Test of the local form of higher-spin equations via AdS/CFT

The local form of higher-spin equations found recently to the second order [1] is shown to properly reproduce the anticipated $AdS/CFT$ correlators for appropriate boundary conditions. It is argued that consistent $AdS/CFT$ holography for the parity-broken boundary models needs a nontrivial modification of the bosonic truncation of the original higher-spin theory with the doubled number of fields, as well as a nonlinear deformation of the boundary conditions in the higher orders.Comment: 18 pages, Typos and acknowledgement corrected. Misleading notation in Section 4.2 changed. References correcte

Charges in nonlinear higher-spin theory

Nonlinear higher-spin equations in four dimensions admit a closed two-form that defines a gauge-invariant global charge as an integral over a two-dimensional cycle. In this paper we argue that this charge gives rise to partitions depending on various lower- and higher-spin chemical potentials identified with modules of topological fields in the theory. The vacuum contribution to the partition is calculated to the first nontrivial order for a solution to higher-spin equations that generalizes AdS4 Kerr black hole of General Relativity. The resulting partition is non-zero being in parametric agreement with the ADM-like behavior of a rotating source. The linear response of chemical potentials to the partition function is also extracted. The explicit unfolded form of 4d GR black holes is given. An explicit formula relating asymptotic higher-spin charges expressed in terms of the generalized higher-spin Weyl tensor with those expressed in terms of Fronsdal fields is obtained.Comment: 23 pages; V3: typos corrected; references and acknowledgement added; example of the topological contribution to spin-4 charge added; new Section 3.1 added establishing relation of our construction for asymptotic charges with the canonical one. Version published in JHE

Lorentz covariant form of extended higher-spin equations

The extension of nonlinear higher-spin equations in d=4 proposed in [arXiv:1504.07289] for the construction of invariant functional is shown to respect local Lorentz symmetry. The equations are rewritten in a manifestly Lorentz covariant form resulting from some Stueckelberg-like field transformation. We also show that the two field-independent central terms entering higher-spin equations which are not entirely fixed by the consistency alone get fixed unambiguously by the requirement of Lorentz symmetry. One of the important advantages of the proposed approach demonstrated in the paper is the remarkable simplification of the perturbative analysis.Comment: V2: 20 pages, typos corrected, references added. Version published in JHE

Interferometry of hyper-Rayleigh scattering by inhomogeneous thin films

The use of specific symmetry properties of the optical second-harmonic generation (the s,s-exclusion rule) has allowed us to observe high-contrast hyper-Rayleigh interference patterns in a completely diffuse light - an effect having no analog in case of linear (Rayleigh) scattering.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

On zz-dominance, shift symmetry and spin locality in higher-spin theory

The paper aims at the qualitative criterion of higher-spin locality. Perturbative analysis of the Vasiliev equations gives rise to the so-called $z$-dominated non-localities which nevertheless disappear from interaction vertices leaving the final result spin-local in all known cases. This has led one to the $z$ -- dominance conjecture that suggests universality of the observed cancellations. Here we specify conditions which include observation of the higher-spin shift symmetry and prove validity of this recently proposed conjecture. We also define a class of spin-local and shift-symmetric field redefinitions which is argued to be the admissible one with respect to spin-locality.Comment: 31 page

On interaction of symmetric higher-spin gauge fields

We show that the recently proposed equations for holomorphic sector of higher-spin theory in $d=4$, also known as chiral, can be naturally extended to describe interacting symmetric higher-spin gauge fields in any dimension. This is achieved with the aid of Vasiliev's off-shell higher-spin algebra. The latter contains ideal associated to traces that has to be factored out in order to set the equations on-shell. To identify the ideal in interactions we observe the global $sp(2)$ that underlies it to all orders. The $sp(2)$ field dependent generators are found in closed form and appear to be remarkably simple. The traceful higher-spin vertices are analyzed against locality and shown to be all-order space-time spin-local in the gauge sector, as well as spin-local in the Weyl sector. The vertices are found manifestly in the form of curious integrals over hypersimplices. We also extend to any $d$ the earlier observed in $d=4$ higher-spin shift symmetry known to be tightly related to spin-locality.Comment: 34 page

Free Field Dynamics in the Generalized AdS (Super)Space

Pure gauge representation for general vacuum background fields (Cartan forms) in the generalized $AdS$ superspace identified with $OSp(L,M)$ is found. This allows us to formulate dynamics of free massless fields in the generalized $AdS$ space-time and to find their (generalized) conformal and higher spin field transformation laws. Generic solution of the field equations is also constructed explicitly. The results are obtained with the aid of the star product realization of ortosymplectic superalgebras.Comment: Some notes added, corrected typo

Correcting for Distortions due to Ionization in the STAR TPC

Physics goals of the STAR Experiment at RHIC in recent (and future) years drive the need to operate the STAR TPC at ever higher luminosities, leading to increased ionization levels in the TPC gas. The resulting ionic space charge introduces field distortions in the detector which impact tracking performance. Further complications arise from ionic charge leakage into the main TPC volume from the high gain anode region. STAR has implemented corrections for these distortions based on measures of luminosity, which we present here. Additionally, we highlight a novel approach to applying the corrections on an event-by-event basis applicable in conditions of rapidly varying ionization sources.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, proceedings of the Workshop on Tracking in High Multiplicity Environments (TIME 05) in Zurich, Switzerland, submitted to Nucl. Instr. and Meth.