Spin-2 propagating torsion

Journal Article · Sun Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Phys. Rev., D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.23.1244· OSTI ID:6545867

Neville, D E

We examine a general Lagrangian (containing terms up to bilinear in torsion and Riemann curvature tensors) and search for a choice of Lagrangian parameters that will allow massive spin-2 or massless helicity-2 torsion quanta to exist without accompanying ghosts or tachyons. We are able to rule out massless quanta by an argument at the linearized level: either there are ghosts in the propagator, or the source constraints force 2/sup +/ and 2/sup -/ torsion sources to cancel in pairs at the propagator poles. We conjecture that a difficulty of this type will arise whenever a massless boson is represented in the Lagrangian by a field transforming as a (j/sub 1/, j/sub 2/) SL(2,C) tensor with j/sub 1/not =j/sub 2/, and the components of this tensor are taken as the quantities to be varied. (In the electromagnetic case F/sub munu/ is replaced by the curl of A/sub ..mu../ and A/sub ..mu../ is varied, not F/sub munu/.) We cannot rule out massive spin-2 quanta at the linearized level, but we encounter the standard difficulties when we attempt an extension to a fully covariant theory. Unless there are further developments in our understanding of the extension to the covariant theory, then, any spin-2 torsion force will have to be of contact type, rather than one which arises from the exchange of quanta.

• Research Organization: Temple Univ., Philadelphia, PA
• OSTI ID: 6545867
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev., D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev., D; (United States) Vol. 23:6; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

657003* -- Theoretical & Mathematical Physics-- Relativity & Gravitation
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
BOSONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FUNCTIONS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
GRAVITATION
HELICITY
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATHEMATICAL SPACE
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PROPAGATOR
RENORMALIZATION
RIEMANN SPACE
SPACE
SPIN
TORSION