We study four dimensional gravity with a negative cosmological constant deformed by the Nieh-Yan torsional topological invariant with a spacetime-dependent coefficient. We find an exact solution of the Euclidean system, which we call the torsion vortex, having two asymptotic AdS4 regimes supported by a pseudoscalar with a kink profile. We propose that the torsion vortex is the holographic dual of a three dimensional system that exhibits distinct parity breaking vacua. The torsion vortex represents a (holographic) transition between these distinct vacua. We expect that from the boundary point of view, the torsion vortex represents a `domain wall' between the two distinct vacua.
From a bulk point of view, we point out an intriguing identification of the parameters of the torsion vortex with those of an Abrikosov vortex in a Type I superconductor. Following the analogy, we find that external Kalb-Ramond flux then appears to support bubbles of flat spacetime within an asymptotically AdS geometry.
We investigate the gauge/gravity duality between the ${\cal N} = 6$ mass-deformed ABJ theory with U$_k(N+l)\times$U$_{-k}(N)$ gauge symmetry and the 11-dimensional supergravity on LLM geometries with SO(2,1)$\times$SO(4)/${\mathbb Z}_k\times$SO(4)/${\mathbb Z}_k$ isometry and the discrete torsion $l$. For chiral primary operators with conformal dimensions $Δ=1,2$, we obtain the exact vacuum expectation values using the holographic method in 11-dimensional supergravity and show that the results depend on the shapes of droplet pictures in LLM geometries. The $\frac{l}{\sqrt{N}}$ contributions fr…
Basic aspects of the AdS/CFT correspondence are studied in the framework of 3-dimensional gravity with torsion. After choosing a consistent holographic ansatz, we formulate an improved approach to the Noether--Ward identities for the boundary theory. The method is applied first to the topological Mielke--Baekler model, and then to the more interesting (parity-preserving) 3-dimensional gravity with propagating torsion. In both cases, we find the finite holographic energy-momentum and spin currents and obtain the associated (anomalous) Noether--Ward identities.
We construct a 3+1 dimensional holographic model dual to a parity violating hydrodynamic system in 2+1 dimensions. Our model contains gravitational and electrodynamic Chern-Simons terms coupled to a neutral pseudo scalar $θ$, and a potential composed of quadratic and quartic terms in $θ$. The background is a charged black brane. We study the hydrodynamics to first order in spacetime derivatives near the probe limit of the pseudo scalar, by extracting the transport coefficients from the scalar, vector, and tensor modes of bulk perturbations. We study two mechanisms for breaking the parity of th…
The possibility of parity violation in a gravitational theory with torsion is extensively explored in four and higher dimensions. In the former case,we have listed our conclusions on when and whether parity ceases to be conserved, with both two-and three-index antisymmetry of the torsion field. In the latter, the bulk spacetime is assumed to have torsion, and the survival of parity-violating terms in the four dimensional effective action is studied, using the compactification schemes proposed by Arkani-Hamed-Dimopoulos-Dvali and Randall-Sundrum. An interesting conclusion is that the torsion-ax…
We present a minimal bottom-up extension of the Chern-Simons bulk action for holographic translational symmetry breaking that naturally gives rise to pair density waves. We construct stationary inhomogeneous black hole solutions in which both the U(1) symmetry and spatially translational symmetry are spontaneously broken at finite temperature and charge density. This novel solution provides a dual description of a superconducting phase intertwined with charge, current and parity orders.
We construct Schroedinger-like solutions of the Vasiliev higher spin theory in D>3 dimension. Symmetries of such solutions and the linearised equation of motion for the scalar on such backgrounds are analysed. We further propose Galilean invariant bosonic and fermionic field theories that could be dual to the two parity invariant higher spin theories on the Schroedinger-like background respectively. The discussion is phrased mainly in D=4 dimension, while similar constructions follow straightforwardly in higher dimensions.
The possibility of parity violation through spacetime torsion has been explored in a scenario containing fields with different spins. Taking the Kalb-Ramond field as the source of torsion, an explicitly parity violating $U(1)_{EM}$ gauge invariant theory has been constructed by extending the KR field with a Chern-Simons term.
