Dual Metrics for a Class of Radiative Spacetimes

Second rank non-degenerate Killing tensors for some subclasses of spacetimes admitting parallel null one-planes are investigated. Lichn\'erowicz radiation conditions are imposed to provide a physical meaning to spacetimes whose metrics are described through their associated second rank Killing tensors. Conditions under which the dual spacetimes retain the same physical properties are presented.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, Minor revisions in the wording in Sec.5. Typo corrected in references. Journ.-ref adde

DIRAC GAMMA MATRICES AS REPRESENTATIONS OF THE ALGEBRA OF LITTLE GROUPS

The algebra of O(3, 3) is contracted to that of E(2)-like groups in the infinite-momentum limit. It is shown through this process that there are 18 different possibilities for the representations of E(2)-like algebra if they are to be expressed in terms of Dirac γ-matrices. It is also pointed out that the generators of this algebra are independent of the particular representation of the γ-matrices. Possible implications of this analysis is discussed

The language of Einstein spoken by optical instruments

Einstein had to learn the mathematics of Lorentz transformations in order to complete his covariant formulation of Maxwell's equations. The mathematics of Lorentz transformations, called the Lorentz group, continues playing its important role in optical sciences. It is the basic mathematical language for coherent and squeezed states. It is noted that the six-parameter Lorentz group can be represented by two-by-two matrices. Since the beam transfer matrices in ray optics is largely based on two-by-two matrices or $ABCD$ matrices, the Lorentz group is bound to be the basic language for ray optics, including polarization optics, interferometers, lens optics, multilayer optics, and the Poincar\'e sphere. Because the group of Lorentz transformations and ray optics are based on the same two-by-two matrix formalism, ray optics can perform mathematical operations which correspond to transformations in special relativity. It is shown, in particular, that one-lens optics provides a mathematical basis for unifying the internal space-time symmetries of massive and massless particles in the Lorentz-covariant world.Comment: LaTex 8 pages, presented at the 10th International Conference on Quantum Optics (Minsk, Belarus, May-June 2004), to be published in the proceeding

Rotations associated with Lorentz boosts

It is possible to associate two angles with two successive non-collinear Lorentz boosts. If one boost is applied after the initial boost, the result is the final boost preceded by a rotation called the Wigner rotation. The other rotation is associated with Wigner's O(3)-like little group. These two angles are shown to be different. However, it is shown that the sum of these two rotation angles is equal to the angle between the initial and final boosts. This relation is studied for both low-speed and high-speed limits. Furthermore, it is noted that the two-by-two matrices which are under the responsibility of other branches of physics can be interpreted in terms of the transformations of the Lorentz group, or vice versa. Classical ray optics is mentioned as a case in point.Comment: LaTeX, 16 Pages, 4 epsfigure

Little groups and Maxwell-type tensors for massive and massless particles

The massive and massless representations of four-vectors and Maxwell-type tensors are constructed as bilinear combinations of SL(2,C)-spinors and are evaluated on a unified description upon adopting the group contraction procedure of O(3)-like little group to E(2)-like little group. Contraction of massive particle representations leads to gauge-dependent vectors as well as the gauge-independent "state vectors" constructed by Weinberg. It is shown that gauge degrees of freedom associated with the translation-like transformations of the E(2)-like little group can be traced to the spinors that undergo spin flips in the infinite-momentum/zero-mass limit

Poincaré Symmetry from Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Relations

It is noted that the single-variable Heisenberg commutation relation contains the symmetry of the S p ( 2 ) group which is isomorphic to the Lorentz group applicable to one time-like dimension and two space-like dimensions, known as the S O ( 2 , 1 ) group. According to Paul A. M. Dirac, from the uncertainty commutation relations for two variables, it possible to construct the de Sitter group S O ( 3 , 2 ) , namely the Lorentz group applicable to three space-like variables and two time-like variables. By contracting one of the time-like variables in S O ( 3 , 2 ) , it is possible to construct the inhomogeneous Lorentz group I S O ( 3 , 1 ) which serves as the fundamental symmetry group for quantum mechanics and quantum field theory in the Lorentz-covariant world. This I S O ( 3 , 1 ) group is commonly known as the Poincaré group

Dirac Matrices and Feynman’s Rest of the Universe

There are two sets of four-by-four matrices introduced by Dirac. The first set consists of fifteen Majorana matrices derivable from his four γ matrices. These fifteen matrices can also serve as the generators of the group SL(4, r). The second set consists of ten generators of the Sp(4) group which Dirac derived from two coupled harmonic oscillators. It is shown possible to extend the symmetry of Sp(4) to that of SL(4, r) if the area of the phase space of one of the oscillators is allowed to become smaller without a lower limit. While there are no restrictions on the size of phase space in classical mechanics, Feynman’s rest of the universe makes this Sp(4)-to-SL(4, r) transition possible. The ten generators are for the world where quantum mechanics is valid. The remaining five generators belong to the rest of the universe. It is noted that the groups SL(4, r) and Sp(4) are locally isomorphic to the Lorentz groups O(3, 3) and O(3, 2) respectively. This allows us to interpret Feynman’s rest of the universe in terms of space-time symmetry