Questions tagged [spinors]
The spinors tag has no usage guidance.
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What does a supercharge physically conserve? [duplicate]
What is actually being conserved? I've calculated it for the Wess-Zumino model but I still have no idea what is actually being conserved due to Noether's Theorem.
There is already a similar question, ...
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1answer
79 views
Setting spinors and $SU(2)$ representations on the same patch
I am sorry for the naivety of this question, I am a mathematician and I am trying to put together different ideas.
I am trying to understand the vocabulary of physics, in particular, I want to know:
...
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0answers
32 views
Dirac spinor as null vectors
In this paper, on page 9, the authors show that a spinor is equivalent to a null vector with a bit of extra structure (just one real parameter I think?):
https://arxiv.org/abs/1312.3824
They then go ...
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1answer
84 views
Dirac equation in curved spacetime
As we know, the laws of physics in curved spacetime are obtained to lowest order by upgrading the flat space laws by substituting partial derivatives with the appropriate covariant derivatives. In the ...
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1answer
73 views
Why is Dirac equation a matrix equation?
According to Wikipedia's Dirac equation article, the Dirac equation can be written in form
$$ i\hbar\gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\psi-mc\psi=0, $$
where $\gamma^{\mu}$ are gamma matrices which are $4 \...
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1answer
29 views
Demonstration of identities appearing in Dirac spinors in the chiral representation
Using the chiral representation of the gamma matrices, Peskin and Schroeder arrive in some expressions for the 4-component spinors $u(p)$ and $v(p)$ in terms of a square root of the Pauli matrices ...
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36 views
Dirac spinor for arbitrary momentum
In many treatments of the Dirac equation (e.g. Peskin and Schroder, pages 45-46) after subbing in $\psi(x) = e^{-ix_\mu p^\mu}u(\vec p)$, with $u$ a constant spinor, into the Dirac equation, we ...
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1answer
50 views
Legal values of spin-1/2 field can take: $\mathbb{R}$, $\mathbb{C}$, $\mathbb{H}$, .. (Grassmann)?
For the spin-1/2 fermion field $\psi$,
we may choose it to be a spinor which needs to be
Grassmann variable
but can also be
complex $\mathbb{C}$ Grassmann. (Dirac or Weyl spinor/fermion)
We can ...
4
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1answer
57 views
Varying the Dirac action with differential forms
The Dirac action in a curved spacetime can be written in terms of the vierbein $\{ e^a \}$ and spin connection $\{ \omega^{ab} \}$ differential forms. Let the spinor field $\psi$ be interpreted as a ...
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0answers
12 views
Hund's Rule Coupling in an Effective Hamiltonian/Lagrangian
I am reading a book on Skyrmions, and I am at the part where the interaction of skyrmions with electrons is discussed. The chapter speaks of Spin-Transfer Torque (STT) and makes the following ...
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2answers
141 views
Can gamma matrices be real in 6 dimensions?
I'm trying to find the really real representation of 6D gamma matrices. The problem is that "do they really exist?"
If yes, then how am I supposed to construct them? Thank you!
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Transformation of Vectors
let $\Psi \in V$ be a vector and we have the action of a lorentz transformation on the object $\sigma_2 \Psi $. And $\sigma_2 \Psi $ is then in V as well. V is "Weyl or Dirac space". And the lorentz ...
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66 views
Again on Spin Operator in Dirac Field Theory (Peskin & Schroeder)
Good morning,
I've already seen that this topic has been discussed so long, but my doubts remain unchanged. At page 61 of Peskin & Schroeder, An Introduction to QFT, there is the demonstration ...
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1answer
60 views
Fierz identities and Weinberg operator
I've been told that
$$
(\bar{L_i^c}\widetilde{\phi}^{\ *})(\widetilde{\phi}^\dagger L_k) = -\frac{1}{2}(\bar{\widetilde{L}}_i \vec{\sigma}L_k)(\widetilde{\phi}^\dagger \vec{\sigma} \phi) \tag1
$$
by ...
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0answers
27 views
Generally Covariant Dirac equation: The spin connection
Wikipedia, an answer on stackexchange and a few papers in the Arxiv I've found all have different definitions of the spin connection found in the Dirac equation. Can anyone please tell me what the ...
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0answers
39 views
Periodic Killing spinor on $S^1$?
In Cartesian coordinates on $R^2$ we have a constant two component Killing spinor $\epsilon_0$. If we use polar coordinates
$x = R \cos t$
$y = R \sin t$
we have the vielbein
$e^R = dR$
$e^t = ...
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2answers
93 views
Lorentz transformation of a Weyl Spinor?
