Geometric significance of the spinor Lie derivative. I

Abstract

In a previous article, the writer explored the geometric foundation of the generally covariant spinor calculus. This geometric reasoning can be extended quite naturally to include the Lie covariant differentiation of spinors. The formulas for the Lie covariant derivatives of spinors, adjoint spinors, and operators in spin space are deduced, and it is observed that the Lie covariant derivative of an operator in spin space must vanish when taken with respect to a Killing vector. The commutator of two Lie covariant derivatives is calculated; it is noted that the result is consistent with the geometric interpretation of the Jacobi identity for vectors. Lie current conservation is seen to spring from the result that the operator of spinor affine covariant differentiation commutes with the operator of spinor Lie covariant differentiation with respect to a Killing vector. It is shown that differentiations of the spinor field defined geometrically are Lorentz-covariant.