The Constraint Algebra of Topologically Massive AdS Gravity
S. Carlip
备注：
18 pages; v2: new section on chirality of boundary theory, some minor clarifications and corrected typos, should roughly agree with version to appear in JHEP
Three-dimensional topologically massive AdS gravity has a complicated constraint algebra, making it difficult to count nonperturbative degrees of freedom. I show that a new choice of variables greatly simplifies this algebra, and confirm that the theory contains a single propagating mode for all values of the mass parameter and the cosmological constant. As an added benefit, I rederive the central charges and conformal weights of the boundary conformal field theory from an explicit analysis of the asymptotic algebra of constraints.
We study the conserved charges of supersymmetric solutions in the topologically massive gravity theory for both asymptotically flat and constant curvature geometries.
Making use of Achucarro-Ortiz (AO) type of dimensional reduction, we study the topologically massive gravity with a negative cosmological constant on AdS2 spacetimes. For a constant dilaton, this two-dimensional model also admits three AdS2 vacuum solutions, which are related to two AdS3 and warped AdS3 backgrounds with an identification upon uplifting three dimensions. We carry out the perturbation analysis around these backgrounds to find what is a physically propagating field. However, it turns out that there is no propagating massive mode on AdS2 background, in contrast to the Kaluza-Klein…
We introduce a natural set of asymptotic conditions in the spacelike stretched AdS sector of topologically massive gravity. The Poisson bracket algebra of the canonical generators is shown to have the form of the semi-direct sum of a $u(1)$ Kac-Moody and a Virasoro algebra, with central charges. Using the Sugawara construction, we prove that the asymptotic symmetry coincides with the conformal symmetry, described by two independent Virasoro algebras with central charges. The result is in complete agreement with the hypothesis made in [6].
The AdS/CFT correspondence provides a new perspective on recurrent questions in General Relativity such as the allowed boundary conditions at infinity and the definition of gravitational conserved charges. Here we review the main insights obtained in this direction over the last decade and apply the new techniques to Topologically Massive Gravity. We show that this theory is dual to a non-unitary CFT for any value of its parameter mu and becomes a Logarithmic CFT at mu = 1.
We demonstrate that the warped AdS3 black hole solutions of Topologically Massive Gravity are classically stable against massive scalar field perturbations by analysing the quasinormal and bound state modes of the scalar field. In particular, it is found that although classical superradiance is present it does not give rise to superradiant instabilities. The stability is shown to persist even when the black hole is enclosed by a stationary mirror with Dirichlet boundary conditions. This is a surprising result in view of the similarity between the causal structure of the warped AdS3 black hole …
We propose a set of consistent boundary conditions containing the spacelike warped black holes solutions of Topologically Massive Gravity. We prove that the corresponding asymptotic charges whose algebra consists in a Virasoro algebra and a current algebra are finite, integrable and conserved. A similar analysis is performed for the timelike warped AdS_3 spaces which contain a family of regular solitons. The energy of the boundary Virasoro excitations is positive while the current algebra leads to negative (for the spacelike warped case) and positive (for the timelike warped case) energy bound…
Asymptotically locally AdS black hole geometries of dimension d > 2 are studied for nontrivial topologies of the transverse section. These geometries are static solutions of a set of theories labeled by an integer 0 < k < [(d-1)/2] which possess a unique globally AdS vacuum. The transverse sections of these solutions are d-2 surfaces of constant curvature, allowing for different topological configurations. The thermodynamic analysis of these solutions reveals that the presence of a negative cosmological constant is essential to ensure the existence of stable equilibrium states. In addition, it…
We present an exact solution in 3-dimensional topologically massive gravity with negative cosmological constant which dynamically interpolates between a past horizon and a chiral AdS pp-wave. Similarly, upon time reversal, one obtains an AdS pp-wave with a future event horizon
We compute the topologically twisted index for general $\mathcal{N} = 2$ supersymmetric field theories on $\mathbb{H}_2\times S^1$. We also discuss asymptotically $AdS_4$ magnetically charged black holes with hyperbolic horizon, in four-dimensional $\mathcal{N} = 2$ gauged supergravity. With certain assumptions, put forward by Benini, Hristov and Zaffaroni, we find precise agreement between the black hole entropy and the topologically twisted index, for $ABJM$ theories.
