Newton-Cartan geometry has played a central role in recent discussions of non-relativistic holography and condensed matter systems. Although the conformal transformation in non-relativistic holography can be easily rephrased in Newton-Cartan geometry, we show that it requires a nontrivial procedure to get the consistent form of anisotropic disformal transformation in this geometry. Furthermore, as an application of the newly obtained disformal transformation, we use it to induce a new geometry.
We re-formulate the notion of a Newton-Cartan manifold and clarify the compatibility conditions of a connection with torsion with the Newton-Cartan structure.
We construct a notion of teleparallelization for Newton-Cartan theory, and show that the teleparallel equivalent of this theory is Newtonian gravity; furthermore, we show that this result is consistent with teleparallelization in general relativity, and can be obtained by null-reducing the teleparallel equivalent of a five-dimensional gravitational wave solution. This work thus strengthens substantially the connections between four theories: Newton-Cartan theory, Newtonian gravitation theory, general relativity, and teleparallel gravity.
After a brief summary of the Newton-Cartan theory in a form which emphasizes its close analogy to general relativity, we illustrate the theory with selective applications in cosmology. The geometrical formulation of this nonrelativistic theory of gravity, pioneered by Cartan and further developed by various workers, leads to a conceptually sound basis of Newtonian cosmology. In our discussion of homogeneous models and cosmological perturbation theory, we stress the close relationship with their general relativistic treatments. Spatially compact flat models also fit into this framework.
The theory obtained as a singular limit of General Relativity, if the reciprocal velocity of light is assumed to tend to zero, is known to be not exactly the Newton-Cartan theory, but a slight extension of this theory. It involves not only a Coriolis force field, which is natural in this theory (although not original Newtonian), but also a scalar field which governs the relation between Newtons time and relativistic proper time. Both fields are or can be reduced to harmonic functions, and must therefore be constants, if suitable global conditions are imposed. We assume this reduction of Newton…
We perform a covariant 1+3 split of the Newton-Cartan equations. The resulting 3-dimensional system of equations, called \textit{the 1+3-Newton-Cartan equations}, is structurally equivalent to the 1+3-Einstein equations. In particular it features the momentum constraint, and a choice of adapted coordinates corresponds to a choice of shift vector. We show that these equations reduce to the classical Newton equations without the need for special Galilean coordinates. The solutions to the 1+3-Newton-Cartan equations are equivalent to the solutions of the classical Newton equations if space is ass…
We study the frame dependence/independence of cosmological observables under disformal transformations, extending the previous results regarding conformal transformations, and provide the correspondence between Jordan-frame and Einstein-frame variables. We consider quantities such as the gravitational constant in the Newtonian limit, redshift, luminosity and angular diameter distances, as well as the distance-duality relation. Also, the Boltzmann equation, the observed specific intensity, and the adiabaticity condition are discussed. Since the electromagnetic action changes under disformal tra…
This paper is devoted to the analysis of (m,n)-string in stringy Newton-Cartan background. We start with the Hamiltonian constraint for (m,n)-string in general background and perform limiting procedure on metric and NSNS and Ramond-Ramond two form background that leads to stringy Newton-Cartan gravity. We also analyze conditions that these background fields have to obey in order to define consistent world-sheet (m,n)-theory. We also discuss D1-brane with dynamical electric field in stringy Newton-Cartan gravity.
We study Kaluza-Klein reduction in Newton-Cartan gravity. In particular we show that dimensional reduction and the nonrelativistic limit commute. The resulting theory contains Galilean electromagnetism and a nonrelativistic scalar. It provides the first example of back-reacted couplings of scalar and vector matter to Newton-Cartan gravity. This back-reaction is interesting as it sources the spatial Ricci curvature, providing an example where nonrelativistic gravity is more than just a Newtonian potential.
Newtonian gravity was formulated as a geometrodynamic theory as far back in 1930s by Elie Cartan in what is named aptly as Newton Cartan space time. Though there are several approaches of realizing the algebraic structure of the Newton Cartan geometry from a contraction of the relativistic results, a dynamical (field theoretic) realization of it is lacking. In this paper we present such a realization from the localisation of the Galilean Symmetry of nonrelativistic matter field theories.
We review how the large $c$ expansion of General Relativity leads to an effective theory in the form of Twistless Torsional Newton-Cartan gravity. We show how this is a strong field expansion around the static sector of General Relativity and illustrate this through two examples.
