Geometrical interpretation of Benenti systems

We show that the following two separately developed theories, the theory of Benenti systems in mathematical physics and the theory of projectively equivalent metrics in classical differential geometry, study essentially the same object. Combining methods and results from these two theories, one can prove the commutative integrability of projectively equivalent pseudo-Riemannian metrics and construct infinitely many new Hamiltonian systems, integrable in the classical and in the quantum sense.     

Geometrical interpretation of extended supergravity

SO₂ extended supergravity is shown to be a geometrical theory, whose underlying gauge group is OSp(4, 2). The couplings which gauge the SO₂ symmetry as well as the accompanying cosmological and masslike terms are directly obtained, and the usual SO₂ model is obtained after a Wigner-Inönü group contraction.     

Geometrical interpretation of Inönü-Wigner contractions

The Inönü-Wigner contractions which interrelate the Lie algebras of the isometry groups of metric spaces are discussed with reference to deformations of the absolutes of the spaces. A general formula is derived for the Lie algebra commutation relations of the isometry group for anyN-dimensional metric space. These ideas are illustrated by a discussion of important particular cases, which interrelate the four-dimensional de Sitter, Poincaré, and Galilean groups.     

0(4,2) Operator replacements: Geometrical interpretation

The method ofo(4,2) operator replacements relies upon a particular realization of theo(4,2) Lie algebra in terms of position and momentum operators, involving a free dimensionless parameter . The geometrical significance of the operator replacements is given. The momentum space becomes a three-dimensional sphere of radius [exp()]/2 (atomic units) embedded in a four-dimensional Euclidean space. A much simpler realization of the replaced operators is obtained.     

Geometrical interpretation of the bilinear equations for the KP hierarchy

The Grassmann manifold approach to the KP hierarchy, in the spirit of Segal and Wilson, is used to define the wavefunction _W and its adjoint _W. From the fact that _W and _W are the orthogonal, we derive the bilinear equations. The modified equations are treated at the same time.     

Fermions without spinors

The classical Kähler equation for an inhomogeneous differential form is analysed in some detail with respect to the physical properties of its Minkowski space solutions. Although the components of the field contain only integer representations of the Lorentz group for a physical interpretation of the quantum theory, we impose fermionic commutators. The electromagnetic interactions are identical to those of a Dirac spinor field with an extra fourfold degeneracy. Possibilities for the interpretation of the extra degrees of freedom are discussed.     

Algebraic spinors and SUSY

Using the Dirac-Kaehler formalism, we formulate the supersymmetric Wess-Zumino model. Special attention is paid to the proper definition of a two-dimensional spinor, its adjoint, and its generalization to other dimensions.     

Supergauges and goldstone spinors

An example of a local conserved spinor current density is given, such that the corresponding symmetry is spontaneously broken and Goldstone states with spin one half occur.     

Covariant inertial forces for spinors

In this paper we consider the Dirac spinor field in interaction with a background of electrodynamics and torsion-gravity; by performing the polar reduction we acquire the possibility to introduce a new set of objects that have the geometrical status of non-vanishing tensors but which seem to contain the same information of the connection: thus they appear to be describing something that seems like an inertial force but which is also essentially covariant. After a general introduction, we exemplify these tensors in the very well known instance of the orbital of minimal energy for an electron in the case of the Hydrogen atom: we will see that the invariants built with these tensors remain different from zero even for free field configurations. An outlook regarding possible interpretations of such a set of tensors will be sketched. A few final comments will eventually be given.     

Killing spinors on Lorentzian manifolds

The aim of this paper is to describe some results concerning the geometry of Lorentzian manifolds admitting Killing spinors. We prove that there are imaginary Killing spinors on simply connected Lorentzian Einstein–Sasaki manifolds. In the Riemannian case, an odd-dimensional complete simply connected manifold (of dimension n≠7) is Einstein–Sasaki if and only if it admits a non-trivial Killing spinor to . The analogous result does not hold in the Lorentzian case. We give an example of a non-Einstein Lorentzian manifold admitting an imaginary Killing spinor. A Lorentzian manifold admitting a real Killing spinor is at least locally a codimension one warped product with a special warping function. The fiber of the warped product is either a Riemannian manifold with a real or imaginary Killing spinor or with a parallel spinor, or it again is a Lorentzian manifold with a real Killing spinor. Conversely, all warped products of that form admit real Killing spinors.     

Twisted spinors on black holes

It is noted that the standard black hole topology admits twisted configurations of the spinor field owing to the existence of twisted spinor bundles, and they are analyzed using the Schwarzschild black hole as an example. This is physically linked with the natural presence of Dirac monopoles on black holes and entails marked modification of the Hawking radiation for spinor particles. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 69, No. 9, 619–625 (10 May 1999) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Dirac spinors and flavor oscillations

In the standard treatment of particle oscillations the mass eigenstates are implicitly assumed to be scalars and, consequently, the spinorial form of the neutrino wave functions is not included in the calculations. To analyze this additional effect, we discuss the oscillation probability formula obtained by using the Dirac equation as evolution equation for the neutrino mass eigenstates. The initial localization of the spinor state also implies an interference between positive and negative energy components of mass eigenstate wave packets which modifies the standard oscillation probability.Received: 8 April 2004, Revised: 12 July 2004, Published online: 20 October 2004     

Pure spinors and quadric Grassmanians

If, following E. Cartan, the simplest spinors (pure) are conceived as equivalent to isotropic (or null or optical) polarized planes in complex spaces, then the most natural tensors generated (bilinearly) by the simplest spinors are isotropic vectors rather than ordinary linear ones. The conjecture that spinors are fundamental would then imply that non-linear geometry of isotropic elements should be more elementary in general than the linear one; and the relevance of optical geometry (optical flags, optical groups) on space-time manifolds for the explanation of optical phenomenology in the frame of general relativity [5] could already constitute a first confirmation of this conjecture.Only 2- and 4-component spinors build up linear spinor spaces while 8, 16, 32,...component pure spinors, instead, are subject to covariant (quadratic) constraint equations and build up non-linear sets isomorphic, up to a sign, to quadric Grassmanians and, for neutral and conformal spaces, to Lie groups.The possible relevance of such pure spinor properties for physics is conjectured and exemplified.