Spontaneous Lorentz and diffeomorphism violation, massive modes, and gravity

Journal Article · Sat Mar 15 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.77.065020· OSTI ID:21249873

Bluhm, Robert ^[1]; Shuhong, Fung ^[1]; Kostelecky, V Alan ^[2]

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1. Physics Department, Colby College, Waterville, Maine 04901 (United States)
2. Physics Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405 (United States)

Theories with spontaneous local Lorentz and diffeomorphism violation contain massless Nambu-Goldstone modes, which arise as field excitations in the minimum of the symmetry-breaking potential. If the shape of the potential also allows excitations above the minimum, then an alternative gravitational Higgs mechanism can occur in which massive modes involving the metric appear. The origin and basic properties of the massive modes are addressed in the general context involving an arbitrary tensor vacuum value. Special attention is given to the case of bumblebee models, which are gravitationally coupled vector theories with spontaneous local Lorentz and diffeomorphism violation. Mode expansions are presented in both local and spacetime frames, revealing the Nambu-Goldstone and massive modes via decomposition of the metric and bumblebee fields, and the associated symmetry properties and gauge fixing are discussed. The class of bumblebee models with kinetic terms of the Maxwell form is used as a focus for more detailed study. The nature of the associated conservation laws and the interpretation as a candidate alternative to Einstein-Maxwell theory are investigated. Explicit examples involving smooth and Lagrange-multiplier potentials are studied to illustrate features of the massive modes, including their origin, nature, dispersion laws, and effects on gravitational interactions. In the weak static limit, the massive mode and Lagrange-multiplier fields are found to modify the Newton and Coulomb potentials. The nature and implications of these modifications are examined.

• OSTI ID: 21249873
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 77; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CONSERVATION LAWS
COULOMB FIELD
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
EXCITATION
EXPANSION
GRAVITATION
GRAVITATIONAL INTERACTIONS
HIGGS BOSONS
HIGGS MODEL
MODIFICATIONS
SPACE-TIME
SYMMETRY
SYMMETRY BREAKING