We define a procedure that, starting from a relativistic theory of supergravity, leads to a consistent, non-relativistic version thereof. As a first application we use this limiting procedure to show how the Newton-Cartan formulation of non-relativistic gravity can be obtained from general relativity. Then we apply it in a supersymmetric case and derive a novel, non-relativistic, off-shell formulation of three-dimensional Newton-Cartan supergravity.
We derive a torsionfull version of three-dimensional N=2 Newton-Cartan supergravity using a non-relativistic notion of the superconformal tensor calculus. The "superconformal" theory that we start with is Schrödinger supergravity which we obtain by gauging the Schrödinger superalgebra. We present two non-relativistic N=2 matter multiplets that can be used as compensators in the superconformal calculus. They lead to two different off-shell formulations which, in analogy with the relativistic case, we call "old minimal" and "new minimal" Newton-Cartan supergravity. We find similarities but also …
We revisit the manifestly covariant large $c$ expansion of General Relativity, $c$ being the speed of light. Assuming the relativistic connection has no pole in $c^{-2}$, this expansion is known to reproduce Newton-Cartan gravity and a covariant version of Post-Newtonian corrections to it. We show that relaxing this assumption leads to the inclusion of twistless torsion in the effective non-relativistic theory. We argue that the resulting TTNC theory is an effective description of a non-relativistic regime of General Relativity that extends Newtonian physics by including strong gravitational t…
Nonrelativistic string theory is described by a sigma model with a relativistic worldsheet and a nonrelativistic target spacetime geometry, that is called string Newton-Cartan geometry. In this paper we obtain string Newton-Cartan geometry as a limit of the Riemannian geometry of General Relativity with a fluxless two-form field. We then apply the same limit to relativistic string theory in curved background fields and show that it leads to nonrelativistic string theory in a string Newton-Cartan geometry coupled to a Kalb-Ramond and dilaton field background. Finally, we use our limiting proced…
We derive the trace and diffeomorphism anomalies of the Schrödinger field minimally coupled to the Newton-Cartan background using Fujikawa's path integral approach. This approach in particular enables us to calculate the one-loop contributions due to all the fields of the Newton-Cartan structure. We determine the coefficients and demonstrate that gravitational anomalies for this theory always arise in odd dimensions. Due to the gauge field contribution of the background we find that in $2+1$ dimensions the trace anomaly contains terms which have a form similar to that of the $1+1$ and $3+1$ di…
We construct a supersymmetric extension of three-dimensional Newton-Cartan gravity by gauging a super-Bargmann algebra. In order to obtain a non-trivial supersymmetric extension of the Bargmann algebra one needs at least two supersymmetries leading to a N=2 super-Bargmann algebra. Due to the fact that there is a universal Newtonian time, only one of the two supersymmetries can be gauged. The other supersymmetry is realized as a fermionic Stueckelberg symmetry and only survives as a global supersymmetry. We explicitly show how, in the frame of a Galilean observer, the system reduces to a supers…
Using the recently advanced Galilean gauge theory (GGT) we give a comprehensive construction of torsional Newton Cartan geometry. The coupling of a Galilean symmetric model with background NC geometry following GGT is illustrated by a free nonrelativistic scalar field theory. The issue of spatial diffeomorphisn \cite{SW, BMM3} is focussed from a new angle. The expression of the torsionful connection is worked out which is in complete parallel with the relativistic theory. Also smooth transition of the connection to its well known torsionless expression is demonstrated. A complete (implicit) ex…
We develop a non-relativistic twistor theory, in which Newton--Cartan structures of Newtonian gravity correspond to complex three-manifolds with a four-parameter family of rational curves with normal bundle ${\mathcal O}\oplus{\mathcal O}(2)$. We show that the Newton--Cartan space-times are unstable under the general Kodaira deformation of the twistor complex structure. The Newton--Cartan connections can nevertheless be reconstructed from Merkulov's generalisation of the Kodaira map augmented by a choice of a holomorphic line bundle over the twistor space trivial on twistor lines. The Coriolis…
We use vielbein bundle's horizontal lift path integral formulation and gauge theory's holonomy map to compactly describe parallel transport and geodesic equations on a manifold. This is first applied to the geometry of general relativistic Schwarzschild as a review. The Newton-Cartan take of the Schwarzschild metric derived by previous literature is then adopted, and the analysis is repeated for both non-torsional and torsional geometry. Transport curves considered include a circular timeless loop, circular geodesic loop, radial geodesic loop, and a stationary loop. The findings on the three g…
