A possible correspondence between Ricci identities and Dirac equations in the Newman-Penrose formalism

DOI10.1007/S10714-014-1821-0zbMATH Open1308.83113arXiv1403.2231OpenAlexW4297422918MaRDI QIDQ2263757FDOQ2263757

Authors: Anushrut Sharma, Tejinder P. Singh 

Publication date: 19 March 2015

Published in: General Relativity and Gravitation (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: It is well-known that in the Newman-Penrose formalism the Riemann tensor can be expressed as a set of eighteen complex first-order equations, in terms of the twelve spin coefficients, known as Ricci identities. The Ricci tensor herein is determined via the Einstein equations. It is also known that the Dirac equation in a curved spacetime can be written in the Newman-Penrose formalism as a set of four first-order coupled equations for the spinor components of the wave-function. In the present article we suggest that it might be possible to think of the Dirac equations in the N-P formalism as a special case of the Ricci identities, after an appropriate identification of the four Dirac spinor components with four of the spin coefficients, provided torsion is included in the connection, and after a suitable generalization of the energy-momentum tensor. We briefly comment on similarities with the Einstein-Cartan-Sciama-Kibble theory. The motivation for this study is to take some very preliminary steps towards developing a rigorous description of the hypothesis that dynamical collapse of the wave-function during a quantum measurement is caused by gravity.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1403.2231

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zbMATH Keywords

torsionDirac equationquantum measurementdynamical collapseNewman-Penrose formalismRicci identitieswave-function

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of differential geometry to physics (53Z05) Quantum measurement theory, state operations, state preparations (81P15) Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds (81T20) Einstein's equations (general structure, canonical formalism, Cauchy problems) (83C05) Gravitational energy and conservation laws; groups of motions (83C40) Quantization of the gravitational field (83C45) Space-time singularities, cosmic censorship, etc. (83C75) Relativistic gravitational theories other than Einstein's, including asymmetric field theories (83D05) Spinor and twistor methods in general relativity and gravitational theory; Newman-Penrose formalism (83C60)

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Cited In (1)

• Symmetry and equivalence in teleparallel gravity

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