52 pages, invited contribution to the special issue of Frontiers in Physics on 'Non-Lorentzian Geometry and its Applications'; v2: minor improvements, 3 refs added
Higher-spin diffeomorphisms are to higher-order differential operators what diffeomorphisms are to vector fields. Their rigorous definition is a challenging mathematical problem which might predate a better understanding of higher-spin symmetries and interactions. Several yes-go and no-go results on higher-spin diffeomorphisms are collected from the mathematical literature in order to propose a generalisation of the algebra of differential operators on which higher-spin diffeomorphisms are well-defined.
This short note is devoted to the Hamiltonian analysis of three dimensional gravity action that was proposed recently in [arXiv:1309.7231]. We modify given action in order to be invariant under non-relativistic diffeomorphism. Then we perform Hamiltonian analysis of given action and determine the number of physical degrees of freedom.
Recently, using a local action satisfying the Wess-Zumino condition as a kinetic term of the conformal mode, we formulated a four-dimensional quantum geometry (4DQG). The conformal mode can be treated exactly, and it was shown that the part of the effective action related to this mode is given by the scale-invariant non-local Riegert action. As for the traceless mode, we introduce dimensionless coupling, which is a unique gravitational coupling of this theory satisfying the conditions of renormalizability and asymptotic freedom. Although this theory is asymptotically free, the physical states …
In this note we study the relation between F(R) and scalar tensor Horava-Lifshitz gravity. We find that due to the broken diffeomorphism invariance corresponding scalar tensor theory has more complicated form than in case of the full diffeomorphism invariant F(R) theory of gravity. We also show that in the low energy limit this theory flows to the relativistic scalar tensor theory of gravity.
In this note we give some remarks on the BRST formulation of a renormalizable and diffemorphism invariant 4D quantum gravity recently proposed by the author, which satisfies the integrability condition by Riegard, Fradkin and Tseytlin at the 2-loop level. Diffeomorphism invariance requires an addition of the Wess-Zumino action, from which the Weyl action can be induced by expanding around a vacuum expectation value of the conformal mode. This fact suggests the theory has in itself a mechanism to remove extra negative-metric states dynamically.
The gauge symmetries of pure Chern-Simons theories with p-form gauge fields are analyzed. It is shown that the number of independent gauge symmetries depends crucially on the parity of p. The case where p is odd appears to be a direct generalization of the p=1 case and presents the remarkable feature that the timelike diffeomorphisms can be expressed in terms of the spatial diffeomorphisms and the internal gauge symmetries. By constrast, the timelike diffeomorphisms may be an independent gauge symmetry when p is even. This happens when the number of fields and the spacetime dimension fulfills …
Classical W-algebras in higher dimensions have been recently constructed. In this letter we show that there is a finitely generated subalgebra which is isomorphic to the algebra of local diffeomorphisms in D dimensions. Moreover, there is a tower of infinitely many fields transforming under this subalgebra as symmetric tensorial one-densities. We also unravel a structure isomorphic to the Schouten symmetric bracket, providing a natural generalization of w_\infty in higher dimensions.
Higher spin Lagrangians from higher derivative diffeomorphisms
Central European Institute for Cosmology and Fundamental Physics, Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences（中欧宇宙学与基础物理研究所，捷克科学院物理研究所）；Roma Tre University and INFN Sezione di Roma Tre（罗马第三大学及INFN罗马三分部）；Laboratory for High Energy and Computational Physics, NICPB（NICPB高能计算物理实验室）；Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Wien（维也纳工业大学理论物理研究所）；Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile（智利天主教Pontificia大学物理学院）
We present several Galileo invariant Lagrangians, which are invariant against Poincare transformations defined in one higher (spatial) dimension. Thus these models, which arise in a variety of physical situations, provide a representation for a dynamical (hidden) Poincare symmetry. The action of this symmetry transformation on the dynamical variables is nonlinear, and in one case involves a peculiar field-dependent diffeomorphism. Some of our models are completely integrable, and we exhibit explicit solutions.
We study the action of diffeomorphisms on spin foam models. We prove that in 3 dimensions, there is a residual action of the diffeomorphisms that explains the naive divergences of state sum models. We present the gauge fixing of this symmetry and show that it explains the original renormalization of Ponzano-Regge model. We discuss the implication this action of diffeomorphisms has on higher dimensional spin foam models and especially the finite ones.
The bulk reconstructions in AdS/CFT and its cousins are essential to understand the holographic nature of quantum gravity. In this work, we try to study the bulk reconstruction in the AdS$_3$/WCFT$_2$ correspondence. After deriving the bulk-boundary propagator, which is different from the usual one in AdS/CFT, we define the bulk proto-scalar field by using the Virasoro-Kac-Moody symmetry in two different ways. One is to impose the bulk primary conditions on the field and construct the field algebraically. The other is to use the bulk-boundary vacuum OPE block, which can be read by applying the…
We associate vertex operators to space-time diffeomorphisms in flat space string theory, and compute their algebra, which is a diffeomorphism algebra with higher derivative corrections. As an application, we realize the asymptotic symmetry group BMS3 of three-dimensional flat space in terms of vertex operators on the string worldsheet. This provides an embedding of the BMS3 algebra in a consistent theory of quantum gravity. Higher derivative corrections vanish asymptotically. An appendix is dedicated to alpha prime corrected algebras in conformal field theory and string theory.