We construct a "stringy" version of Newton-Cartan gravity in which the concept of a Galilean observer plays a central role. We present both the geodesic equations of motion for a fundamental string and the bulk equations of motion in terms of a gravitational potential which is a symmetric tensor with respect to the longitudinal directions of the string. The extension to include a non-zero cosmological constant is given. We stress the symmetries and (partial) gaugings underlying our construction. Our results provide a convenient starting point to investigate applications of the AdS/CFT correspo…
We present a detailed analysis of the construction of $z=2$ and $z\neq2$ scale invariant Hořava-Lifshitz gravity. The construction procedure is based on the realization of Hořava-Lifshitz gravity as the dynamical Newton-Cartan geometry as well as a non-relativistic tensor calculus in the presence of the scale symmetry. An important consequence of this method is that it provides us the necessary mechanism to distinguish the local scale invariance from the local Schrödinger invariance. Based on this result we discuss the $z=2$ scale invariant Hořava-Lifshitz gravity and the symmetry enhancement …
We provide a formal definition of p-brane Newton--Cartan (pNC) geometry and establish some foundational results. Our approach is the same followed in the literature for foundations of Newton--Cartan Gravity. Our results provide control of aspects of pNC geometry that are otherwise unclear when using the usual gauge language of non-relativistic theories of gravity. In particular, we obtain a set of necessary and sufficient conditions that a pNC structure must satisfy in order to admit torsion-free, compatible affine connections, and determine the space formed by the latter. Since pNC structures…
Recently it has been established that torsional Newton-Cartan (TNC) geometry is the appropriate geometrical framework to which non-relativistic field theories couple. We show that when these geometries are made dynamical they give rise to Horava-Lifshitz (HL) gravity. Projectable HL gravity corresponds to dynamical Newton-Cartan (NC) geometry without torsion and non-projectable HL gravity corresponds to dynamical NC geometry with twistless torsion (hypersurface orthogonal foliation). We build a precise dictionary relating all fields (including the scalar khronon), their transformations and oth…
The non-relativistic covariant framework for fields is extended to investigate fields and fluids on scale covariant curved backgrounds. The scale covariant Newton-Cartan background is constructed using the localization of spacetime symmetries of non-relativistic fields in flat space. Following this, we provide a Weyl covariant formalism which can be used to study scale invariant fluids. By considering ideal fluids as an example, we describe its thermodynamic and hydrodynamic properties and explicitly demonstrate that it satisfies the local second law of thermodynamics. As a further application…
We review the history of Newton-Cartan gravity with an emphasis on recent developments, including the covariant, off-shell large speed of light expansion of general relativity. Depending on the matter content, this expansion either leads to Newton-Cartan geometry with absolute time or to Newton-Cartan geometry with non-relativistic gravitational time dilation effects. The latter shows that non-relativistic gravity includes a strong field regime and goes beyond Newtonian gravity. We start by reviewing early developments in Newton-Cartan geometry, including the covariant description of Newtonian…
We show that by gauging the Schrödinger algebra with critical exponent $z$ and imposing suitable curvature constraints, that make diffeomorphisms equivalent to time and space translations, one obtains a geometric structure known as (twistless) torsional Newton-Cartan geometry (TTNC). This is a version of torsional Newton-Cartan geometry (TNC) in which the timelike vielbein $τ_μ$ must be hypersurface orthogonal. For $z=2$ this version of TTNC geometry is very closely related to the one appearing in holographic duals of $z=2$ Lifshitz space-times based on Einstein gravity coupled to massive vect…
This article provides us with a unifying classification of the conformal infinitesimal symmetries of non-relativistic Newton-Cartan spacetime. The Lie algebras of non-relativistic conformal transformations are introduced via the Galilei structure. They form a family of infinite-dimensional Lie algebras labeled by a rational "dynamical exponent", $z$. The Schrödinger-Virasoro algebra of Henkel et al. corresponds to $z=2$. Viewed as projective Newton-Cartan symmetries, they yield, for timelike geodesics, the usual Schrödinger Lie algebra, for which z=2. For lightlike geodesics, they yield, in tu…
We study properties of Newton-Cartan gravity under transformations into all noninertial, nonrelativistic reference frames. The set of these transformations has the structure of an infinite dimensional Lie group, called the Galilean line group, which contains as a subgroup the Galilei group. We show that the fictitious forces of noninertial reference frames are naturally encoded in the Cartan connection transformed under the Galilean line group. These noninertial forces, which are coordinate effects, do not contribute to the Ricci tensor which describes the curvature of Newtonian spacetime. We …
We derive the Schrödinger-Newton equation as the non-relativistic limit of the Einstein-Dirac equations. Our analysis relaxes the assumption of spherical symmetry, made in earlier work in the literature, while deriving this limit. Since the spin of the Dirac field couples naturally to torsion, we generalize our analysis to the Einstein Cartan-Dirac (ECD) equations, again recovering the Schrödinger-Newton equation.
