We study in detail the irreducible representation of E theory that corresponds to massless particles. This has little algebra Ic(E9) and contains 128 physical states that belong to the spinor representation of SO(16). These are the degrees of freedom of maximal supergravity in eleven dimensions. This smaller number of the degrees of freedom, compared to what might be expected, is due to an infinite number of duality relations which in turn can be traced to the existence of a subaglebra of Ic(E9) which forms an ideal and annihilates the representation. We explain how these features are inherited into the covariant theory. We also comment on the remarkable similarity between how the bosons and fermions arise in E theory.
The genuine Kaluza-Klein-like theories (with no fields in addition to gravity) have difficulties with the existence of massless spinors after the ompactification of some of dimensions of space\cite{witten}. We assume a $M^{(1+3)} \times$ a flat finite disk in $(1+5)$-dimensional space, with the boundary allowing spinors of only one handedness. Massless spinors then chirally couple to the corresponding background gauge gravitational field, which solves equations of motion for a free field, linear in the Riemann curvature.
In this letter we suggest a natural spinor-helicity formalism for massless fields in AdS${}_4$. It is based on the standard realization of the AdS${}_4$ isometry algebra $so(3,2)$ in terms of differential operators acting on $sl(2,\mathbb{C})$ spinor variables. We start by deriving the AdS counterpart of plane waves in flat space and then use them to evaluate simple scattering amplitudes. Finally, based on symmetry arguments we classify all three-point amplitudes involving massless spinning fields. As in flat space, we find that the spinor-helicity formalism allows to construct additional cons…
The technique for representing spinors and the definition of the discrete symmetries is used to illustrate on a toy model properties of massless and massive spinors states, in the first and the second quantized picture. Since in this toy model the number of the starting massless representations is well defined as well as the origin of masses and charges in $d=(3+1)$ space, this contribution might help to clarify the problem about Dirac, Weyl and Majorana kinds of representations in physically more interesting cases.
We compute the massless five-point amplitude of open superstrings using the non-minimal pure spinor formalism and obtain a simple kinematic factor in pure spinor superspace, which can be viewed as the natural extension of the kinematic factor of the massless four-point amplitude. It encodes bosonic and fermionic external states in supersymmetric form and reduces to existing bosonic amplitudes when expanded in components, therefore proving their equivalence. We also show how to compute the kinematic structures involving fermionic states.
The genuine Kaluza-Klein-like theories--with no fields in addition to gravity--have difficulties with the existence of massless spinors after the compactification of some space dimensions \cite{witten}. We proposed in previous paper a boundary condition for spinors in d=(1+5) compactified on a flat disk that ensures masslessness of spinors (with all positive half integer charges) in d=(1+3) as well as their chiral coupling to the corresponding background gauge gravitational field. In this paper we study the same toy model, proposing a boundary condition allowing a massless spinor of one handed…
Using the pure spinor formalism we prove identities which relate the tree-level, one-loop and two-loop kinematic factors for massless four-point amplitudes. From these identities it follows that the complete supersymmetric one- and two-loop amplitudes are immediately known once the tree-level kinematic factor is evaluated. In particular, the two-loop equivalence with the RNS formalism (up to an overall coefficient) is obtained as a corollary.
The quantum field theory is expanding in de Sitter space-time. The ambient space formalism let us to develop the quantum field theory in a careful mathematical framework. Using the gauge-covariant derivative in the de Sitter ambient space, the gauge invariant Lagrangian density has been found. In this paper, the equations of the conjugate spinor for massless spin-$\frac{3}{2}$ gravitational field is obtained by Euler-Lagrange equation. Finally, these equations can be written in terms of the operator of the Casimir group de Sitter.
The genuine Kaluza-Klein-like theories (with no fields in addition to gravity with torsion) have difficulties with the existence of massless spinors after the compactification of some of dimensions of space\cite{witten}. We demonstrate in this letter on an example of a flat torus - as a compactified part of an (1+5)-dimensional space - that for constant fields and appropriate boundary conditions there exists in the 1+3 dimensional space a massless solution, which is mass protected and chirally coupled with a Kaluza-Klein charge to the corresponding gauge field.
