First-order Formalism and Odd-derivative Actions

In this pedagogical note, we discuss obstacles to the usual Palatini formulations of gauge and gravity theories in presence of odd-derivative order, Chern-Simons, terms.Comment: 4 pages. Dedicated to Rafael Sorkin on his 60th Birthda

No Bel-Robinson Tensor for Quadratic Curvature Theories

We attempt to generalize the familiar covariantly conserved Bel-Robinson tensor B_{mnab} ~ R R of GR and its recent topologically massive third derivative order counterpart B ~ RDR, to quadratic curvature actions. Two very different models of current interest are examined: fourth order D=3 "new massive", and second order D>4 Lanczos-Lovelock, gravity. On dimensional grounds, the candidates here become B ~ DRDR+RRR. For the D=3 model, there indeed exist conserved B ~ dRdR in the linearized limit. However, despite a plethora of available cubic terms, B cannot be extended to the full theory. The D>4 models are not even linearizable about flat space, since their field equations are quadratic in curvature; they also have no viable B, a fact that persists even if one includes cosmological or Einstein terms to allow linearization about the resulting dS vacua. These results are an unexpected, if hardly unique, example of linearization instability.Comment: published versio

Duality invariance of all free bosonic and fermionic gauge fields

We give a simple general extension to all free bosonic and fermionic massless gauge fields of a recent proof that spin 2 is duality invariant in flat space. We also discuss its validity in (A)dS backgrounds and the relevance of supersymmetry.Comment: 3 page

Novel Properties of Massive Higher Spin Fields

I outline a series of results obtained in collaboration with A. Waldron on the properties of massive higher (s>1) spin fields in cosmological, constant curvature, backgrounds and the resulting unexpected qualitative effects on their degrees of freedom and unitarity properties. The dimensional parameter \L extends the flat space m-line to a (m^2,\L) "phase" plane in which these novel phenomena unfold. In this light, I discuss a possible partial resurrection of deSitter supergravity. I will also exhibit the well-known causality problems of coupling these systems to gravity and, for complex fields, to electromagnetism, systematizing some of the occasionally misunderstood obstacles to interactions, particularly for s = 3/2 and 2.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. Invited talk at "Renormalization Group and Anomalies in Gravity and Cosmology", Ouro Preto, Brazil, March 17-23, 200

Energy in Topologically Massive Gravity

We define conserved gravitational charges in -cosmologically extended- topologically massive gravity, exhibit them in surface integral form about their de-Sitter or flat vacua and verify their correctness in terms of two basic types of solution.Comment: 6 page

Some Interesting Properties of Field theories with an Infinite Number of Fields

We give an indication that gravity coupled to an infinite number of fields might be a renormalizable theory. A toy model with an infinite number of interacting fermions in four-dimentional space-time is analyzed. The model is finite at any order in perturbation theory. However, perturbation theory is valid only for external momenta smaller than $\lambda ^{-\frac{1}{2}}$ , where $\lambda$ is the coupling constant.Comment: 12 pages, LaTe

Higher Derivative Chern--Simons Extensions

We study the higher-derivative extensions of the D=3 Abelian Chern--Simons topological invariant that would appear in a perturbative effective action's momentum expansion. The leading, third-derivative, extension I_ECS turns out to be unique. It remains parity-odd but depends only on the field strength, hence no longer carries large gauge information, nor is it topological because metric dependence accompanies the additional covariant derivatives, whose positions are seen to be fixed by gauge invariance. Viewed as an independent action, I_ECS requires the field strength to obey the wave equation. The more interesting model, adjoining I_ECS to the Maxwell action, describes a pair of excitations. One is massless, the other a massive ghost, as we exhibit both via the propagator and by performing the Hamiltonian decomposition. We also present this model's total stress tensor and energy. Other actions involving I_ECS are also noted.Comment: 3 typos fixed. 5 page

Stability of Massive Cosmological Gravitons

We analyze the physics of massive spin 2 fields in (A)dS backgrounds and exhibit that: The theory is stable only for masses m^2 >= 2\Lambda/3, where the conserved energy associated with the background timelike Killing vector is positive, while the instability for m^2<2\Lambda/3 is traceable to the helicity 0 energy. The stable, unitary, partially massless theory at m^2=2\Lambda/3 describes 4 propagating degrees of freedom, corresponding to helicities (+/-2,+/-1) but contains no 0 helicity excitation.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX, version to appear in Phys. Lett.

Birkhoff for Lovelock Redux

We show succinctly that all metric theories with second order field equations obey Birkhoff's theorem: their spherically symmetric solutions are static.Comment: Submitted to CQ

Closed Form Effective Conformal Anomaly Actions in D≥\geq4

I present, in any D$\geq$4, closed-form type B conformal anomaly effective actions incorporating the logarithmic scaling cutoff dependence that generates these anomalies. Their construction is based on a novel class of Weyl-invariant tensor operators. The only known type A actions in D$\geq$4 are extensions of the Polyakov integral in D=2; despite contrary appearances, we show that their nonlocality does not conflict with general anomaly requirements. They are, however, physically unsatisfactory, prompting a brief attempt at better versions.Comment: 8 pages. Improved discussion of type A actions. Some references adde