A representation of twistors within geometric (Clifford) algebra

Abstract

In previous work by two of the present authors, twistors were re-interpreted as 4-d spinors with a position dependence within the formalism of geometric (Clifford) algebra. Here we extend that approach and justify the nature of the position dependence. We deduce the spinor representation of the restricted conformal group in geometric algebra, and use it to show that the position dependence is the result of the action of the translation operator in the conformal space on the 4-d spinor. We obtain the geometrical description of twistors through the conformal geometric algebra, and derive the Robinson congruence. This verifies our formalism. Furthermore, we show that this novel approach brings considerable simplifications to the twistor formalism, and new advantages. We map the twistor to the 6-d conformal space, and derive the simplest geometrical description of the twistor as an observable of a relativistic quantum system. The new 6-d twistor takes the rôle of the state for that system. In our new interpretation of twistors as 4-d spinors, we therefore only need to apply the machinery already known from quantum mechanics in the geometric algebra formalism, in order to recover the physical and geometrical properties of 1-valence twistors.