We study contact four-point amplitudes in the spinor-helicity formalism in anti-de Sitter space. We find that these amplitudes can be brought to an especially simple form, which we call canonical. Next, we classify consistent contact amplitudes by requiring correct transformation properties with respect to the AdS isometry algebra. Finally, we establish a connection between the canonical form of AdS amplitudes and scalar multi-trace conformal primaries in flat space.
Although the chiral dotted spinor superfield should describe a Massive Superspin One Half multiplet, it has not been obvious how to derive this from an action. In this paper this is done by including a chiral undotted spinor superfield, finding the BRST transformations that govern both of these, and then finding the action as an invariant of the transformations. It turns out that both kinds of spinor superfields are needed. Moreover, the BRST transformations for the two kinds of chiral spinor superfields are generated from each other by a special involution that exchanges Grassmann odd (even) …
In a recent letter we suggested a natural generalization of the flat-space spinor-helicity formalism in four dimensions to anti-de Sitter space. In the present paper we give some technical details that were left implicit previously. For lower-spin fields we also derive potentials associated with the previously found plane wave solutions for field strengths. We then employ these potentials to evaluate some three-point amplitudes. This analysis illustrates a typical computation of an amplitude without internal lines in our formalism.
Spinor description for the curvatures of $D=5$ Yang-Mills, Rarita-Schwinger and gravitational fields is elaborated. Restrictions imposed on the curvature spinors by the dynamical equations and Bianchi identities are analyzed. In the absence of sources symmetric curvature spinors with $2s$ indices obey first-order equations that in the linearized limit reduce to Dirac-type equations for massless free fields. These equations allow for a higher-spin generalization similarly to $4d$ case. Their solution in the form of the integral over Lorentz-harmonic variables parametrizing coset manifold $SO(1,…
Same amplitudes evaluated independently using RNS and pure spinor formalism are expected to agree. While for massless states, this fact has been firmly established, for massive states such an explicit check has been lacking so far. We compute all massless-massless-massive 3-point functions in open supertrings in pure spinor formalism for the first massive states and compare them with the corresponding RNS results. We fix the normalization of the vertex operators of the massive states by comparing same set of 3-point functions for a fixed ordering in the two formalisms. Once fixed, the subseque…
A new classical 2-spinor approach to $U(1)$ gauge theory is presented in which the usual four-potential vector field is replaced by a symmetric second rank spinor. Following a lagrangian formulation, it is shown that the four-rank spinor representing the Maxwell field tensor has a $U(1)$ local gauge invariance in terms of the electric and magnetic field strengths. When applied to the magnetic field of a monopole, this formulation, via the irreducible representations condition for the gauge group, leads to a quantization condition differing by a factor 2 of the one predicted by Dirac without re…
The genuine Kaluza-Klein-like theories--with no fields in addition to gravity--have difficulties with the existence of massless spinors after the compactification of some space dimensions \cite{witten}. We proposed (Phys. Lett. B 633 (2006)771) such a boundary condition for spinors in 1+5 compactified on a flat disk that ensures masslessness of spinors in d=1+3 as well as their chiral coupling to the corresponding background gauge field (which solves equations of motion for a free field linear in the Riemann curvature). In this paper we study the same toy model: M^{(1+3)} x M^{(2)}, looking th…
We studied properties of spinors in a toy model in $d=(5+1)$, when ${\cal M}^{(5+1)}$ breaks to an infinite disc with a zweibein which makes a disc curved on an almost $S^2$ and with a spin connection field which allows on such a sphere only one massless spinor state, as a step towards realistic Kaluza-Klein theories in non compact spaces. Previously we allowed on $S^2$ two kinds of the spin connection fields, those which are gauge fields of spins in and those which are the gauge fields of the family quantum numbers, both as required for this toy model by the spin-charge-family theory. This ti…
Five-dimensional gauge and gravity theories are known to exhibit striking properties. D=5 is the lowest dimension where massive tensor states appear naturally, providing a testing ground for perturbative insights into six-dimensional tensor theories. Five-dimensional supergravities are highly constrained and admit elegant geometric and algebraic formulations, with global symmetries manifest at the Lagrangian level. In this paper, we take a step towards the systematic investigation of amplitudes in five dimensions, and present a five-dimensional version of the spinor-helicity formalism, applica…
The BRST approach is applied to the description of irreducible massless higher spins representations of the Poincare group in arbitrary dimensions. The total system of constraints in such theory includes both the first and the second class constraints. The corresponding nilpotent BRST charge contains terms up to the seventh degree in ghosts.