We find and study the gravity duals of the supersymmetric vacua of N=6 mass-deformed Chern-Simons-matter theory for M2-branes. The classical solution extends that of Lin, Lunin and Maldacena by introducing a Z_k quotient and discrete torsions. The gravity vacua perfectly map to the recently identified supersymmetric field theory vacua. We calculate the masses of BPS charged particles in the weakly coupled field theory, which agree with the classical open membrane analysis when both calculations are reliable. We also comment on how non-relativistic conformal symmetry is realized in our gravity …
We take a Dirac field non-minimally coupled to the gravitational field within the framework of the Poincaré gauge theory of gravity with torsion and curvature. We study the subcase of "weak" gravity, that is, the gravitational Lagrangian depends only linearly on the curvature and quadratically on the torsion. We include all pieces in curvature and torsion that are of odd parity. The second field equation of gravity is derived by varying the Lorentz connection. We solve it with respect to the torsion and decompose the first field equation of gravity and the Dirac equation into Einsteinian piece…
In a space-time with torsion, the action for the gravitational field can be extended with a parity-violating piece. We show how to obtain such a piece from geometry itself, by suitably modifying the affine connection so as to include a pseudo-tensorial part. A consistent method is thus suggested for incorporating parity-violation in the Lagrangians of all matter fields with spin in a space-time background with torsion.
The helicity flip of a spin-1/2 Dirac fermion interacting with a torsion- field endowed with a pseudo-tensorial extension is analysed. Taking the torsion to be represented by a Kalb-Ramond field, we show that there is a finite amplitude for helicity flip for massive fermions. The lowest order contribution is proportional to the pseudo-tensor term.
We argue that the N=1 higher-spin theory on AdS4 is holographically dual to the N=1 supersymmetric critical O(N) vector model in three dimensions. This appears to be a special form of the AdS/CFT correspondence in which both regular and irregular bulk modes have similar roles and their interplay leads simultaneously to both the free and the interacting phases of the boundary theory. We study various boundary conditions that correspond to boundary deformations connecting, for large-N, the free and interacting boundary theories. We point out the importance of parity in this holography and elucid…
We study the response of a class of topological systems to electromagnetic and gravitational sources, including torsion and curvature. By using the technology of anomaly polynomials, we derive the parity-odd response of a massive Dirac fermion in $d=2+1$ and $d=4+1$, which provides a simple model for a topological insulator. We discuss the covariant anomalies of the corresponding edge states, from a Callan-Harvey anomaly-inflow, as well as a Hamiltonian spectral flow point of view. We also discuss the applicability of our results to other systems such as Weyl semi-metals. Finally, using dimens…
We consider a holographic model of strongly interacting plasma with a gravitational anomaly. In this model, we compute parity-odd responses of the system at finite temperature and chemical potential to external electromagnetic and gravitational fields. Working within the linearized fluid/gravity duality, we performed the calculation up to the third order in gradient expansion. Besides reproducing the chiral magnetic(CME) and vortical (CVE) effects we also obtain gradient corrections to the CME and CVE due to the gravitational anomaly. Additionally, we find energy-momentum and current responses…
We discuss the issue of parity violation in quantum gravity. In particular, we study the coupling of fermionic degrees of freedom in the presence of torsion and the physical meaning of the Immirzi parameter from the viewpoint of effective field theory. We derive the low-energy effective lagrangian which turns out to involve two parameters, one measuring the non-minimal coupling of fermions in the presence of torsion, the other being the Immirzi parameter. In the case of non-minimal coupling the effective lagrangian contains an axial-vector interaction leading to parity violation. Alternatively…
Recently, gravitational gauge theories with torsion have been discussed by an increasing number of authors from a classical as well as from a quantum field theoretical point of view. The Einstein-Cartan(-Sciama-Kibble) Lagrangian has been enriched by the parity odd pseudoscalar curvature (Hojman, Mukku, and Sayed) and by torsion square and curvature square pieces, likewise of even and odd parity. (i) We show that the inverse of the so-called Barbero-Immirzi parameter multiplying the pseudoscalar curvature, because of the topological Nieh-Yan form, can only be appropriately discussed if torsion…
We show that asymptotically locally Lifshitz space-times are holographically dual to field theories that exhibit Schroedinger invariance. This involves a complete identification of the sources, which describe torsional Newton-Cartan geometry on the boundary and transform under the Schroedinger algebra. We furthermore identify the dual vevs from which we define and construct the boundary energy-momentum tensor and mass current and show that these obey Ward identities that are organized by the Schroedinger algebra. We also point out that even though the energy flux has scaling dimension larger t…