The "metric" structure of nonrelativistic spacetimes consists of a one-form (the absolute clock) whose kernel is endowed with a positive-definite metric. Contrarily to the relativistic case, the metric structure and the torsion do not determine a unique Galilean (i.e. compatible) connection. This subtlety is intimately related to the fact that the timelike part of the torsion is proportional to the exterior derivative of the absolute clock. When the latter is not closed, torsionfreeness and metric-compatibility are thus mutually exclusive. We will explore generalisations of Galilean connection…
We obtain the complete theory of Newton-Cartan gravity in a curved spacetime by considering the large $c$ limit of the vielbein formulation of General Relativity. Milne boosts originate from local Lorentzian transformations, and the special cases of torsionless and twistless torsional geometries are explained in the context of the larger locally Lorentzian theory. We write the action for Newton-Cartan fields in the first order Palatini formalism, and the large $c$ limit of the Einstein equations. Finally, we obtain the generalised Eisenhart-Duval lift of the metric that plays an important role…
Definitions of non-relativistic conformal transformations are considered both in the Newton-Cartan and in the Kaluza-Klein-type Eisenhart/Bargmann geometrical frameworks. The symmetry groups that come into play are exemplified by the cosmological, and also the Newton-Hooke solutions of Newton's gravitational field equations. It is shown, in particular, that the maximal symmetry group of the standard cosmological model is isomorphic to the 13-dimensional conformal-Newton-Cartan group whose conformal-Bargmann extension is explicitly worked out. Attention is drawn to the appearance of independent…
A disformal Kerr black hole solution is a rotating black hole solution in a modified gravity theory which breaks the circular condition of spacetime differently from the case of the Kerr spacetime. In this paper, assuming that Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) is a disformal Kerr black hole, we examine the potential to test the spacetime geometry with a hypothetical pulsar whose orbital elements are similar to those of the S2/S0-2 star. By numerically solving the equations of motion for the pulsar and photons emitted from it, we calculate the apparent position of the pulsar and the time of arrival (TOA)…
It is well established that linear dispersive modes in a flowing quantum fluid behave as though they are coupled to an Einstein-Hilbert metric and exhibit a host of phenomena coming from quantum field theory in curved space, including Hawking radiation. We extend this analogy to any nonrelativistic Goldstone mode in a flowing spinor Bose-Einstein condensate. In addition to showing the linear dispersive result for all such modes, we show that the quadratically dispersive modes couple to a special nonrelativistic spacetime called a Newton-Cartan geometry. The kind of spacetime (Einstein-Hilbert …
In the framework of Lagrangian perturbation theory in general relativity we discuss the possibility to split the Einstein equations, written in terms of spatial Cartan coframes within a 3+1 foliation of spacetime, into gravitoelectric and gravitomagnetic parts. While the former reproduces the full hierarchy of the Newtonian perturbation solutions, the latter contains non-Newtonian aspects like gravitational waves. This split can be understood and made unique through the Hodge decomposition of Cartan coframe fields.
