'' of the Poincaré Group

Amitabha Chakrabarti, Monique Lévy-Nahas, Roland Sénéor

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Abstract

An explicit derivation is given for the matrix elements of the translation generators Pμ of the Poincaré algebra with respect to the ``Lorentz basis,'' namely, in terms of states which diagonalize the two Casimir operators of the homogeneous Lorentz group (HLG). The results are given for the cases mass μ > 0 and μ = 0 and, for the latter, for discrete and continuous spin. The transforms connecting the momentum and Lorentz bases are discussed, a detailed derivation being given for the zero-mass discrete-spin case. The matrix elements of Gμ = i[(N2 − M2), Pμ] are considered and several interesting aspects of the algebras generated by N, M′, and Pμ′=(ε1Pμ+ε2Gμ) are discussed for the cases of positive as well as zero rest mass.

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An explicit derivation is given for the matrix elements of the translation generators Pμ of the Poincaré algebra with respect to the ``Lorentz basis,'' namely, in terms of states which diagonalize the two Casimir operators of the homogeneous Lorentz group (HLG). The results are given for the cases mass μ > 0 and μ = 0 and, for the latter, for discrete and continuous spin. The transforms connecting the momentum and Lorentz bases are discussed, a detailed derivation being given for the zero-mass discrete-spin case. The matrix elements of Gμ = i[(N2 − M2), Pμ] are considered and several interesting aspects of the algebras generated by N, M′, and Pμ′=(ε1Pμ+ε2Gμ) are discussed for the cases of positive as well as zero rest mass.

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Available abstract

An explicit derivation is given for the matrix elements of the translation generators Pμ of the Poincaré algebra with respect to the ``Lorentz basis,'' namely, in terms of states which diagonalize the two Casimir operators of the homogeneous Lorentz group (HLG). The results are given for the cases mass μ > 0 and μ = 0 and, for the latter, for discrete and continuous spin. The transforms connecting the momentum and Lorentz bases are discussed, a detailed derivation being given for the zero-mass discrete-spin case. The matrix elements of Gμ = i[(N2 − M2), Pμ] are considered and several interesting aspects of the algebras generated by N, M′, and Pμ′=(ε1Pμ+ε2Gμ) are discussed for the cases of positive as well as zero rest mass.

Key concepts: Poincaré group, Lorentz group, Lorentz transformation, Basis (linear algebra), Mathematical physics, Group (periodic table), Matrix (chemical analysis), Mathematics

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