Majorana fermions are a fascinating medium for discovering new phases of matter. However, the standard analytical tools are very limited in probing the non-perturbative aspects of interacting Majoranas in more than one dimensions. Here, we employ the holographic correspondence to determine the specific heat of a two-dimensional interacting gapless Majorana system. To perform our analysis we first describe the interactions in terms of a pseudo-scalar torsion field. We then allow fluctuations in the background curvature thus identifying our model with a $(2+1)$-dimensional Anti-de Sitter (AdS) g…
We discuss the holographic implications of torsional degrees of freedom in the context of AdS4/CFT3, emphasizing in particular their physical interpretation as carriers of the non-trivial gravitational magnetic field, i.e. the part of the gravitational magnetic field not determined by the frame field. As a concrete example we present a new exact 4d gravitational background with torsion and argue that it corresponds to the holographic dual of a 3d system undergoing parity symmetry breaking. Finally, we compare our new gravitational background with known wormhole solutions - with and without cos…
We investigate the effects of (Curvature)$^{2}$- and (Torsion)$^{2}$- terms in the Einstein-Hilbert-Chern-Simons Lagrangian. The purposes are two-fold: (i) to show the efficacy of an orthogonal basis of degree-of-freedom projection operators recently proposed and to ascertain its adequacy for obtaining propagators of general parity-breaking gravity models in three dimensions; (ii) to analyze the role of the topological Chern-Simons term for the unitarity and the particle spectrum of the model squared-curvature terms in connection with dynamical torsion. Our conclusion is that the Chern-Simons …
We report the first experimental upper bound to our knowledge on possible in-matter torsion interactions of the neutron from a recent search for parity violation in neutron spin rotation in liquid He-4. Our experiment constrains a coefficient $ζ$ consisting of a linear combination of parameters involving the time components of the torsion fields $T^μ$ and $A^μ$ from the nucleons and electrons in helium which violates parity. We report an upper bound of $|ζ|<9.1x10^{-23}$ GeV at 68% confidence level and indicate other physical processes that could be analyzed to constrain in-matter torsion.
We write the most general parity-even re-normalizable Chern-Simons term for massive axial-vector propagating torsion fields. After obtaining the most comprehensive action, we perform the causal structure analysis to see what self-interaction term must be suppressed. In view of such a restriction for the Lagrangian, we will obtain the field equations, investigating some of their properties.
We study the general parity-preserving model of three-dimensional gravity with propagating torsion, with a focus on its nonlinear dynamics in the AdS sector. The model is shown to posses the black hole with torsion as a vacuum solution, provided we adopt certain restrictions on its coupling constants. The canonical analysis in the AdS asymptotic region yields the conserved charges of the black hole and the central charges of the asymptotic conformal symmetry.
Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción（天主教圣婴大学）；Universidad Arturo Prat（阿图罗·普拉特大学）；Politecnico di Torino（都灵理工大学）；Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)（意大利国家核物理研究所）
We propose a cosmological model in the framework of the Poincaré gauge theory of gravity (PG). The gravitational Lagrangian is quadratic in curvature and torsion. In our specific model, the Lagrangian contains (i) the curvature scalar $R$ and the curvature pseudo-scalar $X$ linearly and quadratically (including an $RX$ term) and (ii) pieces quadratic in the torsion {\it vector} $\cal V$ and the torsion {\it axial} vector $\cal A$ (including a ${\cal V}{\cal A}$ term). We show generally that in quadratic PG models we have nearly the same number of parity conserving terms (`world') and of parity…
In the framework of the gauge theory based on the Poincaré symmetry group, the gravitational field is described in terms of the coframe and the local Lorentz connection. Considered as gauge field potentials, they give rise to the corresponding field strength which are naturally identified with the torsion and the curvature on the Riemann--Cartan spacetime. We study the class of quadratic Poincaré gauge gravity models with the most general Yang--Mills type Lagrangian which contains all possible parity-even and parity-odd invariants built from the torsion and the curvature. Exact vacuum solution…
We study the cosmology of a quadratic metric-compatible torsionful gravity theory in the presence of a perfect hyperfluid. The gravitational action is an extension of the Einstein-Cartan theory given by the usual Einstein-Hilbert contribution plus all the admitted quadratic parity even torsion scalars and the matter action also exhibits a dependence on the connection. The equations of motion are obtained by regarding the metric and the metric-compatible torsionful connection as independent variables. We then consider a Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker background, analyze the conservation la…
