arXiv subjects

S. F. Hassan

Publications and source records attributed to S. F. Hassan.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

Proof of Consistency of Nonlinear Massive Gravity in the Stuckelberg Formulation

We address some recent concerns about the absence of the Boulware-Deser ghost in the Stuckelberg formulation of nonlinear massive gravity. First we provide general arguments for why any ghost analysis in the Stuckelberg formulation has to agree with existing consistency proofs that have been carried out without using Stuckelberg fields. We then demonstrate the absence of the ghost at the completely nonlinear level in the Stuckelberg formulation of the minimal massive gravity action. The constraint that removes the ghost field and the associated secondary constraint that eliminates its conjugate momentum are computed explicitly, confirming the consistency of the theory in the Stuckelberg formulation.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

Metric Formulation of Ghost-Free Multivielbein Theory

We formulate the recently proposed ghost-free theory of multiple interacting vielbeins in terms of their corresponding metrics. This is achieved by reintroducing all local Lorentz invariances broken by the multivielbein interaction potential which, in turn, allows us to explicitly separate the gauge degrees of freedom in the vielbeins from the components of the metrics by an appropriate gauge choice. We argue that the gauge choice does not spoil the no-ghost proof of the multivielbein theory, hence the multimetric theory is ghost-free. We further show the on-shell equivalence of the metric and vielbein descriptions, first in general and thereafter in two illustrative examples.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

Resolving the Ghost Problem in non-Linear Massive Gravity

We analyze the ghost issue in the recently proposed models of non-linear massive gravity in the ADM formalism. We show that, in the entire two-parameter family of actions, the Hamiltonian constraint is maintained at the complete non-linear level and we argue for the existence of a non-trivial secondary constraint. This implies the absence of the pathological Boulware-Deser ghost to all orders. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the existence of a consistent theory of massive gravity at the complete non-linear level, in four dimensions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

Bimetric Gravity from Ghost-free Massive Gravity

Generically, non-linear bimetric theories of gravity suffer from the same Boulware-Deser ghost instability as non-linear theories of massive gravity. However, recently proposed theories of massive gravity have been shown to be ghost-free. These theories are formulated with respect to a flat, non-dynamical reference metric. In this work we show that it is possible to give dynamics to the reference metric in such a way that the consistency of the theory is maintained. The result is a non-linear bimetric theory of a massless spin-2 field interacting with a massive spin-2 field that is free of the Boulware-Deser ghost. To our knowledge, this is the first construction of such a ghost-free bimetric theory.

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arXiv2011

Ghost-free Massive Gravity with a General Reference Metric

Theories of massive gravity inevitably include an auxiliary reference metric. Generically, they also contain an inconsistency known as the Boulware-Deser ghost. Recently, a family of non-linear massive gravity actions, formulated with a flat reference metric, were proposed and shown to be ghost free at the complete non-linear level. In this paper we consider these non-linear massive gravity actions but now formulated with a general reference metric. We extend the proof of the absence of the Boulware-Deser ghost to this case. The analysis is carried out in the ADM formalism at the complete non-linear level. We show that in these models there always exists a Hamiltonian constraint which, with an associated secondary constraint, eliminates the ghost. This result considerably extends the range of known consistent non-linear massive gravity theories. In addition, these theories can also be used to describe a massive spin-2 field in an arbitrary, fixed gravitational background. We also discuss the positivity of the Hamiltonian.

hep-th↗

arXiv2011

Cosmological Solutions in Bimetric Gravity and their Observational Tests

We obtain the general cosmological evolution equations for a classically consistent theory of bimetric gravity. Their analytic solutions are demonstrated to generically allow for a cosmic evolution starting out from a matter dominated FLRW universe while relaxing towards a de Sitter (anti-de Sitter) phase at late cosmic time. In particular, we examine a subclass of models which contain solutions that are able to reproduce the expansion history of the cosmic concordance model inspite of the nonlinear couplings of the two metrics. This is demonstrated explicitly by fitting these models to observational data from Type Ia supernovae, Cosmic Microwave Background and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2011

Confirmation of the Secondary Constraint and Absence of Ghost in Massive Gravity and Bimetric Gravity

In massive gravity and in bimetric theories of gravity, two constraints are needed to eliminate the two phase-space degrees of freedom of the Boulware-Deser ghost. For recently proposed non-linear theories, a Hamiltonian constraint has been shown to exist and an associated secondary constraint was argued to arise as well. In this paper we explicitly demonstrate the existence of the secondary constraint. Thus the Boulware-Deser ghost is completely absent from these non-linear massive gravity theories and from the corresponding bimetric theories.

hep-th↗

arXiv2011

On Non-Linear Actions for Massive Gravity

In this work we present a systematic construction of the potentially ghost-free non-linear massive gravity actions. The most general action can be regarded as a 2-parameter deformation of a minimal massive action. Further extensions vanish in 4 dimensions. The general mass term is constructed in terms of a "deformed" determinant from which this property can clearly be seen. In addition, our formulation identifies non-dynamical terms that appear in previous constructions and which do not contribute to the equations of motion. We elaborate on the formal structure of these theories as well as some of their implications.

hep-th↗

arXiv2011

Exact Solution to the "Auxiliary Extra Dimension" Model of Massive Gravity

The "Auxiliary Extra Dimension" model was proposed in order to provide a geometrical interpretation to modifications of general relativity, in particular to non-linear massive gravity. In this context, the theory was shown to be ghost free to third order in perturbations, in the decoupling limit. In this work, we exactly solve the equation of motion in the extra dimension, to obtain a purely 4-dimensional theory. Using this solution, it is shown that the ghost appears at the fourth order and beyond. We explore potential modifications to address the ghost issue and find that their consistent implementation requires going beyond the present framework.

hep-th↗

arXiv2011

Brane Induced Gravity, its Ghost and the Cosmological Constant Problem

"Brane Induced Gravity" is regarded as a promising framework for addressing the cosmological constant problem, but it also suffers from a ghost instability for parameter values that make it phenomenologically viable. We carry out a detailed analysis of codimension > 2 models employing gauge invariant variables in a flat background approximation. It is argued that using instead a curved background sourced by the brane would not resolve the ghost issue, unless a very specific condition is satisfied (if satisfiable at all). As for other properties of the model, from an explicit analysis of the 4-dimensional graviton propagator we extract a mass, a decay width and a momentum dependent modification of the gravitational coupling for the spin 2 mode. In the flat space approximation, the mass of the problematic spin 0 ghost is instrumental in filtering out a brane cosmological constant. The mass replaces a background curvature that would have had the same function. The optical theorem is used to demonstrate the suppression of graviton leakage into the uncompactified bulk. Then, we derive the 4-dimensional effective action for gravity and show that general covariance is spontaneously broken by the bulk-brane setup. This provides a natural realization of the gravitational Higgs mechanism. We also show that the addition of extrinsic curvature dependent terms has no bearing on linearized brane gravity.

hep-th↗

arXiv2004

D-branes in the NS5 Near-horizon pp-Wave Background

A class of Dp and Dp-D(p+4)-brane solutions are constructed in the Penrose limit of the linear-dilaton geometry. The classical solutions are shown to break all space-time supersymmetries. In the worldsheet description, the branes preserve as many supersymmetries as D-branes in flat space. It is shown that these supersymmetries do not have zero modes on the worldsheet and hence do not admit local space-time realizations. This indicates that, unlike the perturbative spectrum, the D-brane spectrum of strings in the linear-dilaton pp-wave is not similar to the flat space case.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

N=1 Worldsheet Boundary Couplings and Covariance of non-Abelian Worldvolume Theory

A systematic construction is given for N=1 open string boundary coupling to Abelian and non-Abelian Dp-brane worldvolume fields, in general curved backgrounds. The basic ingredient is a set of four ``boundary vectors'' that provide a unified description of boundary conditions and boundary couplings. We then turn to the problem of apparent inconsistency of non-Abelian worldvolume scalar couplings (obtained by T-duality), with general covariance. It means that the couplings cannot be obtained from a covariant action by gauge fixing ordinary general coordinate transformations (GCT). It is shown that the corresponding worldsheet theory has the same problem, but is also invariant under certain matrix-valued coordinate transformations (MCT) that can be used to restore its covariance. The same transformations act on the worldvolume, leading to a covariant action. Then the non-Abelian Dp-brane action obtained by T-duality corresponds to gauge fixing the MCT and not GCT, hence the apparent incompatibility with general covariance.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