A left handed Weyl Spinor belongs to the $(\frac{1}{2},0)$ representation of the Lorentz group. So given the Spinor, the unitary representation of the Lorentz transformation should look like $\exp{iA\...
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2answers
232 views
Dirac equation in 1+1D spacetime compared to “standard” 3+1D Dirac equation
In the past couple of weeks I've been studying the Dirac equation and its solutions. During a discussion with a tutor it was pointed out to me that one could formulate something similar to the Dirac ...
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1answer
55 views
A question about Lorentz transformations in spinor representation
For
$$\Lambda^{\mu}{}_{\nu}= \frac{1}{2} Tr(\bar{\sigma}^{\mu} S \sigma_{\nu}S^{\dagger}) $$
We need to prove that
$$\Lambda (S)= \Lambda (-S)$$
Am I naive to say that by adding $-S$, $S^{\dagger}...
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0answers
26 views
Sources to learn about Killing spinors
What are some good sources to learn about Killing spinors from?
I am currently learning about Killing vectors and how they are the generators of a Lie algebra that corresponds to the isometry group ...
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0answers
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Trying to prove the Wess Zumino invariance under a SUSY transformation
I have the Lagrangian density
$$L=-\partial_\mu \phi^\star \partial^\mu \phi - \bar{\chi}_R \gamma^\mu \partial_\mu \chi_L - \bar{\chi}_L\gamma^\mu\partial_\mu \chi_R.$$
where $\epsilon$ is the ...
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1answer
59 views
Infinitesimal parameter of Lorentz transformation
I'm working through the SUSY lecture notes by Lambert, and he does something which seems strange to me during the calculation of the Wess Zumino model.
He says the spinor $\psi$ has the ...
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1answer
64 views
Spinor representation
I am trying to study Special unitary group of order 2 and some textbooks mention objects transform under special unitary group are called Spinors. then How can we represent a spinor using matrix?
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1answer
56 views
Vanishing of a solution of Dirac equation
Let $\psi(x,t)$ be a solution of the free Dirac equation. Assume that $$\psi(\vec x,0)=\delta^{(3)}(\vec x) u,$$
where u is a fixed spinor. (In other words $\psi(\vec x,0)$ is assumed to be supported ...
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1answer
32 views
How does one find the parity trasformation matrix of spinors for non-free field theory?
In many QFT textbook, for example, the book of Srednicki, they use free field theory to derive the transformation matrix of the Spinors:
$$P^{-1}\Psi(x)P=D(P)\Psi(P^{-1}x)$$
Then we have a relation:
...
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0answers
36 views
Question about Pauli Matrices
I found the following identities about Pauli matrices from the lecture notes of Supersymmetry.
$$((\sigma^{\mu})^{\alpha\dot{\alpha}})^{\ast}=(\bar{\sigma}^{\mu})^{\dot{\alpha}\alpha}$$
$$((\sigma_{\...
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1answer
39 views
Unphysical degrees of freedom for the Weyl spinor?
I am attempting to solve the Weyl equation:
$$\bar\sigma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\phi=0$$ Where $\bar\sigma^{\mu}=(-1,\vec{\sigma})$ in my convention, and $\phi$ is a two component Weyl spinor. I consider ...
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0answers
22 views
I want to know the conformal weights of spinors in 2D
I want to know the conformal weights(or dimensions) of left/right-moving fermions in 2D, ${\cal N}=(2,2)$ superconformal theory.
More specifically, what is the left/right-moving conformal dimension ($...
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0answers
33 views
Naive question about particles and spinor fields [duplicate]
What is the difference between the "real" particle electron (for instance) and the spinor field of electron? I mean, which means that the electron have been described by a spinor field?My question is ...
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0answers
35 views
How does the spin connection affect the dynamics of a fermion in curved space?
Consider a massless right-handed Majorana fermion in curved spacetime. Without any other fields present, the Lagrangian density is (I believe) the following:
$$ \mathcal{L}_{\psi} = \sqrt{g}i\bar{\...
1
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1answer
42 views
Identity Involving Grassmann Variables and Pauli Matrices
I am trying to prove the following identity:
$$\theta\sigma^{\mu}\bar{\theta}\theta\sigma^{\nu}\bar{\theta}=\frac{1}{2}g^{\mu\nu}\theta\theta\bar{\theta}\bar{\theta}$$
Where $\theta$ and $\bar{\...
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0answers
23 views
Quantization of the massless neutrino field
If a massless neutrino or anti-neutrino is considered (in the whole post I consider neutrinos res. anti-neutrinos as mass-less), it is described by the Weyl-equation:
$$\overline{\sigma}^{\mu}\...
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0answers
34 views
Why can the spin operator be written as a product of fermions?