We study codimension-even conical defects that contain a deficit solid angle around each point along the defect. We show that they lead to a delta function contribution to the Lovelock scalar and we compute the contribution by two methods. We then show that these codimension-even defects appear as Euclidean brane solutions in higher dimensional topological AdS gravity which is Lovelock-Chern-Simons gravity without torsion. The theory possesses a holographic Weyl anomaly that is purely of type-A and proportional to the Lovelock scalar. Using the formula for the defect contribution, we prove a h…
A perturbative regime based on contorsion as a dynamical variable and metric as a (classical) fixed background, is performed in the context of a pure Yang-Mills formulation based on $GL(3,R)$ gauge group. In the massless case we show that the theory propagates three degrees of freedom and only one is a non-unitary mode. Next, we introduce quadratical terms dependent on torsion, which preserve parity and general covariance. The linearized version reproduces an analogue Hilbert-Einstein-Fierz-Pauli unitary massive theory plus three massless modes, two of them non-unitary ones. Finally we confirm…
We study a scenario allowing a solution of the strong charge parity problem via the Peccei-Quinn mechanism, implemented in gravity with torsion. In this framework there appears a torsion-related pseudoscalar field known as Kalb-Ramond axion. We compare it with the so-called Barbero-Immirzi axion recently proposed in the literature also in the context of the gravity with torsion. We show that they are equivalent from the viewpoint of the effective theory. The phenomenology of these torsion-descended axions is completely determined by the Planck scale without any additional model parameters. The…
The most general theory of gravity in d-dimensions which leads to second order field equations for the metric has [(d-1)/2] free parameters. It is shown that requiring the theory to have the maximum possible number of degrees of freedom, fixes these parameters in terms of the gravitational and the cosmological constants. In odd dimensions, the Lagrangian is a Chern-Simons form for the (A)dS or Poincare groups. In even dimensions, the action has a Born-Infeld-like form. Torsion may occur explicitly in the Lagrangian in the parity-odd sector and the torsional pieces respect local (A)dS symmetry …
The idea of gauge theories of gravity predicts that there should exist not only the massless graviton but also massive particles carrying the gravitational force. We study the cosmology in a quadratic gravity with dynamical torsion where gravity may be interpreted as a gauge force associated with the Poincaré group. In addition to the massless spin-2 graviton, the model contains four non-ghost massive particle species: a couple of spin-0, a spin-1 and a spin-2. Supposing the restoration of the local Weyl invariance in the UV limit and the parity invariance, we find the most general minisupersp…
We will consider the torsional completion of gravity for a background filled with Dirac matter fields, studying what happens when fermionic non-minimal coupling is taken into account: we will show that, although non-minimal couplings are usually disregarded because of their ill-defined behaviour in ultraviolet regimes, this is due to the fact that torsion is commonly neglected, whereas when torsion is not left aside, even non-minimal couplings behave properly. In detail, we will see that non-minimal coupling allows to renormalize the Dirac equation even when torsion is taken into consideration…
The shape and dynamics of the nonrelativistic gauge vortex string in the parity-broken media is considered, upon reducing the problem to finding the extremum of the Abelian Higgs model effective action with the fixed B-type helicity of the gauge field. It is shown that in contrast with the case of the fixed A-type helicity, the static solution of the Ginzburg-Landau energy functional in the London limit is the helix with the specific relation between the curvature and torsion of the vortex line depending on the strength of the space parity violating contribution of the Lifshitz invariant. A no…
In this paper we consider the parity violating gravity model within the framework of teleparallel gravity. The parity violations are caused by the couplings of a scalar field to the scalar invariants which are parity-odd and quadratic in the torsion tensor. Totally there are two such type independent invariants, and one of them is the Nieh-Yan density. Through investigations on the cosmological perturbations of this model, we find that in general it suffers from the difficulties of ghost instability in the scalar and vector perturbations. But in the special case only the coupling to the Nieh-Y…
Motivated by the analogy between a weak field expansion of general relativity and Maxwell's laws of electrodynamics, we explore physical consequences of a parity violating $θ$ term in gravitoelectromagnetism. This is distinct from the common gravitational $θ$ term formed as a square of the Riemann tensor. Instead it appears as a product of the gravitoelectric and gravitomagnetic fields in the Lagrangian, similar to the Maxwellian $θ$ term. We show that this sector can arise from a quadratic torsion term in nonlinear gravity. In analogy to the physics of topological insulators, the torsion-indu…
A perturbative regime based on contortion as a dynamical variable and metric as a (classical) fixed background, is performed in the context of a pure Yang-Mills formulation for gravity in a $2+1$ dimensional space-time. In the massless case we show that the theory contains three degrees of freedom and only one is a non-unitary mode. Next, we introduce quadratical terms dependent on torsion, which preserve parity and general covariance. The linearized version reproduces an analogue Hilbert-Einstein-Fierz-Pauli unitary massive theory plus three massless modes, two of them represents non-unitary …
