F. T. O. Cabral, F. S. N. Lobo, D. Rubiera-Garcia
Abstract
In this work, we investigate the effects of the torsion-fermionic interaction on the energy levels of fermions within a Riemann-Cartan geometry using a model-independent approach. We consider the case of fermions minimally coupled to the background torsion as well as non-minimal extensions via additional couplings with the vector and axial fermionic currents which include parity-breaking interactions. In the limit of zero-curvature, and for the cases of constant and spherically symmetric torsion, we find a Zeeman-like effect on the energy levels of fermions and anti-fermions depending on whether they are aligned/anti-aligned with respect to the axial vector part of the torsion (or to specific combination of torsion quantities), and determine the corresponding fine-structure energy transitions. We also discuss non-minimal couplings between fermionic fields and torsion within the Einstein-Cartan theory and its extension to include the (parity-breaking) Holst term. Finally we elaborate on the detection of torsion effects related to the splitting of energy levels in astrophysics, cosmology and solid state physics using current capabilities.
Keywords
torsion; Einstein-Cartan; fermions; Dirac energy levels; General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology; Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena; High Energy Physics - Theory
Classical and Quantum Gravity
Volume 38, Number 19, Page 20
2021 August
