J. Leite Lopes

Production and decay properties of possible spin 32 leptons

Abstract A systematic study of production and decay properties of hypothetical charged spin 3 2 leptons is presented. These particles are assumed to occur in each lepton family. The simplest V ± A currents constructed with these particle fields and the corresponding spin 1 2 neutrinos are assumed to be coupled to the familiar V − A lepton charged weak currents. Our results are independent from structure models and indicate ways for an experimental search for these particles.

Spinor gauge invariance and the wave equation of spin-3/2 fields

SummaryA simple proof is given of the unicity of the wave equation for spin-3/2 fields by a method similar to the one used in the theory of spin-1 fields. There exists only one scalar and Hermitian Lagrangian constructed with the available tensor-spinors and their associated dual and pseudo tensor-spinors, which generates a first-order equation in the vector-spinor and which is gauge-invariant in the limit of vanishing mass.

New weak-boson decays and possible spin-3/2 leptons

SummaryIn this note we discuss the possibility that new spin-3/2 leptons can occur in nature as a manifestation of leptonic structure and in multiplets in super-symmetric theories. We postulate a new interaction between spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 particles that maintains the standardSU2,L ⊗U1 local gauge invariance. A comparison with the anomalous Z0 → e+e-Y events is made and new decays for the weak bosons are studied.

Do spin-3/2 leptons exist?

SummaryAn elementary proof of the unicity of the wave equation for free spin-3/2 fields (and the corresponding Feynman integral equation) is given. Covariant forms are exhibited and a heuristic S U2 ⊗ U1 model is adopted for the construction of possible electromagnetic and weak currents involving spin-3/2 particles. The notions of Dirac and Majorana masses for spin-3/2 neutrinos are generalized from the spin-3/2 case.Although spin-3/2 field theories present well-known difficulties, we propose to use currents and amplitudes involving these fields to calculate effects which may be submitted to experimental search.Among the decays of charged massive spin-3/2 particles, the radiative decay into the spin-1/2 lepton of the same family is possible. A systematic experimental search for spin-3/2 leptons (and quarks) is urged.