Topological gravity and supergravity in various dimensions

May 29, 1990
22 pages
Published in:
  • Nucl.Phys.B 346 (1990) 213-234
  • Published: 1990
Report number:
  • PRINT-90-0350 (ZURICH)

Citations per year

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Abstract: (Elsevier)
Topological theories of gravity are constructed in odd-dimensional space-times of dimensions 2 n + 1, using the Chern-Simons (2 n + 1)-forms and with the gauge groups ISO(1, 2 n ) or SO(1, 2 n + 1) or SO(2, 2 n ). In even dimensions the presence of a scalar field in the fundamental representation of the gauge group is needed, besides the gauge field. Supersymmetrization of the de Sitter groups can be performed up to a maximal dimension of seven, but there is no limit on the super-Poincaré groups. The different phases of the topological theory are investigated. It is argued that these theories are finite. It is shown that the graviton propagates in a perturbative sense around a non-trivial background.
  • gravitation
  • supergravity
  • field theory: topological
  • field theory: any-dimensional
  • gauge field theory: SO(N,M)
  • Chern-Simons term
  • field theory: action
  • propagator: graviton