We analyze the symmetries that are realized on the massive Kaluza-Klein modes in generic D-dimensional backgrounds with three non-compact directions. For this we construct the unbroken phase given by the decompactification limit, in which the higher Kaluza-Klein modes are massless. The latter admits an infinite-dimensional extension of the three-dimensional diffeomorphism group as local symmetry and, moreover, a current algebra associated to SL(D-2,R) together with the diffeomorphism algebra of the internal manifold as global symmetries. It is shown that the `broken phase' can be reconstructed…
The well-known fact that classical automorphisms of (compactified) Minkowski spacetime (Poincare or conformal trandsformations) also allow a natural derivation/interpretation in the modular setting (in the operator-algebraic sense of Tomita and Takesaki) of the algebraic formulation of QFT has an interesting nontrivial chiral generalization to the diffeomorphisms of the circle. Combined with recent ideas on algebraic (d-1)-dimensional lightfront holography, these diffeomorphisms turn out to be images of ``fuzzy'' acting groups in the original d-dimensional (massive) QFT. These actions do not r…
In this paper we use the covariant Peierls bracket to compute the algebra of a sizable number of diffeomorphism-invariant observables in classical Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity coupled to fairly arbitrary matter. We then show that many recent results, including the construction of traversable wormholes, the existence of a family of $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$ algebras acting on the matter fields, and the calculation of the scrambling time, can be recast as simple consequences of this algebra. We also use it to clarify the question of when the creation of an excitation deep in the bulk increases or decrease…
We continue the work of hep-th/0503024 in which gravity is considered as the Goldstone realization of a spontaneously broken diffeomorphism group. We complete the discussion of the coset space Diff(d,R)/SO(1,d-1) formed by the d-dimensional group of analytic diffeomorphisms and the Lorentz group. We find that this coset space is parameterized by coordinates, a metric and an infinite tower of higher-spin-like or generalized connections. We then study effective actions for the corresponding symmetry breaking which gives mass to the higher spin connections. Our model predicts that gravity is modi…
Recent discussions of higher rank symmetric (fractonic) gauge theories have revealed the important role of Gauss constraints. This has prompted the present study where a detailed hamiltonian analysis of such theories is presented. Besides a general treatment, the traceless scalar charge theory is considered in details. A new form for the action is given which, in 2+1 dimensions, yields area preserving diffeomorphisms. Investigation of global symmetries reveals that this diffeomorphism invariance induces a noncommuting charge algebra that gets exactly mapped to the algebra of coordinates in the…
We discuss two distinct realizations of the diffeomorphism group for metric gravity, which give rise to theories that are classically equivalent, but quantum mechanically distinct. We renormalize them in $d=2+ε$ dimensions, developing a new procedure for dimensional continuation of metric theories and highlighting connections with the constructions that previously appeared in the literature. Our hope is to frame candidates ultraviolet completions of quantum gravity in $d>2$ and give some perturbative mean to assess its existence in $d=4$, but also to speculate on some potential obstructions in…
For our own education, we reconstruct the Hopf algebra of Connes and Moscovici obtained by the action of vector fields on a crossed product of functions by diffeomorphisms. We extend the realization of that Hopf algebra in terms of rooted trees as given by Connes and Kreimer from dimension one to arbitrary dimension of the manifold. In principle there is no modification, but in higher dimension one has to be careful with the order of cuts. The order problem leads us to speculate that in quantum field theory the sum of Feynman graphs which corresponds to an element of the Connes-Moscovici Hopf …
We show that the Wilsonian renormalization group (RG) provides a natural regularisation of the Quantum Master Equation such that to first order the BRST algebra closes on local functionals spanned by the eigenoperators with constant couplings. We then apply this to quantum gravity. Around the Gaussian fixed point, RG properties of the conformal factor of the metric allow the construction of a Hilbert space $\mathfrak{L}$ of renormalizable interactions, non-perturbative in $\hbar$, and involving arbitrarily high powers of the gravitational fluctuations. We show that diffeomorphism invariance is…
We discuss higher derivative corrections to black hole entropy in theories that allow a near horizon AdS_3 x X geometry. In arbitrary theories with diffeomorphism invariance we show how to obtain the spacetime central charge in a simple way. Black hole entropy then follows from the Euclidean partition function, and we show that this gives agreement with Wald's formula. In string theory there are certain diffeomorphism anomalies that we exploit. We thereby reproduce some recent computations of corrected entropy formulas, and extend them to the nonextremal, nonsupersymetric context. Examples inc…