Non-Riemannian gravitational theories suggest alternative avenues to understand properties of quantum gravity and provide a concrete setting to study condensed matter systems with non-relativistic symmetry. Derivation of an action principle for these theories generally proved challenging for various reasons. In this technical note, we employ the formulation of double field theory to construct actions for a variety of such theories. This formulation helps removing ambiguities in the corresponding equations of motion. In particular, we embed Torsional Newton-Cartan gravity, Carrollian gravity an…
Cartan's spacetime reformulation of the Newtonian theory of gravity is a generally-covariant Galilean-relativistic limit-form of Einstein's theory of gravity known as the Newton-Cartan theory. According to this theory, space is flat, time is absolute with instantaneous causal influences, and the degenerate `metric' structure of spacetime remains fixed with two mutually orthogonal non-dynamical metrics, one spatial and the other temporal. The spacetime according to this theory is, nevertheless, curved, duly respecting the principle of equivalence, and the non-metric gravitational connection-fie…
Connections and dynamical trajectories in generalised Newton-Cartan gravity II. An ambient perspective
Institut Denis Poisson, Université de Tours, Université d’Orléans, CNRS（德尼·普瓦松研究所，图尔大学，奥尔良大学，法国国家科学研究中心）；Departamento de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Andres Bello（安第斯贝尔托大学物理科学系）；Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María Centro Científico-Tecnológico de Valparaíso（费德里科·圣玛丽亚理工大学物理系，瓦尔帕莱索科技中心）
Conformal extensions of Levy-Leblond's Carroll group, based on geometric properties analogous to those of Newton-Cartan space-time are proposed. The extensions are labelled by an integer $k$. This framework includes and extends our recent study of the Bondi-Metzner-Sachs (BMS) and Newman-Unti (NU) groups. The relation to Conformal Galilei groups is clarified. Conformal Carroll symmetry is illustrated by "Carrollian photons". Motion both in the Newton-Cartan and Carroll spaces may be related to that of strings in the Bargmann space.
There is significant recent work on coupling matter to Newton-Cartan spacetimes with the aim of investigating certain condensed matter phenomena. To this end, one needs to have a completely general spacetime consistent with local non-relativisitic symmetries which supports massive matter fields. In particular, one can not impose a priori restrictions on the geometric data if one wants to analyze matter response to a perturbed geometry. In this paper we construct such a Bargmann spacetime in complete generality without any prior restrictions on the fields specifying the geometry. The resulting …
We derive the projectable version of Horava - Lifshitz gravity from the localisation of the Galilean symmetry. Specifically we provide a dynamical construction of the metric, from first principles, that reproduces the transformations of the physical variables - lapse, shift and spatial component of the metric. Also, the measure defining the action is reproduced. The geometrical basis of the Horava-Lifshitz gravity is thereby revealed which also elucidates its difference from the Newton-Cartan geometry - the spacetime of Newtonian gravity. The connection of Newton's gravity with Horava-Lifshitz…
Using the recently mooted Galilean gauge theory we have constructed the model for the Schroedinger field interacting wuth gravity which is also dynamical. The dynamics of gravity is dictated by the Newtonian action in the Newton-Cartan spacetime. The theory is highly constrained . An elaborate analysis of the constraints of the theory have been performed. The symmetries are explicitly verified and the uniqueness of the model has been established. To the best of our knowledge both the model and its constraints structure are unique in the literature
We propose an action for non-relativistic M2-brane in eleven dimensional M-brane Newton-Cartan background. We find its Hamiltonian formulation and we focus on its dimensional reduction to ten dimensions that leads to non-relativistic D2-brane or to non-relativistic string. We also discuss T-duality properties of non-relativistic D2-brane.
We propose that the intrinsic geometry of holographic screens should be described by the Newton-Cartan geometry. As a test of this proposal, we show that the evolution equations of the screen can be written in a covariant form in terms of a stress tensor, an energy current, and a momentum one-form. We derive the expressions for the stress tensor, energy density, and momentum one-form using Brown-York action formalism.
We discuss a new formalism for constructing a non-relativistic (NR) theory in curved background. Named as galilean gauge theory, it is based on gauging the global galilean symmetry. It provides a systematic algorithm for obtaining the covariant curved space time generalisation of any NR theory defined in flat space time. The resulting background is just the Newton- Cartan manifold. The example of NR free particle is explicitly demonstrated.
We show that certain three-dimensional Horava-Lifshitz gravity theories can be written as Chern-Simons gauge theories on various non-relativistic algebras. The algebras are specific extensions of the Bargmann, Newton-Hooke and Schroedinger algebra each of which has the Galilean algebra as a subalgebra. To show this we employ the fact that Horava-Lifshitz gravity corresponds to dynamical Newton-Cartan geometry. In particular, the extended Bargmann (Newton-Hooke) Chern-Simons theory corresponds to projectable Horava-Lifshitz gravity with a local U(1) gauge symmetry without (with) a cosmological …
