Higher Spin Field Theories in Gauge Contexts
Summary
Higher spin field theories extend the gauge principle familiar from electromagnetism and gravity to an infinite spectrum of massless fields of ever‐increasing spin. Central to these constructions is a generalised gauge invariance that ensures consistency of interactions, encapsulated in nonlocal algebraic structures known as higher‐spin algebras. In anti-de Sitter or de Sitter backgrounds, one arrives at fully nonlinear equations governing all spins simultaneously, offering a tractable alternative to string theory for probing quantum gravity. The holographic duality between higher spin theories in curved spacetime and boundary conformal field theories provides insight into strongly coupled phenomena via weakly coupled bulk descriptions. Progress in this field has required new diagrammatic rules, refined understanding of locality at higher orders and fresh geometric perspectives on interaction vertices. These developments not only deepen our grasp of fundamental symmetries but also illuminate routes towards a unified framework of spacetime and matter.
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Higher Spin Field Theories in Gauge Contexts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in higher spin field theories in gauge contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Higher spin field: A massless field of spin >2 represented by symmetric tensor or tensor-spinor quantities.
Gauge symmetry: A local redundancy of description ensuring masslessness and constraining interaction terms.
Vasiliev equations: A system of nonlinear, gauge-invariant equations governing an infinite tower of higher spin fields in (A)dS.
Fronsdal field: A free, symmetric tensor field satisfying linearised gauge-invariant equations for integer spin particles.
Anti-de Sitter space: A spacetime of constant negative curvature often used in holographic dualities.
Nonlocality: The property of interactions extending over finite distances, challenging point-like coupling assumptions.
References
- New Diagrammatic Framework for Higher-Spin Gravity. Physical Review Letters (2023).
- Chiral higher spin gravity and convex geometry. SciPost Physics (2023).
- Quartic locality of higher-spin gravity in de Sitter and Euclidean anti-de Sitter space. Physics Letters B (2023).
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