Gravitational anomalies and the family's index theorem (Q1072197): Difference between revisions

In order to discuss the use of the family's index theorem in the study of gravitational anomalies, the interest of the authors is centered on the properties of a two parameter family of elliptic operators on a 4k-2 dimensional spin manifold M, namely the chiral Dirac operators \(B_ g\) coupled to a vector bundle v associated with the spin frame bundle, where \(g\in {\mathfrak M}= the\) space of allowable metrics on M. The two families of kernels: Ker \(B_ g\), the zero frequency modes of positive chirality, and Ker \(B^+_ g\), the zero frequency modes of negative chirality for \(B^+_ g\), are associated to the family \(B_ g\). \({\mathfrak M}\) is a principal fibre bundle over \({\mathfrak M}/Diff_ 0(M)\) with structure group \(Diff_ 0(M)=\{\phi \in identity\) component of Diff(M): \(\phi (x_ 0)=x_ 0\), \(d\phi (x_ 0)=id\}\) and because \(B_ g\) is covariant under the action of Diff(M), two families of vector spaces Ker \(B_{\rho}\) and Ker \(B^+_{\rho}\) indexed by \(\rho\in {\mathfrak M}/Diff_ 0(M)\) are obtained so that the formal difference Ker \(B_{\rho}-Ker B^+_{\rho}\) makes sense in K-theory and is the index bundle, \(Ind(B_{\rho})\). The first Chern class \(c_ 1\) of Ind \(B_{\rho}\) is the first class of determinant line bundle of \(B_{\rho}\) and one can evaluate it by restricting to two dimensional spheres Y in \({\mathfrak M}/Diff_ 0(M)\). In a note which is in preparation the authors show that the anomaly \(\eta\) as a closed one form on \(Diff_ 0(M)\) and \(c_ 1(Ind B_{\rho})\) are connected by using the transgression operation. The transgression of \(c_ 1\) and \(\eta\) gives the same cohomology class in the sense of local cohomology. So, the authors point out how physics necessitates the introduction of the notion of local cohomology which is distinct from the ordinary topological cohomology. Finally, the recent results of \textit{L. Alvarez-Gaumé} and \textit{E. Witten} [Nucl. Phys. B 234, 269-330 (1983)] are derived by using the family's index theorem instead of Feynman diagram methods.