On the irreducible representations of the lorentz group

Abstract

All continuous irreducible representations of the SL(2, C) group (as given by Naimark) are obtained by means of methods developed by Harish-Chandra and Kihlberg. The analysis is done in the SU(2) basis and a single closed expression for the matrix elements of the noncompact generators for an arbitrary irreducible representation of SL(2, C) is given. For the unitary irreducible representations the scalar product for each irreducible Hilbert space is found explicitly. The connection between the unitary irreducible representations of SL(2, C) and those of ▪ is discussed by means of Inönü and Wigner contraction procedure and the Gell-Mann formula. Finally, due to physical interest, the addition of a four-vector operator to SL(2, C) unitary irreducible representations in a minimal way is considered; and all group extensions of the parity and time reversal operators by SL(2, C) are explicitly obtained and some aspects of their representations are treated.