I was studying the Hubbard model, where we define the spin operator $\vec{S} = \frac{1}{2} c^\dagger \vec{\sigma} c$, where the creation and annihilation operators are both vectors of the form $c^\...
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0answers
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Four-brackets (Hodges, Momentum Twistors)
I use the reference from Andrew Hodges, available at https://arxiv.org/abs/0905.1473. I am having trouble understanding his use of the four-bracket. I refer to equation 6 and equation 9, where he ...
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0answers
60 views
My Struggle with Fierz Identity
I am following BUSSTEPP Lectures on Supersymmetry to learn SUSY.
The Lagrangian of a interacting Wess-Zumino model in 4D is given by
$$\mathcal{L}=-\frac{1}{2}(\partial_{\mu}S)(\partial^{\mu}S)-\...
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1answer
170 views
Is there any Classical Mechanics system which needs to be described by a spinor?
We need an ordinary number (scalar) to describe a harmonic oscillator, and a vector to describe, for example, a pendulum.
Is there any similarly simple system which we need to describe using a (two-...
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3answers
117 views
Are pseudospinors valid or useful?
We all know that in addition to scalars and vectors, there are pseudoscalars and pseudovectors, which have an additional sign flip under parity. These are useful and necessary when constructing ...
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0answers
33 views
A Naive Question about SUSY Variation
I am following BUSSTEPP Lectures on Supersymmetry to learn supersymmetry. My simple question is the following.
My Lagrangian for the Wess-Zumino model in $4D$ is
$$\mathcal{L}=-\frac{1}{2}(\...
0
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1answer
87 views
A few questions about spinors and gamma matrices
I am following BUSSTEPP Lectures on Supersymmetry and trying to show that the Wess-Zumino action is invariant under SUSY transformations. I encountered the following questions about spinors and gamma ...
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1answer
102 views
Transpose of fermion bilinears
TL;DR
When we take the transpose of two Grassmann-valued spinors (fermions), should we add a minus sign because we end up anticommutating the two spinors?
More details.
I'm studying the behavior of ...
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0answers
78 views
What does it mean to define a spin-structure on a manifold? [closed]
I'm trying to think about what information I need to add to a manifold that it describes a spin structure?
I know you can have spin-structure on a 2d plane, a 2-sphere.
I also know you can define a ...
2
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1answer
89 views
What is difference between fermions and spins?
A spin model i.e. $H_s = \sum_i^{L-1} S_i^x\cdot S_{i+1}^x$ can be written in matrix form as following
$$H_s = \big(S_1^x \otimes S_2^x \otimes I_3^2 \otimes I_4^2\otimes \cdots\otimes I_{L-1}^2\big)...
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0answers
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Intuitively understanding complex projective space or twistor space
I'm studying momentum twistor variables, which I understand can be seen to be defined projectively from dual complexified Minkowski space to this complex projective space $\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^3$. ...
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0answers
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Are there supersymmetry algebras with higher spinor representations?
The super-Poincare algebra contains supersymmetry generators $Q^I$ which satisfy fermionic anticommutation relations. By the higher-dimensional analogue of the spin-statistics theorem, they must ...
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0answers
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Question about Spinors and Probability Densities
So I was toying around attempting to simulate some relativistic wave equations for a recreational project. Now I have never studied spinors in dept and the knowledge I have is from reading online (...
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1answer
102 views
Dirac matrices in 1+1 dimensions
Given $\gamma^\mu$ in 1+3 dimensions with signature $(+,-,-,-)$, how can I obtain Dirac matrices in 1+1 dimensions expressed in terms of the $\gamma^\mu$?
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2answers
225 views
Do I need Gamma matrices in Majorana representation in the Lagrangian of a Majorana fermion?
I understand that the Majorana representation of the Gamma matrices are the real representations of the associated Clifford algebra. A Majorana fermion is defined as a fermion that equals to its ...
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1answer
273 views
How does canonical quantization work with Grassmann variables?
Every quantum field theory textbook I've encountered seems to have the same logical oversight, because of the particular order they cover topics.
First, the books introduce the Dirac Lagrangian,
$$\...
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1answer
55 views
Peskin and Schroeder: derivation of Dirac fields commutator
I'm perplexed by the following non numbered equation at page 54 of Peskin & Schroeder, right between $(3.92)$ and $(3.93)$
$$ [\psi_a(x),\overline{\psi}_b(x)]=\int\frac{d^3p}{(2\pi)^3}\frac{1}{...
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4answers
989 views
What precisely is a *classical* spin-1/2 particle?
I was recently having a Twitter conversation with a UC Riverside Prof. John Carlos Baez about Geometric Quantization, and he said (about his work) that
"Right. For example, you can get the ...
