Inconsistency of scale invariant curvature coupled to gravity
We show that the scale invariant curvature action for paths, the point particle version of Polyakov's extrinsic curvature action for surfaces, does not couple consistently to gravity. Although the curvature action for paths yields a massless representation of the Poincare group with fixed helicity and so potentially provides a description of single photons and gravitons, the inconsistent coupling to gravity apparently suggests such a description is not viable. We present a physical interpretation of the inconsistency in terms of the non-localizability of the photon and point out a conceptual kinship between the local symmetry of the curvature theory and the local supersymmetry of a spinning particle or spinning string. 11 refs.
- Research Organization:
- Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (USA). Dept. of Physics
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/ER
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG05-86ER40272
- OSTI ID:
- 6802731
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/40272-104; UFIFT-HEP-90-16; ON: DE90013714; TRN: 90-027037
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
GRAVITATION
SCALE INVARIANCE
GRAVITONS
HAMILTONIANS
PHOTONS
POINCARE GROUPS
SUPERSYMMETRY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
GRAVITATIONAL RADIATION
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
LIE GROUPS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS
POSTULATED PARTICLES
QUANTUM OPERATORS
RADIATIONS
SYMMETRY
SYMMETRY GROUPS
645400* - High Energy Physics- Field Theory
657002 - Theoretical & Mathematical Physics- Classical & Quantum Mechanics