World-line quantization of a reciprocally invariant system

We present the world-line quantization of a system invariant under the symmetries of reciprocal relativity (pseudo-unitary transformations on 'phase-space coordinates' (xμ(τ), pμ(τ)) which preserve the Minkowski metric and the symplectic form, and global shifts in these coordinates, together with coordinate-dependent transformations of an additional compact phase coordinate, (τ)). The action is that of free motion over the corresponding Weyl-Heisenberg group. Imposition of the first class constraint, the generator of local time reparametrizations, on physical states enforces identification of the world-line cosmological constant with a fixed value of the quadratic Casimir of the quaplectic symmetry group , the semi-direct product of the pseudo-unitary group with the Weyl-Heisenberg group (the central extension of the global translation group, with central extension associated with the phase variable (τ)). The spacetime spectrum of physical states is identified. Even though for an appropriate range of values the restriction enforced by the cosmological constant projects out negative norm states from the physical gauge invariant spectrum, leaving over spin zero states only, in this purely bosonic setting the mass-squared spectrum is continuous over the entire real line and thus includes a tachyonic branch as well. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.