RELATIVISTIC TOP - AN APPLICATION OF THE BFV QUANTIZATION PROCEDURE FOR SYSTEMS WITH DEGENERATE CONSTRAINTS

The physical phase space of the relativistic top, as defined by Hansso n and Regge, is expressed in terms of canonical coordinates of the Poi ncare group manifold. The system is described in the Hamiltonian forma lism by the mass-shell condition and constraints that reduce the numbe r of spin degrees of freedom. The constraints are second class and are modified into a set of first class constraints by adding combinations of gauge-fixing functions. The Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky method is t hen applied to quantize the system in the path integral formalism in H amiltonian form. It is finally shown that different gauge choices prod uce different equivalent forms of the constraints.