We construct a "Chern-Simons-like" action for N=1 Topologically Massive Supergravity from the Chern-Simons actions of N=1 Supergravity and Conformal Supergravity. We convert this action into Hamiltonian form and use this to demonstrate that the theory propagates a single massive (2, 3/2) supermultiplet.
We define conserved gravitational charges in -cosmologically extended- topologically massive gravity, exhibit them in surface integral form about their de-Sitter or flat vacua and verify their correctness in terms of two basic types of solution.
Using the principles of the modern scattering amplitudes programme, we develop a formalism for constructing the amplitudes of three-dimensional topologically massive gauge theories and gravity. Inspired by recent developments in four dimensions, we construct the three-dimensional equivalent of $x$-variables for conserved matter currents coupled to topologically massive gauge bosons or gravitons. Using these, we bootstrap various matter-coupled gauge-theory and gravitational scattering amplitudes, and conjecture that topologically massive gauge theory and topologically massive gravity are relat…
We study exact solutions of three-dimensional gravity with a cosmological constant and a gravitational Chern-Simons term: the theory known as topologically massive gravity. After reviewing the algebraic classification, we show that if a solution has curvature of algebraic type D, then it is biaxially squashed AdS_3. Applying the classification, we provide a comprehensive review of the literature, showing that most known solutions are locally equivalent to biaxially squashed AdS_3 or to AdS pp-waves.
We discuss locally Weyl (scale) covariant generalisations of gravitational theories using Riemann-Cartan-Weyl space-times in arbitrary dimensions. We demonstrate the procedure of Weyl gauging on two examples in particular: General relativity, and topologically massive gravity in three dimensions.
We obtain new solutions of topologically massive gravity. We find the general Kundt solutions, which in three dimensions are spacetimes admitting an expansion-free null geodesic congruence. The solutions are generically of algebraic type II, but special cases are types III, N or D. Those of type D are the known spacelike-squashed AdS_3 solutions, and of type N are the known AdS pp-waves or new solutions. Those of types II and III are the first known solutions of these algebraic types. We present explicitly the Kundt solutions that are CSI spacetimes, for which all scalar polynomial curvature i…
For cosmological topologically massive gravity at the chiral point we calculate momentum space 2- and 3-point correlators of operators in the postulated dual CFT on the cylinder. These operators are sourced by the bulk and boundary gravitons. Our correlators are fully consistent with the proposal that cosmological topologically massive gravity at the chiral point is dual to a logarithmic CFT. In the process we give a complete classification of normalizable and non-normalizeable left, right and logarithmic solutions to the linearized equations of motion in global AdS_3.
We study van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov discontinuity in the topologically new massive gravity (TNMG). The reduction from 2 degrees of freedom to one is interpreted as van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov discontinuity appeared when going from anti-de Sitter spacetime to Minkowski spacetime in the linearized TNMG.
AdS3 vacua of topologically massive gravity (TMG) have been shown to be perturbatively unstable for all values of the coupling constant except the chiral point μl=1. We study the possibility that the warped vacua of TMG, which exist for all values of μ, are stable under linearized perturbations. In this paper, we show that spacelike warped AdS3 vacua with Compere-Detournay boundary conditions are indeed stable in the range μl > 3. This is precisely the range in which black hole solutions arise as discrete identifications of the warped AdS3 vacuum. The situation somewhat resembles chiral gravit…
The solution of topologically massive gravity with cosmological constant is reduced, for space-times with two commuting Killing vectors, to a special-relativistic dynamical problem. This approach is applied to the construction of a class of exact sourceless, horizonless solutions asymptotic to the BTZ extreme black holes.
We study the topologically massive gravity with a negative cosmological constant on AdS$_2$ spacetimes by making use of dimensional reduction. For a constant dilaton, this two-dimensional model admits three AdS$_2$ vacuum solutions, which are related to AdS$_3$ and warped AdS$_3$ with an identification upon uplifting three dimensions. We carry out the perturbation analysis around these backgrounds to find what is a physically propagating field. It turns out that a mode of $δF = (h-f/e)$ is merely a redundant field of dilaton $φ$ in the absence of Chern-Simons terms, while it becomes a massive …
We construct two classes of exact solutions to the field equations of topologically massive electrodynamics coupled to topologically massive gravity in 2 + 1 dimensions. The self-dual stationary solutions of the first class are horizonless, asymptotic to the extreme BTZ black-hole metric, and regular for a suitable parameter domain. The diagonal solutions of the second class, which exist if the two Chern-Simons coupling constants exactly balance, include anisotropic cosmologies and static solutions with a pointlike horizon.
