Clifford module bundle

In differential geometry, a Clifford module bundle, a bundle of Clifford modules or just Clifford module is a vector bundle whose fibers are Clifford modules, the representations of Clifford algebras. The canonical example is a spinor bundle.^[1][2] In fact, on a Spin manifold, every Clifford module is obtained by twisting the spinor bundle.^[3]

The notion "Clifford module bundle" should not be confused with a Clifford bundle, which is a bundle of Clifford algebras.

Spinor bundles

Main article: Spinor bundle

Given an oriented Riemannian manifold M one can ask whether it is possible to construct a bundle of irreducible Clifford modules over Cℓ(T*M). In fact, such a bundle can be constructed if and only if M is a spin manifold.

Let M be an n-dimensional spin manifold with spin structure F_Spin(M) → F_SO(M) on M. Given any Cℓ_nR-module V one can construct the associated spinor bundle

${\displaystyle S(M)=F_{\mathrm {Spin} }(M)\times _{\sigma }V\,}$

where σ : Spin(n) → GL(V) is the representation of Spin(n) given by left multiplication on S. Such a spinor bundle is said to be real, complex, graded or ungraded according to whether on not V has the corresponding property. Sections of S(M) are called spinors on M.

Given a spinor bundle S(M) there is a natural bundle map

${\displaystyle C\ell (T^{*}M)\otimes S(M)\to S(M)}$

which is given by left multiplication on each fiber. The spinor bundle S(M) is therefore a bundle of Clifford modules over Cℓ(T*M).

See also

• Orthonormal frame bundle
• Spin representation
• Spin geometry