Professional Documents
Culture Documents
tmpDAA6 TMP
tmpDAA6 TMP
tmpDAA6 TMP
Jose T. Lunardi1, 2, a)
1)
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow
G12 8QQ, Glasgow,UK
2)
Department of Mathematics & Statistics, State University of Ponta Grossa
Avenida Carlos Cavalcanti 4748, Cep 84030-900, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
In this note we show that the massive Duffin-Kemmer-Petiau equation restricted to (1+1) space-time dimen-
sions has only one irreducible representation, which corresponds to a (pseudo)scalar field, a result which is at
odds with some claims in the recent literature.
The Duffin-Kemmer-Petiau (DKP) equation is a first and using relations (2) we obtain
order wave equation similar to the Dirac one, which
in its original formulation in (3+1) space-time dimen- P (U ) = P (6)
sions describes spin-0 and spin-1 fields or particles14 . P (U ) = P , (7)
Some recent papers addressed the DKP equation in
(1+1) space-time dimensions and considered the sup- which shows that P transforms as a scalar and P
posed spin-1 sector of the theory in some situations in- transforms as a vector. Moreover, by applying P and
volving interactions512 . In this note we show, by us- P on the DKP equation (1) we obtain the following
ing the (1+1)-dimensional analogs of the original DKP relations
spin-0 and spin-1 projection operators, that the spin-
(P ) = im (P ) (8)
1 sector of the (1+1) theory turns out to be (unitarily)
equivalent to its spin-0 sector, which actually describes i
P = (P ) , (9)
a (pseudo)scalar field. We illustrate this equivalence by m
explicitly building the lowest dimensional (irreducible) from which we conclude that the scalar P satisfy the
representation of the theory. Klein-Gordon equation + m2 P = 0, with the el-
We first recall some basic results concerning the free ements of P being essentially the derivatives of the
DKP equation in (3+1) space-time dimensions. The corresponding elements of P . Similarly, by introducing
equation is given by14,13 (we use natural units ~ = c = 1) the projectors13,16
(i m) = 0 = 0, 1, 2, 3, (1) 2 2 2
R = (1 ) (2 ) (3 ) 0 g 0
(10)
where m is the particles mass, is the DKP wave func-
R =R ,
(11)
tion and are matrices satisfying the DKP algebra
from relations (2) we conclude that R transforms as a
+ = g + g , (2) vector, whereas R transforms as a second-rank asym-
where g is the Minkowski metric tensor in (3+1) di- metric tensor. Applying R and R on the DKP equa-
mensions with signature (+, , , ). It is well known tion (1) we obtain
that there are only three irreducible representations (ir-
reps) of DKP algebra in (3+1) dimensions: one is triv- (R ) = imR (12)
ial, having dimension 1, and the other two are nontrivial, i
R = U , U = [ (R ) (R )] ,(13)
having dimensions 5 and 10, corresponding respectively m
to scalar (spin-0) and vector (spin-1) fields4,14,15 . Under which, combined, show that the field R satisfy the
infinitesimal Lorentz transformations x0 = x , with Procas equation
= g + , = , the DKP spinor trans-
forms as U , where13 + m2 R = 0,
(R ) = 0, (14)
1
U = 1 + S , S = [ , ] . (3) with U being merely the strength tensor.
2
From the above results we conclude that the opera-
By introducing the projectors13,16 tors P and P select the spin-0 sector of the DKP field,
2 2 2
P = (0 ) (1 ) (2 ) (3 )
2
(4) whereas the operators R and R select the spin-1 sec-
tor. We recall that the product of one operator from
P = P , (5)
the pair (P, P ) with any other operator from the pair
(R , R ) vanishes. This means that the spin-0 sector
and the spin-1 sector are unequivalent irreps of DKP
a) Electronic mail: jttlunardi@uepg.br algebra15 . As mentioned above, the nontrivial irreps
2
of the DKP wave function for the spin-0 and spin- to (1+1) dimensions. Conversely, if we multiply (8)-(9)
1 sectors correspond to spinors having respectively 5 (with , = 0, 1) on the left by 1 we obtain again (21)-
and 10 components. Explicit 5- and 10-dimensional ir- (23). Therefore, we conclude that the DKP spin-0 and
reps for the matrices and spinor can be easily ob- spin-1 sectors are equivalent in (1+1) dimensions. In
tained by rewriting respectively the Klein-Gordon and other words, we conclude that there is no spin-1 sector
the Proca equations to a system of first-order differential in the strict (1+1)-dimensional DKP theory. This is the
equations4 . main message of this note.
