For every conformal gauge field $h_{α(n)\dot α(m)}$ in four dimensions, with $n\geq m >0$, a gauge-invariant action is known to exist in arbitrary conformally flat backgrounds. If the Weyl tensor is non-vanishing, however, gauge invariance holds for a pure conformal field in the following cases: (i) $n=m=1$ (Maxwell's field) on arbitrary gravitational backgrounds; and (ii) $n=m+1 =2 $ (conformal gravitino) and $n=m=2$ (conformal graviton) on Bach-flat backgrounds. It is believed that in other cases certain lower-spin fields must be introduced to ensure gauge invariance in Bach-flat backgrounds, although no closed-form model has yet been constructed (except for conformal maximal depth fields with spin $s=5/2$ and $s=3$). In this paper we derive such a gauge-invariant model describing the dynamics of a conformal gauge field $h_{α(3)\dotα}$ coupled to a self-dual two-form. Similar to other conformal higher-spin theories, it can be embedded in an off-shell superconformal gauge-invariant action. To this end, we introduce a new family of $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal gauge multiplets described by unconstrained prepotentials $Υ_{α(n)}$, with $n>0$, and propose the corresponding gauge-invariant actions on conformally-flat backgrounds. We demonstrate that the $n=2$ model, which contains $h_{α(3)\dotα}$ at the component level, can be lifted to a Bach-flat background provided $Υ_{α(2)}$ is coupled to a chiral spinor $Ω_α$. We also propose families of (super)conformal higher-derivative non-gauge actions and new superconformal operators in any curved space. Finally, through considerations based on supersymmetry, we argue that the conformal spin-3 field should always be accompanied by a conformal spin-2 field in order to ensure gauge invariance in a Bach-flat background.
It has been observed by Maldacena that one can extract asymptotically anti-de Sitter Einstein $4$-metrics from Bach-flat spacetimes by imposing simple principles and data choices. We cast this problem in a conformally compact Riemannian setting. Following an approach pioneered by Fefferman and Graham for the Einstein equation, we find formal power series for conformally compactifiable, asymptotically hyperbolic Bach-flat 4-metrics expanded about conformal infinity. We also consider Bach-flat metrics in the special case of constant scalar curvature and in the special case of constant $Q$-curvat…
We propose generalised $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal higher-spin (SCHS) gauge multiplets of depth $t$, $Υ_{α(n)\dotα(m)}^{(t)}$, with $n\geq m \geq 1$. At the component level, for $t>2$ they contain generalised conformal higher-spin (CHS) gauge fields with depths $t-1$, $t$ and $t+1$. The supermultiplets with $t=1$ and $t=2$ include both ordinary and generalised CHS gauge fields. Super-Weyl and gauge invariant actions describing the dynamics of $Υ_{α(n)\dotα(m)}^{(t)}$ on conformally-flat superspace backgrounds are then derived. For the case $n=m=t=1$, corresponding to the maximal-depth confo…
We provide a simple derivation of the equivalence between Einstein and Conformal Gravity (CG) with Neumann boundary conditions given by Maldacena. As Einstein spacetimes are Bach flat, a generic solution to CG would contain both Einstein and non-Einstein part. Using this decomposition of the spacetime curvature in the Weyl tensor, makes manifest the equivalence between the two theories, both at the level of the action and the variation of it. As a consequence, we show that the on-shell action for Critical Gravity in four dimensions is given uniquely in terms of the Bach tensor.
We address the question of how to represent an interacting action for the tower of conformal higher spin fields in a form covariant with respect to a background metric. We use a background metric to define a star product which plays a central role in the definition of the corresponding gauge transformations. By an analogy with the kinetic term in the 4-derivative Weyl gravity action expanded near an on-shell background one expects that the kinetic term in such an action should be gauge-invariant in a Bach-flat metric. We demonstrate this fact to first order in expansion in powers of the curvat…
The problem of constructing gauge-invariant actions for conformal higher-spin fields in curved backgrounds is known to be notoriously difficult. In this paper we present gauge-invariant models for conformal maximal depth fields with spin $s=5/2$ and $s=3$ in four-dimensional Bach-flat backgrounds. We find that certain lower-spin fields must be introduced to ensure gauge invariance when $s>2$, which is analogous to a conjecture made earlier in the literature for conformal higher-spin fields of minimal depth.
We formulate off-shell N=1 superconformal higher spin multiplets in four spacetime dimensions and briefly discuss their coupling to conformal supergravity. As an example, we explicitly work out the coupling of the superconformal gravitino multiplet to conformal supergravity. The corresponding action is super-Weyl invariant for arbitrary supergravity backgrounds. However, it is gauge invariant only if the supersymmetric Bach tensor vanishes. This is similar to linearised conformal supergravity in curved background.
