A no-go theorem for the consistent quantization of spin-3/2 fields on general curved spacetimes

DOI10.1016/J.PHYSLETB.2012.11.033MaRDI QIDQ2410331zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Thomas-Paul Hack, Mathias Makedonski

Publication date 17 October 2017

Published in Physics Letters B (Search for Journal in Brave)

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1106.6327

zbMATH Keywords

causalityunitarityhigher spin fieldsRarita-Schwinger equationquantum field theory in curved spacetimesspin \(\frac{3}{2}\)

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds (81T20) Quantization in field theory; cohomological methods (81T70)

Abstract: It is well-known that coupling a spin $frac32$-field to a gravitational or electromagnetic background leads to potential problems both in the classical and in the quantum theory. Various solutions to these problems have been proposed so far, which are all restricted to a limited class of backgrounds. On the other hand, negative results for general gravitational backgrounds have been reported only for a limited set of couplings to the background to date. Hence, to our knowledge, a comprehensive analysis of all possible couplings to the gravitational field and general gravitational backgrounds including off-shell ones has not been performed so far. In this work we analyse whether it is possible to couple a spin $frac32$-field to a gravitational field in such a way that the resulting quantum theory is consistent on arbitrary gravitational backgrounds. We find that this is impossible as all couplings require the background to be an Einstein spacetime for consistency. This enforces the widespread belief that supergravity theories are the only meaningful models which contain spin $frac32$ fields as in these models such restrictions of the gravitational background appear naturally as on-shell conditions.

Recommendations

• Nonlinear gauge theories of a spin-two field and a spin-three-halves field
• Massive higher spin fields in curved spacetime and necessity of non-minimal couplings
• Consistency problems for Kähler supergravity
• SPIN-3/2 FERMIONS IN TWISTOR FORMALISM
• BRST Lagrangian construction for spin-\(\frac 32\) field in Einstein space

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Cited in

(8)

• Spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 field solutions in plane wave spacetimes
• Models of free quantum field theories on curved backgrounds
• On spin-(3/2) systems in Ricci flat space–times
• Canonical quantization of massless and massive spin \(3/2\) field in general covariant gauges.
• Quantum field theory on curved backgrounds -- a primer
• Linear bosonic and fermionic quantum gauge theories on curved spacetimes
• Consistency problems for Kähler supergravity
• Classical phase space and Hadamard states in the BRST formalism for gauge field theories on curved spacetime

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