We consider the covariant quantization of the D=11 massless superparticle (M0-brane) in the spinor moving frame or twistor-like Lorentz harmonics formulation. The action involves the set of 16 constrained 32 component Majorana spinors, the spinor Lorentz harmonics parametrizing (as homogeneous coordinates, modulo gauge symmetries) the celestial sphere S9. There presence allows us to separate covariantly the first and the second class constraints of the model. After taking into account the second class constraints by means of Dirac brackets and after further reducing the first class constraints…
The two-by-two representation of the SL(2,c) group is for spin-1/2 particles. Starting from this two-by-two representation, it is possible to construct the four-by-four matrices for spin-1 particles. For massless particles, it is possible to construct four-potentials from two-component SL(2,c) spinors. Four potentials are subject to gauge transformations and are gauge-dependent. Then this gauge dependence necessarily comes from the two-component spinors which make up the four-potential. Then there must be a gauge-dependent spinor. This gauge-dependent spinor is discussed in detail. It is shown…
This thesis discusses how the pure spinor formalism can be used to efficiently compute superstring scattering amplitudes. We emphasize the pure spinor superspace form of the kinematic factors, where the simplifying features of this language have allowed an explicit relation among the massless four-point amplitudes at tree-level, one- and two-loops to be found. We show how these identities elegantly simplify the task of computing the amplitudes for all possible external state combination related by supersymmetry. In particular, the two-loop amplitudes involving fermionic states had never been c…
We consider firstly simple D=4 superalgebra with six real tensorial central charges $Z_{μν}$, and discuss its possible realizations in massive and massless cases. Massless case is dynamically realized by generalized Ferber-Shirafuji (FS) model with fundamental bosonic spinor coordinates. The Lorentz invariance is not broken due to the realization of central charges generators in terms of bosonic spinors. The model contains four fermionic coordinates and possesses three kappa-symmetries thus providing the BPS configuration preserving 3/4 of the target space supersymmetries. We show that the phy…
The 4-dimensional model of a massless particle with rigidity whose Lagrangian is proportional to its world-line curvature is reformulated in terms of spinor and twistor variables. We begin with a first-order Lagrangian that is equivalent to the original Lagrangian proportional to the extrinsic curvature of a particle world-line. The first-order Lagrangian is written in terms of spacetime and spinor variables, leading to a spinor representation of the Lagrangian. Then its corresponding action is expressed in terms of twistor variables, leading to the gauged Shirafuji action.
