English

Twistors and the massive spinning particle

High Energy Physics - Theory 2016-01-20 v3 Mathematical Physics math.MP

Abstract

Gauge-invariant twistor variables are found for the massive spinning particle with N-extended local worldline supersymmetry, in spacetime dimensions D=3,4,6. The twistor action is manifestly Lorentz invariant but the anticommuting spin variables appear exactly as in the non-relativistic limit. This allows a simple confirmation that the quantum N=2 spinning particle has either spin one or spin zero, and that N>2 is quantum inconsistent for D=4,6.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1508.05350,
  title  = {Twistors and the massive spinning particle},
  author = {Luca Mezincescu and Alasdair J. Routh and Paul K. Townsend},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1508.05350},
  year   = {2016}
}

Comments

21 pages. Revised to correct minor errors, and to add subsection on massless limit. Equation numbering problem corrected in v.3

R2 v1 2026-06-22T10:39:00.836Z