On the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian constraint algorithms for the Rarita-Schwinger field coupled to an external electromagnetic field

1989/05/21 by W Cox · 1 citation
Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Electromagnetic Simulation and Numerical Methods #Numerical methods for differential equations #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism

paper · doi:10.1088/0305-4470/22/10/015

openalex publication_date 1989/05/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

The complete constraint analysis for the Rarita-Schwinger 3/2 field coupled to an external electromagnetic field is given, showing the parallel between the Lagrangian and Dirac-Bergman algorithms. The analysis confirms the connection between the Velo-Zwanzinger (1969) and Johnson-Sudarshan (1961) pathologies, and illustrates that these do not, in fact, arise because the constraint analysis leading to them is incomplete. On the contrary, a new tier of constraints occurs for the critical field values, reducing the pathology to a field-induced change in degrees of freedom.

Citations

• Propagation and Quantization of Rarita-Schwinger Waves in an External Electromagnetic Potential

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