Linearlised Theory of Gravity

Rupam Jyoti Borah,

Dibrugarh University,
Guided by
Prof. Umananda Dev Goswami

November 17, 2023

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Contents

1 Introduction

2 Linearlised Gravity

3 Graviton Lagrangian in linearlised Gravity

4 Gauge invariance of graviton Lagrangian

5 Quadratic Gravity

6 Action in Quadratic gravity

7 Conclusion

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Introduction

1 The most successfull theory that explains gravity is GR

2 GR fails to explain gravity at short distances

3 We need some modification in GR to study quantum nature of gravity

4 GR is renormalisable in the terms which are quadratic in curvature

5 We can use quadratic gravity to study quantum nature of gravity

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Linearlised gravity

1 It is a theory of weak gravitational field

2 Here we consider there is a Minkowski metric as background and a

perturbed metric is add

gαβ = ηαβ + hαβ (1)

3 The Einstein field equation can be converted in to linearlised form

4 The Reiman curvature tensor is given by

Rµανβ = 12 (gµβ,αν − gµν,αβ + gαν,νβ − gαβ,µν )

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1 Inserting equation (1) in the above equation the linearlised form of
curvature tensor become
1
Rµανβ = (hµβ,αν − hµν, αβ + hαν,µβ − hαβ,µν ) (2)
2

2 Simillarly the linearlised form of Ricci tensor is

1 α ,α α α


Rµν =hµ,αν − hµν,α + hν,µα − hα,µν (3)
2
3 The linearlised form of Ricci scaler is

R = g µν Rµν
, (4)
= hαβ αβ − h,,β β

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1 Inserting equation(2),(3),(4) in the Einstein tensor
Gµν = Rµν − 12 Rgµν
The linearlised form of Einstein tensor become
1 , α , α
Gµν = (hµα,ν α + hνα,µ − ηµν hαβ αβ − hµν,α ) (5)
2
2 where hµν = hµν − 12 ηµν h
is the trace reverse operator
3 The trace revese operator revese the trace of hµν
4 Trace reverse operator is used because it has the simillar form as the
field equation and it simplify the original equation

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1 The trace reverse operator satisfy a gauge transformation that
(new ) (old)
hµν = hµν − ξµ,ν − ξν, µ + ηµν ξ,αα
2 If we apply the transformation the only those terms in which
differentiation w.r.t same indices are taken will survive
3 Then the field equation reduces to
hµν = −16πTµν

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Graviton Lagrangian in Linearlised Gravity

1 In linearlised gravity graviton Lagrangian can be obtain by considering

the quadratic part in hµν of HE action.
2 To do so we perform perturbation arround Minkowski background as
SHE (gµν ) = SHE (ηµν + δgµν )
3 After Taylor expansion and substituting the linearlised forms of Ricci
tensor and Ricci scaler the final form of the Lagrangian become
L = 21 hµν O µνρσ hρσ
Where O µνρσ = − 12 η µρ η νσ + 12 η µσ η νρ − η µν η ρσ  − η µν ∂ ρ ∂ σ −


4

η ρσ ∂ µ ∂ ν + 21 (η νρ ∂ µ ∂ σ + η νσ ∂ µ ∂ ρ + η µρ ∂ ν ∂ σ + η µσ ∂ ν ∂ ρ )
5 The operator O µνρσ satisfy the follwing symmetries
O µνρσ = O νµρσ = O µνσρ = O ρσµν

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Quadratic Gravity

1 Quadratic gravity is a modification of GR.

2 In quadratic gravity the HE action is modified.
3 Here the all posible terms quadratic in the curvature are taken in to
consideration.
4 Quadratic gravity can be use to study the short range behaviour of
GR.
5 The additional terms in HE action render gravity renormalizable.

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1 The most
R general form of quadratic action of gravity is given by
√
Sq = 12 d 4 x −g Rµ1 ν1 λ1 σ1 Dµµ21νν21λλ21σσ21 R µ2 ν2 λ2 σ2
2 Where D is a differential operator containing only covariant derivative
and metric tensor gµν .
3 This action can be explicitly written as

√
Z 
Sq = 4
d x −g RF1 ()R + Rµν F2 ()R µν

+ Rµνλσ F3 ()R µνλσ + RF4 ()∇µ ∇λ ∇ν ∇σ R µνλσ

+ Rµν1 λ1 σ1 F5 ()∇λ1 ∇σ1 ∇ν1 ∇ν ∇σ R µνλσ

µ1 ν1 ρ1 σ1 µνλσ
+R F6 ()∇ρ1 ∇σ1 ∇ν1 ∇µ1 ∇µ ∇ν ∇λ ∇σ R (6)

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1 Where Fi () are arbitery functions of D’Alambertian operator
 = g µν ∇µ ∇ν .
2 Our required
R 4 √ full action is
S = − d x −g R + Sq
3 the linearlised form of the action is given as

Z 
4 1
Sq = − d x hµν a()hµν + hµσ b()∂σ ∂nu hµν
2
1
+ hc()∂µ ∂ν hµν + hd()h
2 
1 λσ f () µν
+ h ∂σ ∂λ ∂µ ∂ν h (7)
2 

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1 Where
a() = 1 − 21 F2 () − 2F3 ()
b() = −1 + 12 F2 () + 2F3 ()
c() = 1 + 2F1  + 12 F2 ()
d() = −1 − 2F1 () − 12 ()
f () = −2F1 () − F2 () − 2F3 ()
2 From the above we have the following relations
a() + b() = 0
c() + d() = 0
b() + c() + f () = 0
3 So now the action is depends only on two arbitary fuction.

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conclusion

1 At quantum level GR in incomplete.

2 Most of the work try to solve these problems modifying GR by
considering finite higher order derivative terms.
3 Fourth derivative gravity is renormalisable, but it introduce ghost.
4 To avoid all the problems the theory should modify with infinite
higher derivative terms.
5 The theory of gravity based on the quadratic action is singularity free.
6 To make it ghost free infinite derivative modification is required.

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References

1 Weak-Field Limit of Einstein’s Field Equations,Karlstad University

Faculty of health, science and technology
2 Nonlocal theories of gravity: the flat space propagator,Tirthabir
Biswas, Tomi Koivisto and Anupam Mazumdar
3 Ghost and singularity free theories of gravity,L. Buoninfante

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 Thank You

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