What Does the Spin-0 State Mean for Photons?

[TrickyDicky]

Sorry if it is a silly question: Photons have spin-1 and therefore they have theoretically three possible spin states (1,0,-1), For the ±1 case I can see the relation to the ±helicity, but what corresponds physically to the 0 state case?

 

[stevendaryl]

Sorry if it is a silly question: Photons have spin-1 and therefore they have theoretically three possible spin states (1,0,-1), For the ±1 case I can see the relation to the ±helicity, but what corresponds physically to the 0 state case?

The spin-0 case can be eliminated through a choice of gauge. So it's not considered physical.

 

[stevendaryl]

This issue is discussed here:
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic473482.files/08-gaugeinvariance.pdf (in Section 3.3)

 

[TrickyDicky]

The spin-0 case can be eliminated through a choice of gauge. So it's not considered physical.

This issue is discussed here:
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic473482.files/08-gaugeinvariance.pdf (in Section 3.3)

Ah, ok, thanks. I was neglecting the difference between massive and massless for spin-1 particles.