arXiv · 2607.06826
BMS$_3$ invariant field theories
Abstract
We review existing and construct new two-dimensional field theories that exhibit BMS$_3$ symmetry, with and without central extensions. These include interacting electric, magnetic and canonical BMS$_3$ scalar theories, as well as couplings between the electric and magnetic sectors. We provide a careful analysis of boundary contributions at the corner points $u\rightarrow\pm\infty$, determine the counterterms and boundary conditions required by BMS$_3$ invariance, and study the corresponding variational principles. Furthermore, we introduce external sources and derive the associated flux-balance laws. Within the framework of flat-space holography, we show that a simple free electric BMS$_3$ model with the appropriate central charge reproduces the monodromy classification of three-dimensional Einstein gravity. Finally, we investigate the flat-space limits of both AdS$_3$ and dS$_3$, whose boundary dynamics are described by Carrollian limits of Liouville and Euclidean Liouville theory, respectively. Although the resulting BMS$_3$ theories possess isomorphic spectra, they differ in the signs of the supertranslation charges and the central charge. This suggests that the flat-space limits of AdS$_3$ and dS$_3$ provide complementary realizations of flat-space holography.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Diego Hidalgo, Stefan Vandoren, Huaxuan Zeng. 2026-07-07. BMS$_3$ invariant field theories. https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.06826
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.