Photons, neutrinos, and gauge transformations

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Am. J. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1119/1.14454· OSTI ID:5646871

Han, D; Kim, Y S; Son, D

A unified description is presented for internal space-time symmetries of photons and neutrinos. Lorentz-boosted Dirac equation for a massive spin-1/2 particle is discussed in the Weyl representation. In the large-momentum/small-mass limit, the resulting large component of the Dirac spinor becomes invariant under transformations of the E-italic(2)-like little group, and the small component is not invariant under the E-italic(2)-like transformation. The gauge dependence of the photon four-potential can thus be derived from a direct product of the gauge-independent large component and the gauge-dependent small component.

• Research Organization: SASC Technologies, Inc., Hyattsville, Maryland 20784
• OSTI ID: 5646871
• Journal Information: Am. J. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 54:9; ISSN AJPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645400* -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DIRAC EQUATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUATIONS
FERMIONS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
LEPTONS
LORENTZ TRANSFORMATIONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
NEUTRINOS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PHOTONS
POLARIZATION
SPACE-TIME
SPINORS
TRANSFORMATIONS
WAVE EQUATIONS