Quaternion Spin

Abstract

We present an analysis of the Dirac equation when the spin symmetry is changed from SU(2) to the quaternion group, Q8, achieved by multiplying one of the gamma matrices by the imaginary number, i. The reason for doing this is to introduce a bivector into the spin algebra, which complexifies the Dirac field. It then separates into two distinct and complementary spaces: one describing polarization and the other coherence. The former describes a 2D structured spin, and the latter its helicity, generated by a unit quaternion.

Keywords

• dirac field
• dirac equation
• theoretical physicists
• quantum field theory
• quaternionic model
• quantum theory