On the uniqueness of the non-minimal matter coupling in massive gravity and bigravity

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Physics Letters B

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2015.07.003· OSTI ID:1209160

Huang, Qing-Guo; Ribeiro, Raquel H.; Xing, Yu-Hang ; Zhang, Ke-Chao; Zhou, Shuang-Yong

In de Rham–Gabadadze–Tolley (dRGT) massive gravity and bi-gravity, a non-minimal matter coupling involving both metrics generically reintroduces the Boulware–Deser (BD) ghost. A non-minimal matter coupling via a simple, yet specific composite metric has been proposed, which eliminates the BD ghost below the strong coupling scale. Working explicitly in the metric formulation and for arbitrary spacetime dimensions, we show that this composite metric is the unique consistent non-minimal matter coupling below the strong coupling scale, which emerges out of two diagnostics, namely, the absence of Ostrogradski ghosts in the decoupling limit and the absence of the BD ghost from matter quantum loop corrections.

• Research Organization: Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0009946; SC0010600
• OSTI ID: 1209160
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1454770
• Journal Information: Physics Letters B, Journal Name: Physics Letters B Vol. 748 Journal Issue: C; ISSN 0370-2693
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: Netherlands
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS