arXiv subjects

Michel Pannier

Publications and source records attributed to Michel Pannier.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Higher-Spin Gravity in Two Dimensions with Vanishing Cosmological Constant

In this paper, we use a version of the BF formulation of two-dimensional dilaton gravity that allows to define a gauge theory of the two-dimensional Poincar\'e or Maxwell algebras and several of their higher-spin generalisations, both of finite and infinite dimension. The spectrum of the two-dimensional higher-spin gravity with vanishing cosmological constant based on the extended, infinite-dimensional higher-spin algebra is shown to contain an infinite collection of scalar degrees of freedom with a continuum of ever increasing mass, corresponding to the twisted-(co)adjoint representation. We comment on an approach to include backreaction of the scalar fields on the gravity sector at the level of formal equations of motion, thereby providing a first example of a fully interacting higher-spin gravity theory with vanishing cosmological constant in two dimensions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

The Wilson Spool in Locally Flat Spacetimes

This paper proposes a definition of what has previously been coined a Wilson Spool in the case of three-dimensional gravity with vanishing cosmological constant. The definition builds upon a construction of the one-loop partition function of a massive, spinning field from a fixed background holonomy. While the background is taken to be a flat-space cosmology, the definition of the Wilson spool is expected to hold independently of the underlying geometry. Some comments are given towards possible connections to its two-dimensional incarnations at non-vanishing cosmological constant.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Unfolded Fierz-Pauli Equations in Three-Dimensional Asymptotically Flat Spacetimes

We utilise a quotient of the universal enveloping algebra of the Poincaré algebra in three spacetime dimensions, on which we formulate a covariant constancy condition. The equations so obtained contain the Fierz-Pauli equations for non-interacting, massive higher-spin fields, and can thus be regarded as an unfolding of the Fierz-Pauli system. All fundamental fields completely decouple from each other. In the non-truncated case, the field content includes infinitely many copies of each field at fixed spin.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Semi-classical BMS-blocks from the Oscillator Construction

Flat-space holography requires a thorough understanding of BMS symmetry. We introduce an oscillator construction of the highest-weight representation of the $\mathfrak{bms}_3$ algebra and show that it is consistent with known results concerning the $\mathfrak{bms}_3$ module. We take advantage of this framework to prove that $\mathfrak{bms}_3$-blocks exponentiate in the semi-classical limit, where one of the central charges is large. Within this context, we compute perturbatively heavy, and heavy-light vacuum $\mathfrak{bms}_3$-blocks.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Scalar Fields in 3D Asymptotically Flat Higher-Spin Gravity

In this work we construct a novel associative algebra and use it to define a theory of higher-spin gravity in (2+1)-dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes. Our construction is based on a quotient of the universal enveloping algebra (UEA) of $\mathfrak{isl}(2,\mathbb{R})$ with respect to the ideal generated by its Casimir elements, the mass squared $\mathcal{M}^2$ and the three-dimensional analogue of the square of the Pauli-Lubanski vector $\mathcal{S}$ and propose to call the resulting associative algebra $\mathfrak{ihs}(\mathcal{M}^2,\mathcal{S})$. We provide a definition of its generators and even though we are not yet able to provide the complete set of multiplication rules of this algebra our analysis allows us to study many interesting and relevant sub-structures of $\mathfrak{ihs}(\mathcal{M}^2,\mathcal{S})$. We then show how to consistently couple a scalar field to an $\mathfrak{ihs}(\mathcal{M}^2,\mathcal{S})$ higher-spin gauge theory.

hep-th↗