Hughston has shown that projective pure spinors can be used to construct massless solutions in higher dimensions, generalizing the four-dimensional twistor transform of Penrose. In any even (Euclidean) dimension d=2n, projective pure spinors parameterize the coset space SO(2n)/U(n), which is the space of all complex structures on R^{2n}. For d=4 and d=6, these spaces are CP^1 and CP^3, and the appropriate twistor transforms can easily be constructed. In this paper, we show how to construct the twistor transform for d>6 when the pure spinor satisfies nonlinear constraints, and present explicit …
We compute partition functions describing multiplicities and charges of massless and first massive string states of pure-spinor superstrings in 3,4,6,10 dimensions. At the massless level we find a spin-one gauge multiplet of minimal supersymmetry in d dimensions. At the first massive string level we find a massive spin-two multiplet. The result is confirmed by a direct analysis of the BRST cohomology at ghost number one. The central charges of the pure spinor systems are derived in a manifestly SO(d) covariant way confirming that the resulting string theories are critical. A critical string mo…
We apply a global and geometrically well-defined formalism for spinor-dilaton-gravity to two-dimensional manifolds. We discuss the general formalism and focus attention on some particular choices of the dilatonic potential. For constant dilatonic potential the model turns out to be completely solvable and the general solution is found. For linear and exponential dilatonic potentials we present the class of exact solutions with a Killing vector.
We study the consistency conditions for interactions of massless fields of any spin in four-dimensional flat space using the light-cone approach. We show that they can be equivalently rewritten as the Ward identities for the off-shell light-cone amplitudes built from the light-cone Hamiltonian in the standard way. Then we find a general solution of these Ward identities. The solution admits a compact representation when written in the spinor-helicity form and is given by an arbitrary function of spinor products, satisfying well-known homogeneity constraints. Thus, we show that the light-cone c…
We develop an approach to constructing the manifestly Lorentz covariant cubic interaction vertices for the four-dimensional massless higher spin bosonic fields with two-component dotted and undotted spinor indices. Such fields automatically satisfy the traceless conditions what simplify form of the equations determining the irreducible massless representation of the Poincar'e group with given helicity. The cubic vertex is formulated in the framework of the BRST approach to higher spin field theory. Use of the above spin-tensor fields allows to simplify a form of the BRST-charge and hence to fi…
We study the unitary representation of supersymmetry (SUSY) algebra based on a spinor-vector generator for both massless and massive cases. A systematic linearization of nonlinear realization for the SUSY algebra is also discussed in the superspace formalism with a spinor-vector Grassmann coordinate.
In spinor formalism, since any massless free-field spinor with spin higher than $1/2$ can be constructed with spin-1/2 spinors (Dirac-Weyl spinors) and scalars, we introduce a map between Weyl fields and Dirac-Weyl fields. We determine the corresponding Dirac-Weyl spinors in a given empty spacetime. Regarding them as basic units, other higher spin massless free-field spinors are then identified. Along this way, we find some hidden fundamental features related to these fields. In particular, for non-twisting vacuum Petrov type N solutions, we show that all higher spin massless free-field spinor…
In this work, a solution linear in the momentum for the massless constraint $P^{m}P_{m}=0$ is investigated. It is presented in terms of a $SO(2n,\mathbb{C})$ to $U(n)$ decomposition and interpreted in terms of projective pure spinors, which are known to parametrize the $\tfrac{SO(2n)}{U(n)}$ coset. The worldline action is quantized using the BRST formalism and, using the results of Berkovits and Cherkis, the ghost number zero wave function is shown to generate massless solutions for field equations of arbitrary spin. The model can be covariantly expressed by the action recently proposed in $D=…
This note supplements an earlier paper on conformal field theories. There it was shown how to construct tensor, spinor, and spinor-tensor primary fields in four dimensions from their counterparts in six dimensions, where conformal transformations act simply as SO(4,2) Lorentz transformations. Here we show how to constrain fields in six dimensions so that the corresponding primary fields in four dimensions transform according to irreducible representations of the four-dimensional Lorentz group, even when the irreducibility conditions on these representations involve the four-component Levi-Civi…
In this work we give an explicit construction for the vertex operators of massless states in the pure spinor superstring in a plane wave background. The construction is based on the observation that the full action can be divided in two parts, where the simpler one is based on a smaller coset and closely resembles the gauge fixed Green-Schwarz action.
We consider the fermionization of a bosonic free theory characterized by the 3+1D scalar - tensor duality. This duality can be interpreted as the dimensional reduction, via a planar boundary, of the 4+1D topological BF theory. In this model, adopting the Sommerfield tomographic representation of quantized bosonic fields, we explicitly build a fermionic operator and its associated Klein factor such that it satisfies the correct anticommutation relations. Interestingly, we demonstrate that this operator satisfies the massless Dirac equation and that it can be identified with a 3+1D Weyl spinor. …
We show that the massive (or massless) neutrinos can be described as special states of Heisenberg nonlinear spinors. As a by-product of this decomposition a particularly attractive consequence appears: the possibility of relating the existence of only three species of mass-less neutrinos to such internal non-linear structure. At the same time it allows the possibility that neutrino oscillation can occurs even for massless neutrinos.
Using the map between free massless spinors on d+1 dimensional Minkowski spacetime and free massive spinors on $dS_{d+1}$, we obtain the boundary term that should be added to the standard Dirac action for spinors in the dS/CFT correspondence. It is shown that this map can be extended only to theories with vertex $({\bar\p}\p)^2$ but arbitrary $d\ge1$. In the case of scalar field theories such an extension can be made only for $d=2,3,5$ with vertices $ϕ^6$, $ϕ^4$ and $ϕ^3$ respectively.
Manifestly Lorentz covariant Feynman rules are given in terms of a "scalar" field for each helicity, dramatically simplifying the calculation of amplitudes with massless particles. The spinor helicity formalism is properly identified as a null complex spacelike (not lightlike) gauge, where two massless external momenta define the reference frame. Usually this gauge is applied only to external line factors; we extend this method to vertices and propagators by modifying the action itself using lightcone methods.
We consider unconstrained formulation of the higher spin gauge theory in anti de Sitter (AdS) spacetime, given by actions [1, 2], and provide on-shell supersymmetry transformations for the $\mathcal{N}=1$ unconstrained massless higher spin supermultiplet in four-dimensional AdS$_4$. Such an irreducible supermultiplet $(Φ_1, Φ_2 \,; Ψ_1,Ψ_2)$ contains a pair of bosonic fields, with opposite parity, which are generating functions (infinite collection of totally symmetric real tensor fields of all integer rank $s= 0, 1, \ldots, \infty$), as well as two fermionic fields, which have opposite signs …
We present a novel twistor formulation of the ten-dimensional massless superparticle. This formulation is based on the introduction of pure spinor variables through a field redefinition of another model for the superparticle, and in the new description we find that the super-Pauli-Lubanski three-form naturally arises as a constraint. Quantization is studied in detail for both models and they are shown to correctly describe the $D = 10$ super-Yang-Mills states.
We obtain the exact solutions to the field equations for massless scalar and massless spinor fields on quantized two-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. We then apply the AdS/CFT correspondence principle to get exact answers for the two point correlation functions of the associated operators on the boundary. The results support the conclusion that conformal symmetry on the boundary is not spoiled by quantization of the bulk. Moreover, quantization of the bulk has no effect on the spinor two-point correlation function, while it induces an overall re-scaling in the scalar two-point correlation fun…
We review the general heat kernel method for the Dirac spinor field as an elementary example in any arbitrary background. We, then compute the first three Seeley-DeWitt coefficients for the massless free spin-3/2 Rarita-Schwinger field without imposing any limitations on the background geometry.