We study non-Einstein Bach-flat gravitational instanton solutions that can be regarded as the generalization of the Taub-NUT/Bolt and Eguchi-Hanson solutions of Einstein gravity to conformal gravity. These solutions include non-Einstein spaces which are either asymptotically locally flat spacetimes (ALF) or asymptotically locally Anti-de Sitter (AlAdS). Nevertheless, solutions with different asymptotic conditions exist: we find geometries that present a weakened AlAdS asymptotia, exhibiting the typical low decaying mode of conformal gravity. This permits to identify the simple Neumann boundary…
We point out that the Cartan geometry known as the second-order conformal structure provides a natural differential geometric framework underlying gauge theories of conformal gravity. We are concerned by two theories: the first one will be the associated Yang-Mills-like Lagrangian, while the second, inspired by~\cite{Wheeler2014}, will be a slightly more general one which will relax the conformal Cartan geometry. The corresponding gauge symmetry is treated within the BRST language. We show that the Weyl gauge potential is a spurious degree of freedom, analogous to a Stueckelberg field, that ca…
This thesis is devoted to the construction of theories describing the consistent propagation of (super)conformal higher-spin fields on curved three- and four-dimensional (super)spaces. In the first half of this thesis we systematically derive models for conformal fields of arbitrary rank on various types of curved spacetimes. On generic conformally-flat backgrounds in three $(3d)$ and four $(4d)$ dimensions, we obtain closed-form expressions for the actions which are manifestly gauge and Weyl invariant. Similar results are provided for generalised conformal fields, which have higher-depth gaug…
We develop a new off-shell formulation for six-dimensional conformal supergravity obtained by gauging the 6D ${\cal N} = (1, 0)$ superconformal algebra in superspace. This formulation is employed to construct two invariants for 6D ${\cal N} = (1, 0)$ conformal supergravity, which contain $C^3$ and $C\Box C$ terms at the component level. Using a conformal supercurrent analysis, we prove that these exhaust all such invariants in minimal conformal supergravity. Finally, we show how to construct the supersymmetric $F \Box F$ invariant in curved superspace.
We consider Abelian tensor hierarchy in four-dimensional ${\cal N}=1$ supergravity in the conformal superspace formalism, where the so-called covariant approach is used to antisymmetric tensor fields. We introduce $p$-form gauge superfields as superforms in the conformal superspace. We solve the Bianchi identities under the constraints for the superforms. As a result, each of form fields is expressed by a single gauge invariant superfield. The action of superforms is shown with the invariant superfields. We also show the relation between the superspace formalism and the superconformal tensor c…
The superspace formulation of N=1 conformal supergravity in four dimensions is demonstrated to be equivalent to the conventional component field approach based on the superconformal tensor calculus. The detailed correspondence between two approaches is explicitly given for various quantities; superconformal gauge fields, curvatures and curvature constraints, general conformal multiplets and their transformation laws, and so on. In particular, we carefully analyze the curvature constraints leading to the superconformal algebra and also the superconformal gauge fixing leading to Poincare supergr…
We construct the Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) action of a real linear multiplet in 4D $\mathcal{N}=1$ supergravity. Based on conformal supergravity, we derive the general condition under which the DBI action can be realized, and show that it can be constructed in the new minimal supergravity. We also generalize it to the matter coupled system.
D=4 Super Yang Mills, D=5 gauged supergravity and D=4 conformal supergravity
本文讨论了N=4共形超引力在N=4 SYM理论与Anti de Sitter背景附近展开的D=5规范超引力之间的关系中所起的作用。讨论了在共形超重力背景下SYM有效作用量的结构，特别是与共形异常有关的项。通过求解AdS背景下度规微扰的首阶Dirichlet问题，我们明确地计算了D=5爱因斯坦作用量中的双线性引力子项，证明了它等价于SYM理论导出的引力有效作用量的线性化Weyl张量平方部分.我们还计算了引力子-引力子-引力子三点函数，其形式与边界理论的共形不变性一致。
We consider bosonic supersymmetric backgrounds of ten-dimensional conformal supergravity. Up to local conformal isometry, we classify the maximally supersymmetric backgrounds, determine their conformal symmetry superalgebras and show how they arise as near-horizon geometries of certain half-BPS backgrounds or as a plane-wave limit thereof. We then show how to define Yang-Mills theory with rigid supersymmetry on any supersymmetric conformal supergravity background and, in particular, on the maximally supersymmetric backgrounds. We conclude by commenting on a striking resemblance between the sup…
We propose a superfield method to construct off-shell actions for N-extended conformal supergravity theories in three space-time dimensions. It makes use of the superform technique to engineer supersymmetric invariants. The method is specifically applied to the case of N=1 conformal supergravity and provides a new realization for the actions of conformal and topologically massive supergravities.
We develop a manifestly conformal approach to describe linearised (super)conformal higher-spin gauge theories in arbitrary conformally flat backgrounds in three and four spacetime dimensions. Closed-form expressions in terms of gauge prepotentials are given for gauge-invariant higher-spin (super) Cotton and (super) Weyl tensors in three and four dimensions, respectively. The higher-spin (super) Weyl tensors are shown to be conformal primary (super)fields in arbitrary conformal (super)gravity backgrounds, however they are gauge invariant only if the background (super) Weyl tensor vanishes. The …
Symmetry algebras of Killing vector fields and conformal Killing vectors fields can be extended to Killing-Yano and conformal Killing-Yano superalgebras in constant curvature manifolds. By defining $\mathbb{Z}$-gradations and filtrations of these superalgebras, we show that the second cohomology groups of them are trivial and they cannot be deformed to other Lie superalgebras. This shows the rigidity of Killing-Yano and conformal Killing-Yano superalgebras and reveals the fact that they correspond to geometric invariants of constant curvature manifolds. We discuss the structures and dimensions…