In this note we review the construction of topologically gauged M2 branes with 6 supersymmetries and discuss some of its properties. This is done using the 3-algebra formulation thereby covering all possible gauge groups. We will elaborate upon 1) the fundamental identity and its solutions noting, provided these gauged theories describe stacks of branes, the case of a single brane, 2) the chiral point solution to the field equations (occuring even for a single brane) that breaks the superconformal symmetries down to those of AdS_3 (TMG) supergravity, 3) physical parameters and how they scale i…
I review how "classical SUGRA" embeddability establishes positive energy E for D=3 topologically massive gravity (TMG), with or without a cosmological term, a procedure familiar from D=4 Einstein gravity (GR). It also provides explicit expressions for E. In contrast to GR, E is not manifestly positive, due to the peculiar two-term nature of TMG.
We construct, and establish the (covariant) conservation of, a 4-index "super-stress tensor" for TMG. Separately, we discuss its invalidity in quadratic curvature models and suggest a generalization.
We construct a Weyl-invariant extension of topologically massive gravity which, remarkably, turns out to include topologically massive electrodynamics, with a Proca mass term, conformally coupled to a scalar field. The action has no dimensionful parameters, therefore, the masses are generated via symmetry breaking either radiatively in flat backgrounds or spontaneously in constant curvature backgrounds. The broken phase of the theory, generically, has a single massive spin-2 and a massive spin-1 excitation. Chiral gravity in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetimes does not arise as a low ener…
We determine the most general form of off-shell N=(1,1) supergravity field configurations in three dimensions by requiring that at least one off-shell Killing spinor exists. We then impose the field equations of the topologically massive off-shell supergravity and find a class of solutions whose properties crucially depend on the norm of the auxiliary vector field. These are spacelike-squashed and timelike-stretched AdS_3 for the spacelike and timelike norms, respectively. At the transition point where the norm vanishes, the solution is null warped AdS_3. This occurs when the coefficient of th…
I present further analytic time symmetric initial data for five dimensions describing ``bubbles of nothing'' which have no Kaluza-Klein circle asymptotically. The new solutions consist of a large family of single bubbles in both asymptotically flat and asymptotically AdS space. I also numerically construct gravitational solitons in AdS where the usual boundary conditions are modified geometrically but not topologically. Furthermore I point out there are both regular AdS bubbles and topologically trivial metrics in asymptotically global AdS dual to matter which violates all the usual energy con…
By applying the Faddeev-Jackiw symplectic approach we systematically show that both the local gauge symmetry and the constraint structure of topologically massive gravity with a cosmological constant $Λ$, elegantly encoded in the zero-modes of the symplectic matrix, can be identified. Thereafter, via an appropriate partial gauge-fixing procedure, the time gauge, we calculate the quantization bracket structure (generalized Faddeev-Jackiw brackets) for the dynamic variables and confirm that the number of physical degrees of freedom is one. This approach provides an alternative to explore the dyn…
Asymptotically warped AdS spacetimes in topologically massive gravity with negative cosmological constant are considered in the case of spacelike stretched warping, where black holes have been shown to exist. We provide a set of asymptotic conditions that accommodate solutions in which the local degree of freedom (the "massive graviton") is switched on. An exact solution with this property is explicitly exhibited and possesses a slower fall-off than the warped AdS black hole. The boundary conditions are invariant under the semidirect product of the Virasoro algebra with a u(1) current algebra.…
We calculate the one loop partition function for topologically massive higher spin gravity (TMHSG) for arbitrary spin by taking the spin-3 TMHSG action constructed in arXiv:1107.0915 and subsequently generalising it for an arbitrary spin. We find that the final result can be put into a product form which cannot be holomorphically factorized giving strong evidence that the topologically massive higher spin gravity is dual to a high spin extension of logarithmic CFT rather than a chiral one.
