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Title: Higher-dimensional supertranslations and Weinberg’s soft graviton theorem

Journal Article · · Annals of Mathematical Sciences and Applications
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
  2. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Walter Burke Inst. for Theoretical Physics
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Asymptotic symmetries of theories with gravity in d = 2m + 2 spacetime dimensions are reconsidered for m > 1 in light of recent results concerning d = 4 BMS symmetries. Weinberg’s soft graviton theorem in 2m+2 dimensions is re-expressed as a Ward identity for the gravitational S-matrix. The corresponding asymptotic symmetries are identified with 2m + 2-dimensional supertranslations. An alternate derivation of these asymptotic symmetries as diffeomorphisms which preserve finite-energy boundary conditions at null infinity and act non-trivially on physical data is given. Our results differ from those of previous analyses whose stronger boundary conditions precluded supertranslations for d > 4. In conclusion, we find for all even d that supertranslation symmetry is spontaneously broken in the conventional vacuum and identify soft gravitons as the corresponding Goldstone bosons.

Research Organization:
California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0011632; 1205550
OSTI ID:
1598800
Journal Information:
Annals of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, Vol. 2, Issue 1; ISSN 2380-288X
Publisher:
International PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Cited By (14)

One-loop quantum gravitational backreaction on the local Hubble rate journal April 2019
BMS supertranslations and memory in four and higher dimensions journal July 2017
Asymptotic conformal symmetry at spatial infinity journal December 2019
Electromagnetic and color memory in even dimensions journal October 2019
Higher Spins without (Anti-)de Sitter journal January 2018
Asymptotic Charges at Null Infinity in Any Dimension journal March 2018
Gapless topological order, gravity, and black holes journal April 2018
Asymptotic behavior of massless fields and the memory effect journal April 2019
Asymptotic Charges at Null Infinity in Any Dimension text January 2018
Higher Spins Without (Anti-)de Sitter preprint January 2017
One-loop quantum gravitational backreaction on the local Hubble rate text January 2018
The Asymptotic Behavior of Massless Fields and the Memory Effect text January 2019
On electromagnetic and colour memory in even dimensions text January 2019
Asymptotic conformal symmetry at spatial infinity text January 2019

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Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS