No Arabic abstract
We compute the one-loop free energies of the type-A$_ell$ and type-B$_ell$ higher-spin gravities in $(d+1)$-dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS$_{d+1}$) spacetime. For large $d$ and $ell$, these theories have a complicated field content, and hence it is difficult to compute their zeta functions using the usual methods. Applying the character integral representation of zeta function developed in the companion paper arXiv:1805.05646 to these theories, we show how the computation of their zeta function can be shortened considerably. We find that the results previously obtained for the massless theories ($ell=1$) generalize to their partially-massless counterparts (arbitrary $ell$) in arbitrary dimensions.
The zeta function of an arbitrary field in $(d+1)$-dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetime is expressed as an integral transform of the corresponding $so(2,d)$ representation character, thereby extending the results of arXiv:1603.05387 for AdS$_4$ and AdS$_5$ to arbitrary dimensions. The integration in the variables associated with the $so(d)$ part of the character can be recast into a more explicit form using derivatives. The explicit derivative expressions are presented for AdS$_{d+1}$ with $d=2,3,4,5,6$.
We study the problem of interacting theories with (partially)-massless and conformal higher spin fields without matter in three dimensions. A new class of theories that have partially-massless fields is found, which significantly extends the well-known class of purely massless theories. More generally, it is proved that the complete theory has to have a form of the flatness condition for a connection of a Lie algebra, which, provided there is a non-degenerate invariant bilinear form, can be derived from the Chern-Simons action. We also point out the existence of higher spin theories without the dynamical graviton in the spectrum. As an application of a more general statement that the frame-like formulation can be systematically constructed starting from the metric one by employing a combination of the local BRST cohomology technique and the parent formulation approach, we also obtain an explicit uplift of any given metric-like vertex to its frame-like counterpart. This procedure is valid for general gauge theories while in the case of higher spin fields in d-dimensional Minkowski space one can even use as a starting point metric-like vertices in the transverse-traceless gauge. In particular, this gives the fully off-shell lift for transverse-traceless vertices.
We determine the Feynman rules for the minimal type A higher-spin gauge theory on AdS$_{d+1}$ at cubic order. In particular, we establish the quantum action at cubic order in de Donder gauge, including ghosts. We also give the full de Donder gauge propagators of higher-spin gauge fields and their ghosts. This provides all ingredients needed to quantise the theory at cubic order.
We systematically consider the AdS/CFT correspondence for a simplest mixed-symmetry massless gauge field described by hook Young diagram. We introduce the radial gauge fixing and explicitly solve the Dirichlet problem for the hook field equations. Solution finding conveniently splits in two steps. We first define an incomplete solution characterized by a functional freedom and then impose the boundary conditions. The resulting complete solution is fixed unambiguously up to boundary values. Two-point correlation function of hook primary operators is found via the corresponding boundary effective action computed separately in even and odd boundary dimensions. In particular, the higher-derivative action for boundary conformal hook fields is identified with a singular part of the effective action in even dimensions. The bulk/boundary symmetry transmutation within the Dirichlet boundary problem is explicitly studied. It is shown that traces of boundary fields are Stueckelberg-like modes that can be algebraically gauged away so that boundary fields are traceless.
We determine the current exchange amplitudes for free totally symmetric tensor fields $vf_{mu_1 ... mu_s}$ of mass $M$ in a $d$-dimensional $dS$ space, extending the results previously obtained for $s=2$ by other authors. Our construction is based on an unconstrained formulation where both the higher-spin gauge fields and the corresponding gauge parameters $Lambda_{mu_1 >... mu_{s-1}}$ are not subject to Fronsdals trace constraints, but compensator fields $alpha_{mu_1 ... mu_{s-3}}$ are introduced for $s > 2$. The free massive $dS$ equations can be fully determined by a radial dimensional reduction from a $(d+1)$-dimensional Minkowski space time, and lead for all spins to relatively handy closed-form expressions for the exchange amplitudes, where the external currents are conserved, both in $d$ and in $(d+1)$ dimensions, but are otherwise arbitrary. As for $s=2$, these amplitudes are rational functions of $(ML)^2$, where $L$ is the $dS$ radius. In general they are related to the hypergeometric functions $_3F_2(a,b,c;d,e;z)$, and their poles identify a subset of the partially-massless discrete states, selected by the condition that the gauge transformations of the corresponding fields contain some non-derivative terms. Corresponding results for $AdS$ spaces can be obtained from these by a formal analytic continuation, while the massless limit is smooth, with no van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov discontinuity.