Trans-Planckian Effects in Inflationary Cosmology and the Modified Uncertainty Principle

There are good indications that fundamental physics gives rise to a modified space-momentum uncertainty relation that implies the existence of a minimum length scale. We implement this idea in the scalar field theory that describes density perturbations in flat Robertson-Walker space-time. This leads to a non-linear time-dependent dispersion relation that encodes the effects of Planck scale physics in the inflationary epoch. Unruh type dispersion relations naturally emerge in this approach, while unbounded ones are excluded by the minimum length principle. We also find red-shift induced modifications of the field theory, due to the reduction of degrees of freedom at high energies, that tend to dampen the fluctuations at trans-Planckian momenta. In the specific example considered, this feature helps determine the initial state of the fluctuations, leading to a flat power spectrum.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

A Space-Time Orbifold: A Toy Model for a Cosmological Singularity

We explore bosonic strings and Type II superstrings in the simplest time dependent backgrounds, namely orbifolds of Minkowski space by time reversal and some spatial reflections. We show that there are no negative norm physical excitations. However, the contributions of negative norm virtual states to quantum loops do not cancel, showing that a ghost-free gauge cannot be chosen. The spectrum includes a twisted sector, with strings confined to a ``conical'' singularity which is localized in time. Since these localized strings are not visible to asymptotic observers, interesting issues arise regarding unitarity of the S-matrix for scattering of propagating states. The partition function of our model is modular invariant, and for the superstring, the zero momentum dilaton tadpole vanishes. Many of the issues we study will be generic to time-dependent cosmological backgrounds with singularities localized in time, and we derive some general lessons about quantizing strings on such spaces.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

Supersymmetry and the Systematics of T-duality Rotations in Type-II Superstring Theories

We describe a systematic method of studying the action of the T-duality group O(d,d) on space-time fermions and R-R field strengths and potentials in type-II string theories, based on space-time supersymmetry. The formalism is then used to show that the couplings of non-Abelian D-brane charges to R-R potentials can be described by an appropriate Clifford multiplication.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

D-brane Couplings, RR Fields and Clifford Multiplication

Non-trivial configurations of Yang-Mills fields and gravitational backgrounds induce charges on Dp-branes that couple them to lower and higher RR potentials. We show that these couplings can be described in a systematic and coordinate independent way by using Clifford multiplication. In the minimal formulation, D-brane charges and RR potentials combine into bispinors of an SO(1,9) which is defined with a flat metric and does not coincide with the space-time Lorentz group. In a non-minimal formulation, the RR potentials combine into SO(10,10) spinors while the space of charges is formally enlarged to construct SO(10,10) bispinors. The formalism suggests that the general form of the gravitational contribution to the D-brane charges is not modified, though the replacement of wedge product by Clifford multiplication gives rise to new couplings, consistent with T-duality.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

SO(d,d) Transformations of Ramond-Ramond Fields and Space-time Spinors

We explicitly construct the SO(d,d) transformations of Ramond-Ramond field strengths and potentials, along with those of the space-time supersymmetry parameters, the gravitinos and the dilatinos in type-II theories. The results include the case when the SO(d,d) transformation involves the time direction. The derivation is based on the compatibility of SO(d,d) transformations with space-time supersymmetry, which automatically guarantees compatibility with the equations of motion. It involves constructing the spinor representation of a twist that an SO(d,d) action induces between the local Lorentz frames associated with the left- and right-moving sectors of the worldsheet theory. The relation to the transformation of R-R potentials as SO(d,d) spinors is also clarified.

hep-th↗

arXiv1999

T-Duality, Space-time Spinors and R-R Fields in Curved Backgrounds

We obtain the T-duality transformations of space-time spinors (the supersymmetry transformation parameters, gravitinos and dilatinos) of type-II theories in curved backgrounds with an isometry. The transformation of the spinor index is shown to be a consequence of the twist that T-duality introduces between the left and right-moving local Lorentz frames. The result is then used to derive the T-duality action on Ramond-Ramond field strengths and potentials in a simple way. We also discuss the massive IIA theory and, using duality, give a short derivation of ``mass''-dependent terms in the Wess-Zumino actions on the D-brane worldvolumes.

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