A covariant map between the Ramond-Neveu-Schwarz (RNS) and pure spinor formalisms for the superstring is found which transforms the RNS and pure spinor BRST operators into each other. The key ingredient is a dynamical twisting of the ten spin-half RNS fermions into five spin-one and five spin-zero fermions using bosonic pure spinors that parameterize an SO(10)/U(5) coset. The map relates massless vertex operators in the two formalisms, and gives a new description of Ramond states which does not require spin fields. An argument is proposed for relating the amplitude prescriptions in the two for…
We construct the Rarita-Schwinger basis vectors, $U^μ$, spanning the direct product space, $U^μ:=A^μ\otimes u_M$, of a massless four-vector, $ A^μ$, with massless Majorana spinors, $u_M$, together with the associated field-strength tensor, ${\mathcal T}^{μν}:=p^μU^ν-p^νU^μ$. The ${\mathcal T}^{μν}$ space is reducible and contains one massless subspace of a pure spin-$3/2$ $\in (3/2,0)\oplus (0,3/2)$. We show how to single out the latter in a unique way by acting on ${\mathcal T}^{μν}$ with an earlier derived momentum independent projector, ${\mathcal P}^{(3/2,0)}$, properly constructed from on…
We use the spinor helicity formalism in order to derive the dyadic forms for massless fields of various spins. We also give an iterated form of this approach in case higher spin theories are under study. This reduces calculations at hard and soft scattering problems in gauge theories drastically. Finally, we state and prove a theorem of gauge symmetry violation in the presence of minimal coupling with light in higher spin theories ($j>1/2$).
A twistor model of a free massless spinning particle in 4-dimensional Minkowski space is studied in terms of spacetime and spinor variables. This model is specified by a simple action, referred to here as the gauged Shirafuji action, that consists of twistor variables and gauge fields on the 1-dimensional parameter space. We consider the canonical formalism of the model by following the Dirac formulation for constrained Hamiltonian systems. In the subsequent quantization procedure, we obtain a plane-wave solution with momentum spinors. From this solution and coefficient functions, we construct…
In this work we construct an embedding of a nontrivial central extension of the contact superconformal algebra K'(4) into the Lie superalgebra of pseudodifferential symbols on the supercircle S^{1|2}. Associated with this embedding is a one-parameter family of spinor-like tiny irreducible representations of K'(4) realized just on 4 fields instead of the usual 16.
Linear spinor fields are a generalization of the Dirac field that have transparent cluster decomposability properties needed for classical correspondence of relativistic quantum systems. The algebra of these fields directly incorporate gravitation within a group that unifies the dynamics of the same number of additional hermitian carriers of quantum numbers as there are gauge fields in SU(3)$\times$SU(2)$\times$U(1). They also provide a mechanism for the dynamic mixing of massless neutrinos using a "transverse mass" conjugate to the affine parameter labeling translations along its light-like t…
We study the minimal unitary representation (minrep) of SO(5,2), obtained by quantization of its geometric quasiconformal action, its deformations and supersymmetric extensions. The minrep of SO(5,2) describes a massless conformal scalar field in five dimensions and admits a unique "deformation" which describes a massless conformal spinor. Scalar and spinor minreps of SO(5,2) are the 5d analogs of Dirac's singletons of SO(3,2). We then construct the minimal unitary representation of the unique 5d superconformal algebra F(4) with the even subalgebra SO(5,2) X SU(2). The minrep of F(4) describes…
A massless spinor field is quantized in the background of a singular static magnetic vortex in 2+1-dimensional space-time. The method of self-adjoint extensions is employed to define the most general set of physically acceptable boundary conditions at the location of the vortex. Under these conditions, the vacuum energy density and effective potential in the vortex background are determined.
In this paper we investigate the perturbations by a massless Dirac spinor of a Born-Infeld black hole. The decay rates of the spinor field which is given by the quasinormal mode frequencies are computed using the sixth order WKB approximation. The behavior of the quasi normal modes with the non-linear parameter, temperature and charge of the black hole are analyzed in detail. We also compare the decay rates of the Born-Infeld black hole with its linear counter-part Reissner-Nordstrom black hole.
One step towards realistic Kaluza-Klein[like] theories and a loop hole through the Witten's "no-go theorem" is presented for cases which we call an effective two dimensionality cases: In $d=2$ the equations of motion following from the action with the linear curvature leave spin connections and zweibeins undetermined. We present the case of a spinor in $d=(1+5)$ compactified on a formally infinite disc with the zweibein which makes a disc curved on an almost $S^2$ and with the spin connection field which allows on such a sphere only one massless normalizable spinor state of a particular charge…
