The Riemann-Silberstein vector in the Dirac algebra

Abstract

It is shown that the Riemann-Silberstein vector, defined as ${\bf E} + i{\bf B}$, appears naturally in the $SL(2,C)$ algebraic representation of the electromagnetic field. Accordingly, a compact form of the Maxwell equations is obtained in terms of Dirac matrices, in combination with the null-tetrad formulation of general relativity. The formalism is fully covariant; an explicit form of the covariant derivatives is presented in terms of the Fock coefficients.