Nonsymmetric gravity theories: Inconsistencies and a cure
Jun, 1992
34 pages
Published in:
- Phys.Rev.D 47 (1993) 1541-1556
e-Print:
- gr-qc/9207003 [gr-qc]
Report number:
- IHES-P-92-36,
- BRX-TH-324,
- ADP-92-180-M5
Citations per year
Abstract: (arXiv)
Motivated by the apparent dependence of string --models on the sum of spacetime metric and antisymmetric tensor fields, we reconsider gravity theories constructed from a nonsymmetric metric. We first show that all such ``geometrical" theories homogeneous in second derivatives violate standard physical requirements: ghost-freedom, absence of algebraic inconsistencies or continuity of degree-of-freedom content. This no-go result applies in particular to the old unified theory of Einstein and its recent avatars. However, we find that the addition of nonderivative, ``cosmological'' terms formally restores consistency by giving a mass to the antisymmetric tensor field, thereby transmuting it into a fifth-force-like massive vector but with novel possible matter couplings. The resulting macroscopic models also exhibit ``van der Waals''-type gravitational effects, and may provide useful phenomenological foils to general relativity.- gravitation: model
- model: geometrical
- field theory: tensor
- field theory: massive
- massive: field theory
- expansion: background
- ghost
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