Problems of Massive Gravities

Abstract

The method of characteristics is a key tool for studying consistency of equations of motion; it allows issues such as predictability, maximal propagation speed, superluminality, unitarity and acausality to be addressed without requiring explicit solutions. We review this method and its application to massive gravity theories to show the limitations of these models' physical viability: Among their problems are loss of unique evolution, superluminal signals, matter coupling inconsistencies and micro-acausality (propagation of signals around local closed timelike/causal curves). We extend previous no-go results to the entire three-parameter range of massive gravity theories. It is also argued that bimetric models suffer a similar fate.

17 pages, 1 figure, LaTeX, invited contribution to appear in a special issue of Modern Physics Letters A

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• Massive Anti-de Sitter Gravity from String Theory
• On the local structure of spacetime in ghost-free bimetric theory and massive gravity
• Remnant Symmetry, Propagation and Evolution in f(T) Gravity
• Covariant constraints for generic massive gravity and analysis of its characteristics
• Black hole radiation of massive spin-2 particles in (3+1) dimensions
• Exotic Massive 3D Gravity
• Causality Constraints on Massive Gravity
• Cycles of interactions in multi-gravity theories
• Einstein Gravity, Massive Gravity, Multi-Gravity and Nonlinear Realizations
• The decoupling limit of Multi-Gravity: Multi-Galileons, Dualities and More
• Self-accelerating Massive Gravity: Superluminality, Cauchy Surfaces and Strong Coupling
• Universally Coupled Massive Gravity, III: dRGT-Maheshwari Pure Spin-$2$, Ogievetsky-Polubarinov and Arbitrary Mass Terms
• Black Hole Remnant in Massive Gravity
• On Swift Gravitons
• Coupling between Galileon and massive gravity with composite metrics
• A Complementary Third Law for Black Hole Thermodynamics
• Massive AdS Supergravitons and Holography
• Self-accelerating Massive Gravity: Hidden Constraints and Characteristics
• Causal hierarchy in modified gravity
• Revisiting black hole thermodynamics in massive gravity: charged particle absorption and shell of dust falling
• Comments on scattering in massive gravity, vDVZ and BCFW
• Massive to gauge field reduction and gravitational wave zone information
• On the viability of minimal Hořava gravity
• Bigravity from gradient expansion
• Gauss-Bonnet modification to Hawking evaporation of AdS black holes in massive gravity
• Partially massless theory as a quantum gravity candidate
• Effective Fluid FLRW Cosmologies of Minimal Massive Gravity
• Algebraic aspects of massive gravity