Unfavored angular distributions

Abstract

The recent prediction of ${\mathrm{H}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ photodetachment peaking orthogonally to the light polarization, and the underlying considerations of SO(4) symmetry by Herrick are illustrated in terms of vector diagrams. We emphasize the role of the helicity of the SO(4) operators $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{1}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{b}$, a phenomenon that is also apparent in the construction of the fundamental "spinor" representation of the Lorentz group and in the emerging of electron spin from the Dirac theory.