On a class of relativistic equations for fields with arbitrary spin (Q1079675)

The author gives a method of constructing self-consistent relativistic wave equations for fields with arbitrary spin. This is based on the following assumptions: (i) There exists a local relativistic invariant action from which equations can be derived, (ii) in the limiting case of zero mass and dimensionless coupling constants, this action must be conformally invariant, (iii) the coefficients of the highest-order time derivatives must be invertible matrices, (iv) the masses in the free case are physically admissible. The equations constructed by this method are of order \(2s_{\max}+2\), where \(s_{\max}\) is the maximal spin contained in a representation of SL(2,\({\mathbb{C}})\). As a consequence of sufficiently high-order of these equations the theory is ultravioletly renormalizable. As an example the author considers the equations for fields with spin \(s=0\), 1/2, 1, 3/2 and 2. Finally he gives the propagator for the fields with arbitrary spin in terms of spin projection operators.