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Title: Covariant description of polarization

Journal Article · · Nuovo Cimento
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02724842· OSTI ID:4186146

A description is presented of a particle of mass m and spin j with a momentam p. A density matrix is used to describe a system of pure states and mixtures of polarization states. In the zero mass case only two polarization states are available and these have opposite helicities. An application of the Dirac theory was used to explicitly construct the density matrix of the pure polarization state. Any field theoretical computation of polarization effects can be made covariantly and reduces to trace computation; it is possible to describe the computation in terms of two by two density matrices. Application is made to the Bargmann-Wigner theory of particles of arbitrary spin in the polarization states.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Paris
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
NSA Number:
NSA-14-009926
OSTI ID:
4186146
Journal Information:
Nuovo Cimento, Vol. 14, Issue 1; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60; ISSN 0029-6341
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English