Chirality and charge - Could someone please check this

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SUMMARY

Electrons possess left-handed chirality, while helicity is observer-dependent, influenced by the direction of the particle's movement. The relationship between chirality and the wavefunction is crucial; inverting the phase of the wavefunction acts as a parity transformation, effectively changing the electron's charge from negative to positive. This phenomenon illustrates CP-symmetry, where the wavefunction transformation and charge inversion occur simultaneously. The discussion clarifies common misconceptions regarding the eigenfunctions of chirality in electrons and massive particles.

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HowardTheDuck
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Hi, I was wondering if someone could please check this, my current understanding of electron chirality and charge, just to see if I'm wrong at all. Thanks a lot.

All electrons have left-handed chirality. Helicity, in the other hand, is observer-dependent, the way you look at the chirality depending on whether the particle is coming toward you or going away from you. So you might see the spin as either "spin up" or "spin down", the two options for helicity.

Chirality depends on the particle wavefunction. If you invert the sign of the phase of the wavefunction, this is like reflecting the particle a mirror. This is a parity transformation.
If I change the sign of the phase of the wavefunction in this way, I am effectively inverting the electric charge of the electron (negative charge to positive charge). So there is a symmetry if I change the wavefunction by a parity transformation, and at the same time invert the charge of the particle (this is CP-symmetry).

Thanks a lot.
 
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HowardTheDuck said:
H
All electrons have left-handed chirality.
No, electrons (and massive particles in general) aren't eigenfunctions of chirality.
 

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