We calculate the free energy from the on-shell action for topologically massive gravity with negative and vanishing cosmological constant, thereby providing a first principles derivation of the free energy of Banados-Teitelboim-Zanelli (BTZ) black holes and flat space cosmologies. We summarize related recent checks of flat space holography.
Wolfgang Kummer was a pioneer of two-dimensional gravity and a strong advocate of the first order formulation in terms of Cartan variables. In the present work we apply Wolfgang Kummer's philosophy, the `Vienna School approach', to a specific three-dimensional model of gravity, cosmological topologically massive gravity at the chiral point. Exploiting a new Chern-Simons representation we perform a canonical analysis. The dimension of the physical phase space is two per point, and thus the theory exhibits a local physical degree of freedom, the topologically massive graviton.
At a critical ``chiral'' coupling, topologically massive gravity with a negative cosmological constant exhibits several unusual features, including the emergence of a new logarithmic branch of solutions and a linearization instability for certain boundary conditions. I show that at this coupling, the linearized theory may be parametrized by a free scalar field at the Breitenlohner-Freedman bound, and use this description to investigate these features.
We construct background-independent Noether charges in Topologically Massive Gravity with negative cosmological constant using its first-order formulation. The procedure is carried out by keeping track of the surface terms in the variation of the action, regardless the value of the gravitational Chern-Simons coupling $μ$. In particular, this method provides a definition of conserved quantities for solutions at the chiral point $μl = 1$ ($l$ is the AdS radius) that contain logarithmic terms (Log Gravity). It is also shown that the charge formula gives a finite result for warped AdS black holes …
We determine the black hole quasi-normal mode spectrum for tensor perturbations in topologically massive AdS-gravity. In the special case of chiral gravity quasi-normal modes are absent despite of the presence of a horizon. In the process we uncover a simple algebraic structure in the quasi normal modes spectrum: the tower of QNM's consists of descendents of a "chiral highest weight'' QNM which in turn satisfies a first order equation.
We re-derive, compactly, a TMG decoupling theorem: source-free TMG separates into its Einstein and Cotton sectors for spaces with a hypersurface-orthogonal Killing vector, here concretely for circular symmetry. We can then generalize it to include matter, which is necessarily null.
We extend the Abbott-Deser-Tekin approach to the computation of the Killing charge for a solution of topologically massive gravity (TMG) linearized around an arbitrary background. This is then applied to evaluate the mass and angular momentum of black hole solutions of TMG with non-constant curvature asymptotics. The resulting values, together with the appropriate black hole entropy, fit nicely into the first law of black hole thermodynamics.
We give a detailed account of the free field spectrum and the Newtonian limit of the linearized "massive" (Pauli-Fierz), "topologically massive" (Einstein-Hilbert-Chern-Simons) gravity in 2+1 dimensions about a Minkowski spacetime. For a certain ratio of the parameters, the linearized free theory is Jordan-diagonalizable and reduces to a degenerate "Pais-Uhlenbeck" oscillator which, despite being a higher derivative theory, is ghost-free.
We apply the Lee-Wald covariant phase space method to the Weyl-invariant Topologically Massive Gravity and compute the corresponding on-shell conserved charges. By using appropriate decay conditions for the existing propagating modes in the near-horizon of a stationary black hole, we obtain the charges generating the asymptotic symmetries. We show that the charges are integrable and the (modified) algebras among the asymptotic generators are closed for the certain choice of central extensions.
We show that an analytical continuation of the Vuorio solution to three-dimensional topologically massive gravity leads to a two-parameter family of black hole solutions, which are geodesically complete and causally regular within a certain parameter range. No observers can remain static in these spacetimes. We discuss their global structure, and evaluate their mass, angular momentum, and entropy, which satisfy a slightly modified form of the first law of thermodynamics.