We consider the most general Quadratic Metric-Affine Gravity setup in the presence of generic matter sources with non-vanishing hypermomentum. The gravitational action consists of all $17$ quadratic invariants (both parity even and odd) in torsion and non-metricity as well as their mixings, along with the terms that are linear in the curvature namely the Ricci scalar and the totally antisymmetric Riemann piece. Adding also a matter sector to the latter we first obtain the field equations for the generalized quadratic Theory. Then, using a recent Theorem, we successfully find the exact form of …
We extend the results of antecedent literature on quadratic Metric-Affine Gravity by studying a new quadratic gravity action in vacuum which, besides the usual (non-Riemannian) Einstein-Hilbert contribution, involves all the parity even quadratic terms in torsion and non-metricity plus a Lagrangian that is quadratic in the field-strengths of the torsion and non-metricity vector traces. The theory result to be equivalent, on-shell, to a Vector-Tensor theory. We also discuss the sub-cases in which the contribution to the Lagrangian quadratic in the field-strengths of the torsion and non-metricit…
The analysis of the validity of Birkhoff's theorem about the uniqueness of the spherically symmetric solution of the gravitational field equations is extended to the framework of the Poincaré gauge gravity theory. The class of models with the most general Lagrangians of the Yang-Mills type constructed from all possible quadratic invariants of the curvature and the torsion is considered, including both parity-even and parity-odd sectors. We find the models in which the weak and strong versions of the generalized Birkhoff theorem are valid, by making use of the double duality technique.
We study a parity violating Metric-Affine gravitational theory given by the Einstein-Hilbert action plus the so-called Holst term in vacuum. We find out that for a certain value of the Barbero-Immirzi parameter the total action possesses a remarkable invariance under particular transformations of the affine connection. We prove that in all cases, with appropriate gauge choices, the connection reduces to the Levi-Civita one and that the theory turns out to be equivalent to general relativity in vacuum. Subsequently, we generalize our discussion and analyze the case of Metric-Affine $f(R)$ gravi…
A family of exact vacuum solutions, representing generalized plane waves propagating on the (anti-)de Sitter background, is constructed in the framework of Poincaré gauge theory. The wave dynamics is defined by the general Lagrangian that includes all parity even and parity odd invariants up to the second order in the gauge field strength. The structure of the solution shows that the wave metric significantly depends on the spacetime torsion.
We include a new 7-form ansatz in 11-dimensional supergravity over AdS_4 x S^7/Z_k when the internal space is considered as a U(1) bundle on CP^3. After a general analysis of the ansatz, we take a special form of it and obtain a scalar equation from which we focus on a few massive bulk modes that are SU(4) x U(1) R-singlet and break all supersymmetries. The mass term breaks the scale invariance and so the (perturbative) solutions we obtain are SO(4) invariant in Euclidean AdS_4 (or SO(3,1) in its dS_3 slicing). The corresponding bare operators are irrelevant in probe approximation; and to real…
We present several theories of four-dimensional gravity in the Plebanski formulation, in which the tetrads and the connections are the independent dynamical variables. We consider the relation between different versions of gravitational theories: Einstenian, dual, 'mirror' gravities and gravity with torsion. According to Plebanski's assumption, our world, in which we live, is described by the self-dual left-handed gravity. We propose that if the Mirror World exists in Nature, then the 'mirror gravity' is the right-handed anti-self-dual gravity with broken mirror parity. Considering a special v…
We investigate the cosmological aspects of the most general parity preserving Metric-Affine Gravity theory quadratic in torsion and non-metricity in the presence of a cosmological hyperfluid. The equations of motion are obtained by varying the action with respect to the metric and the independent affine connection. Subsequently, considering a Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker background, we derive the most general form of the modified Friedmann equations for the full quadratic theory. We then focus on a characteristic sub-case involving only two quadratic contributions given in terms of tors…
One of the main features of unified models, based on affine geometries, is that all possible interactions and fields naturally arise under the same standard. Here, we consider, from the effective Lagrangian of the theory, the torsion induced 4-fermion interaction. In particular, how this interaction affects the cosmological term, supposing that a condensation occurs for quark fields during the quark-gluon/hadron phase transition in the early universe. We explicitly show that there is no parity-violating pseudo-scalar density, dual to the curvature tensor (Holst term) and the spinor-bilinear sc…
