Eight-dimensional spinor representation of the Poincaré group (Q794788)

A very detailed analysis is given of certain finite dimensional representations of the Poincaré group. The emphasis is placed on the eight-dimensional irreducible representation, \(D^ 8\), corresponding to embedding the orthochronous proper Poincaré group, \(P_+^{\uparrow}\), first in SO(2,6) and then in SU(4,4). In this way charge conjugation, space inversion and time reversal operators may all be defined. This is done explicitly in terms of a realization of the Clifford algebra by means of Kronecker products of Pauli matrices. A comparison is made with the four dimensional twistor representation \(D^ 4\) which appears on restriction from P to \(P_+^{\uparrow}\) via the branching \(D^ 8\to D^ 4\oplus D^{4*}\). The reduction of bilinear forms is also carried out in great detail and real bilinear forms q, \(m^{ab}\) and \(m^{abcd}\) are finally used to model Minkowski space in a rather speculative manner, leading to equations of motion of a particle of non-zero rest mass.