"Square Root" of the Proca Equation: Spin-3/2 Field Equation

Abstract

New equations describing particles with spin 3/2 are derived. The non-local equation with the unique mass can be considered as "square root" of the Proca equation in the same sense as the Dirac equation is related to the Klein-Gordon-Fock equation. The local equation describes spin 3/2 particles with three mass states. The equations considered involve fields with spin-3/2 and spin-1/2, i.e. multi-spin 1/2, 3/2. The projection operators extracting states with definite energy, spin, and spin projections are obtained. All independent solutions of the local equation are expressed through projection matrices. The first order relativistic wave equation in the 20-dimensional matrix form, the relativistically invariant bilinear form and the corresponding Lagrangian are given. Two parameters characterizing non-minimal electromagnetic interactions of fermions are introduced, and the quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian is found. It is proved that there is only causal propagation of waves in the approach considered.