The CPT Group of the Dirac Field

Using the standard representation of the Dirac equation, we show that, up to signs, there exist only two sets of consistent solutions for the matrices of charge conjugation (C), parity (P), and time reversal (T), which give the transformation of fields , and , where and . These sets are given by , , and , , . Then , and two successive applications of the parity transformation to fermion fields necessarily amount to a 2 rotation. Each of these sets generates a non abelian group of 16 elements, respectively, and , which are non isomorphic subgroups of the Dirac algebra, which, being a Clifford algebra, gives a geometric nature to the generators, in particular to charge conjugation. It turns out that and , where is the dihedral group of eight elements, the group of symmetries of the square, and 16E is a non trivial extension of by , isomorphic to a semidirect product of these groups; S₆ and S₈ are the symmetric groups of six and eight elements. The matrices are also given in the Weyl representation, suitable for taking the massless limit, and in the Majorana representation, describing self-conjugate fields. Instead, the quantum operators C, P and T, acting on the Hilbert space, generate a unique group , which we call the CPT group of the Dirac field. This group, however, is compatible only with the second of the above two matrix solutions, namely with , which is then called the matrix CPT group. It turns out that , where is the dicyclic group of 8 elements and S₁₀ is the symmetric group of 10 elements. Since , the quaternion group, and , the 0-sphere, then .