We study the topologically twisted index of $\mathcal{N}=6$ supersymmetric Chern-Simons matter theory with $U(N)_k \times U(N)_{-k}$ gauge group in the 't Hooft limit, that is, for $N, k \, \to \infty$ with $λ=N/k$ fixed. In the regime where $λ$ is fixed and large we find an analytical expression for the leading order term of the index. The leading term of the index matches precisely the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the dual asymptotically AdS$_4$ magnetically charged black holes embedded in IIA supergrvity on AdS$_4\times \mathbb{CP}^3$, after a standard Legendre transformation. We numerical…
We extend topologically massive electrodynamics, both by adding a higher derivative action to cast the entire three-term model in Chern-Simons (CS) form, and by embedding it in an AdS background. It can then be written as the sum of two CS terms, one of which vanishes at the "chiral" point, in analogy with its gravitational topologically massive counterpart. Separately we treat pure CS electrodynamics plus Einstein gravity interacting with point sources. The gravity/vector field equations decouple; their solutions are the familiar exterior "conical" metric and vector potentials.
We obtain a lorentzian solution for the topologically massive non-abelian gauge theory on AdS space by means of a SU(1, 1) gauge transformation of the previously found abelian solution. There exists a natural scale of length which is determined by the inverse topological mass. The topological mass is proportional to the square of the gauge coupling constant. In the topologically massive electrodynamics the field strength locally determines the gauge potential up to a closed 1-form via the (anti-)self-duality equation. We introduce a transformation of the gauge potential using the dual field st…
We show that cosmological topologically massive gravity at the chiral point allows not only Brown-Henneaux boundary conditions as consistent boundary conditions, but slightly more general ones which encompass the logarithmic primary found in 0805.2610 as well as all its descendants.
Recently, an extension of the topologically massive gravity (TMG) in $2+1$ dimensions, dubbed as minimal massive gravity (MMG), was found which is free of the bulk-boundary unitarity clash that inflicts the former theory and all the other known three dimensional theories. Field equations of MMG differ from those of TMG at quadratic terms in the curvature that do not come from the variation of an action depending on the metric alone. Here we show that MMG is a unique theory and there does not exist a deformation of TMG or MMG at the cubic and quartic order (and beyond) in the curvature that is …
This paper addresses a long standing problem, the counting of the microstates of supersymmetric asymptotically AdS black holes in terms of a holographically dual field theory. We focus on a class of asymptotically AdS$_4$ static black holes preserving two real supercharges which are dual to a topologically twisted deformation of the ABJM theory. We evaluate in the large $N$ limit the topologically twisted index of the ABJM theory and we show that it correctly reproduces the entropy of the AdS$_4$ black holes. An extremization of the index with respect to a set of chemical potentials is require…
We discuss the formulation of cosmological topologically massive (simple) supergravity theory in three-dimensional Riemann-Cartan space-times. We use the language of exterior differential forms and the properties of Majorana spinors on 3-dimensional space-times to explicitly demonstrate the local supersymmetry of the action density involved. Coupled field equations that are complete in both of their bosonic and fermionic sectors are derived by a first order variational principle subject to a torsion-constraint imposed by the method of Lagrange multipliers. We compare these field equations with…
A Lagrangian formulation describing the electromagnetic interaction - mediated by topologically massive vector bosons - between charged, spin-(1/2) fermions with an abelian magnetic monopole in a curved spacetime with non-minimal coupling and torsion potential is presented. The covariant field equations are obtained. The issue of coexistence of massive photons and magnetic monopoles is addressed in the present framework. It is found that despite the topological nature of photon mass generation in curved spacetime with isotropic dilaton field, the classical field theory describing the nonrelati…
We study topologically massive (2+1)-dimensional gravity with a negative cosmological constant. The masses of the linearized curvature excitations about AdS_3 backgrounds are not only shifted from their flat background values but, more surprisingly, split according to chirality. For all finite values of the topological mass, we find a single bulk degree of freedom with positive energy, and exhibit a complete set of normalizable, finite-energy wave packet solutions. This model can also be written as a sum of two higher-derivative SL(2,R) Chern--Simons theories, weighted by the central charges o…
In this paper, we investigate relativistic quantum dynamics of spin- $0$ massive charged particle subject to a homogeneous magnetic field in the Gödel-type space-time with potentials. We solve the Klein-Gordon equation subject to a homogeneous magnetic field in a topologically trivial flat class of Gödel-type space-time in the presence of a Cornell-type scalar and Coulomb-type vector potentials and analyze the effects on the energy eigenvalues and eigenfunctions.
