Casimir operators for the relativistic quantum phase space symmetry group

Abstract

Recent developments in the unification of quantum mechanics and relativity have emphasized the necessity of generalizing classical phase space into a relativistic quantum phase space which is a framework that inherently incorporates the uncertainty principle and relativistic covariance. In this context, the present work considers the derivation of linear and quadratic Casimir operators corresponding to representations of the Linear Canonical Transformations (LCT) group associated with a five-dimensional spacetime of signature (1,4). This LCT group, which emerges naturally as the symmetry group of the relativistic quantum phase space, is isomorphic to the symplectic group Sp(2,8). The latter notably contains the de Sitter group SO(1,4) as a subgroup. This geometric setting provides a unified framework for extending the Standard Model of particle physics while incorporating cosmological features. Previous studies have shown that the LCT group admits both fermionic-like and bosonic-like representations. Within this framework, a novel classification of quarks and leptons, including sterile neutrinos, has also been proposed. In this work, we present a systematic derivation of the linear and quadratic Casimir operators associated with these representations, motivated by their fundamental role in the characterization of symmetry groups in physics. The construction is based on the relations between the LCT group and the pseudo-unitary group U(1,4). Three linears and three quadratics Casimir operators are identified: two corresponding to the fermionic-like representation, two to the bosonic-like representation, and two hybrid operators linking the two representations. The complete eigenvalue spectra and corresponding eigenstates for each operator are subsequently computed and identified