To consider the DKP theory in a space-time restricted To illustrate the above, we can easily build an explicit
to (1+1) dimensions we restrict the space-time labels in irrep for the DKP matrices ( = 0, 1) and spinor
the equations (1) and (2) to , = 0, 1. The analogs of by writing the (1+1)-dimensional
second-order Klein-
the spin-0 projectors (4)-(5) become Gordon equation + m2 = 0 for a scalar field as
2 2
a system of first-order equations in the form (1). Doing
P = (0 ) (1 ) (15) so, we obtain the following 3 3 irrep:
P = P , , = 0, 1, (16)
0 0 i 0 i 0 m
1
whereas the analogs in (1+1) dimensions of all the re- 0 = 0 0 0 , 1 = i 0 0 , = 1 .
maining equations (6)-(9) do not change in form, only i 0 0 0 0 0 m 0
the labels are restricted to the values 0, 1. In the same (24)
way we conclude that P transform as a Lorentz scalar Similarly, we can write the (1+1)-dimensional Procas
and P as a vector, with P and P satisfying (8) equations
and (9) (with , = 0, 1) and P satisfying the Klein-
+ m2 A = 0, A = 0, , = 0, 1,
Gordon equation in (1+1) dimensions. So, as expected,
the projectors P and P select the spin-0 (scalar) sector
of the (1+1) dimensional DKP equation. as a system of first order equations in the DKP form and
Now we consider the analogs of the spin-1 projectors obtain exactly the same representation for the matri-
01 T
(10)-(11) in (1+1) dimensions: ces as in (24), with now given by Fm , A0 , A1
2
R = (1 ) 0 g 0 (T denotes the transpose), where F 01 = 0 A1 1 A0 .
(17)
From this result we can promptly identify the fields in
R =R , , = 0, 1. (18)
the two cases:
It is straightforward to verify that R transforms like a
F 01 1 1 1 0
vector under infinitesimal Lorentz transformations, but = , A0 = , A1 = .
now we have that the only operators R which are non- m m m
vanishing in (1+1) dimensions are R01 = R10 . Accord- We also note that if a representation for the matrices
ingly, under Lorentz transformations (3) (, = 0, 1) is buit as = 21 ( 1 + 1 ), where are the
2 2 Dirac matrices in (1+1) dimensions, the obtained
R01 (U ) = R01 , (19) representation is reducible into a nontrivial 3-dimensional
irrep unitarily equivalent to (24) and an 1-dimensional
since from DKP algebra we have that R01 S01 = 0.
trivial representation (in which all = 0 and = 0).
Therefore, R01 transforms like a scalar (if we include
[It is also worth to note a mistake that is recurrent in
improper Lorentz transformations, it transforms as a
some papers5,6,8,12 , in which the factor 1/2 is missing in
pseudo-scalar). This is as expected, because in (1+1)
this expression for ; with such a mistake the obtained
dimensions any second-rank anti-symmetric tensor must
matrices do not fulfill relations (2)]
transform like a pseudo-scalar. Moreover, the spin-1
Summarizing, in this note we have shown that the
projectors (17)-(18) can now be rewritten in terms of the
strict (1+1)-dimensional DKP equation has only one
spin-0 ones:
nontrivial irrep (apart from unitary transformations)
R0 = 1 P 1 , R1 = 1 P 0 , R01 = 1 P. (20) which describes a (pseudo)scalar field and which can be
explicitly obtained in the form (24). Then we concluded
By using these relationships the analogs of equations that there is no spin-1 representation for the DKP the-
(12)-(13) in (1+1) dimensions turn out to be ory genuinely restricted to (1+1) space-times, which is
at odds with the claims of some papers in the recent
1 1 (P ) = 1 (im)P 1 (21) literature512 . Finally, we remark that some of these
1 0 (P ) = 1 (im)P 0 (22) papers actually considered the (3+1) DKP equation for
i 0 0 particles/fields having dynamics in just one space dimen-
1 (P ) = 1 P 1 P 1 .
(23) sion, instead of considering a genuine theory restricted to
m
(1+1) space-time dimensions. Then, by using a 10 10
By multiplying the above equations on the left by 1 , representation for the matrices these papers obtained
2
and taking into account that 1 P = P , we ob- for the spin-1 sector the same energy spectrum and the
tain exactly the same set of equations (8)-(9) restricted same dynamic components for the DKP wave function as
3
those corresponding to the spin-0 sector (see also1720 ). 9 Y. Chargui, A. Trabelsi, and L. Chetouani. Phys. Lett. A,
We argue that this is not a surprising result since the 374(29):2907, 2010.
10 Y. Chargui and A. Trabelsi. Phys. Scripta, 87(6):065003, 2013.
dynamical equation for the unidimensional propagation 11 A. Boumali. Z. Naturforsch. A, 70(10):867, 2015.
in the (3+1) case in these studies was formally identical 12 M. Darroodi, H. Hassanabadi, and N. Salehi. Eur. Phys. J. A,
to the (1+1)-dimensional DKP equation. 51(6):69, 2015.
13 J.T. Lunardi, B.M. Pimentel, R.G. Teixeira, and J.S. Valverde.