We solve the equations of topologically massive gravity with potentially non-vanishing cosmological constant for homogeneous metrics without isotropy. We only reproduce known solutions. We also discuss their homogeneous deformations, possibly with isotropy. We show that de Sitter space and hyperbolic space cannot be infinitesimally homogeneously deformed in TMG. We clarify some of their Segre-Petrov types and discuss the warped de Sitter spacetime.
We classify all stationary axi-symmetric solutions of topologically massive gravity into Einstein, Schrödinger, warped and generic solutions. We construct explicitly all local solutions in the first three sectors and present an algorithm for the numerical construction of all local solutions in the generic sector. The only input for this algorithm is the value of one constant of motion if the solution has an analytic centre, and three constants of motion otherwise. We present several examples, including soliton solutions that asymptote to warped AdS.
We study surface charges on a generic null boundary in three dimensional topological massive gravity (TMG). We construct the solution phase space which involves four independent functions over the two dimensional null boundary. One of these functions corresponds to the massive chiral propagating graviton mode of TMG. The other three correspond to three surface charges of the theory, two of which can always be made integrable, while the last one can become integrable only in the absence of the chiral massive graviton flux through the null boundary. As the null boundary symmetry algebra we obtai…
The anomaly cancelation method proposed by Wilczek et al. is applied to the black holes of topologically massive gravity (TMG) and topologically massive gravito-electrodynamics (TMGE). Thus the Hawking temperature and fluxes of the ACL and ACGL black holes are found. The Hawking temperatures obtained agree with the surface gravity formula. Both black holes are rotating and this gives rise to appropriate terms in the effective U(1) gauge field of the reduced (1+1)-dimensional theory. It is found that the terms in this U(1) gauge field correspond exactly to the correct angular velocities on the …
We evaluate the topologically twisted index of a general four-dimensional $\mathcal{N} = 1$ gauge theory in the "high-temperature" limit. The index is the partition function for $\mathcal{N} = 1$ theories on $S^2 \times T^2$, with a partial topological twist along $S^2$, in the presence of background magnetic fluxes and fugacities for the global symmetries. We show that the logarithm of the index is proportional to the conformal anomaly coefficient of the two-dimensional $\mathcal{N} = (0,2)$ SCFTs obtained from the compactification on $S^2$. We also present a universal formula for extracting …
We compute the tree-level scattering amplitude between two covariantly conserved sources in generic Cosmological Topologically Massive Gravity augmented with a Fierz-Pauli term that has three massive degrees of freedom. We consider the Chiral Gravity limit in the anti-de Sitter space as well as the limit of Flat-Space Chiral Gravity. We show that Chiral Gravity cannot be unitarily deformed with a Fierz-Pauli mass. We calculate the non-relativistic potential energy between two point-like spinning sources. In addition to the expected mass-mass and spin-spin interactions, there are mass-spin inte…
An uncomplicated and easily handling prescription that converts the task of checking the unitarity of massive, topologically massive, models into a straightforward algebraic exercise, is developed. The algorithm is used to test the unitarity of both topologically massive higher-derivative electromagnetism and topologically massive higher-derivative gravity. The novel and amazing features of these effective field models are also discussed.
The superfield equations of massive IIA supergravity, in the form of constraints on the superspace geometry, are shown to be implied by $κ$-symmetry of the topologically massive D-2-brane.
We look at the generalisation of topologically massive gravity (TMG) to higher spins, specifically spin-3. We find a special "chiral" point for the spin-three, analogous to the spin-two example, which actually coincides with the usual spin-two chiral point. But in contrast to usual TMG, there is the presence of a non-trivial trace and its logarithmic partner at the chiral point. The trace modes carry energy opposite in sign to the traceless modes. The logarithmic partner of the traceless mode carries negative energy indicating an instability at the chiral point. We make several comments on the…
We consider Topologically Massive Gravity (TMG), which is three dimensional general relativity with a cosmological constant and a gravitational Chern-Simons term. When the cosmological constant is negative the theory has two potential vacuum solutions: Anti-de Sitter space and Warped Anti-de Sitter space. The theory also contains a massive graviton state which renders these solutions unstable for certain values of the parameters and boundary conditions. We study the decay of these solutions due to the condensation of the massive graviton mode using Ricci-Cotton flow, which is the appropriate g…
