Eur. Phys. J. C (2005) 42: 375-389
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s2005-02299-4

Theoretical Physics

Feynman propagator for a particle with arbitrary spin

¹ Department of Physics, Anhui Normal University, 241000, Wuhu, P.R. China
² Department of Modern Physics and National Synchrotron Radiation Laborator, University of Science and Technology of China, 230027, Hefei, P.R. China
³ China Center of Advanced Science and Technology (World Laboratory), 100080, Beijing, P.R. China
⁴ Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, 100039, Beijing, P.R. China

Abstract

Based on the solution to the Rarita-Schwinger equations, a direct derivation of the projection operator and propagator for a particle with arbitrary spin is worked out. The projection operator constructed by Behrends and Fronsdal is re-deduced and confirmed, and simplified in the case of half-integral spin; the general commutation rules and Feynman propagator for a free particle of any spin are derived, and explicit expressions for the propagators for spins 3/2, 2, 5/2, 3, 7/2, 4 are provided.