Date of Award

1991

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.Sc.

Department

Physics

Keywords

Physics, General.

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

A formal analysis of the Clifford algebras of Euclidean three-space and Minkowski spacetime, more commonly referred to as the Pauli and Dirac algebras, is presented. The relationship between these two algebras is explored in detail, culminating in the construction of a rigorous and completely general mechanism by which physical models based on irreducible spinor representations of the Dirac algebra are equivalently realized within the strict algebraic framework of the Pauli algebra. In addition, the Lorentz group and more specifically its connected subgroup are realized within the framework of the Dirac and Pauli algebras through their corresponding universal covering groups via the Clifford group and its subgroups. The salient features of first-quantized Dirac theory are redefined in terms of the more abstract Clifford algebraic structure of the Dirac algebra. The resulting model is then re-expressed within the infrastructure of the Pauli algebra.Dept. of Physics. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1992 .K686. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 31-03, page: 1251. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1991.

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