Considerations concerning the generalization of the Dirac equations to unstable fermions

Abstract

We discuss the generalization of the Dirac equations and spinors in momentum space to free unstable spin-$1/2$ fermions taking into account the fundamental requirement of Lorentz covariance. We derive the generalized adjoint Dirac equations and spinors, and explain the very simple relation that exists, in our formulation, between the unstable and stable cases. As an application of the generalized spinors, we evaluate the probability density. We also discuss the behavior of the generalized Dirac equations under time reversal.