Higher spin Lagrangians from higher derivative diffeomorphisms

Abstract

The covariant description of massless particles of arbitrary spin typically employs symmetric tensors of rank $s$ and rests on a local symmetry carried by symmetric tensor parameters of rank $s-1$, suitably generalizing the $U(1)$ transformations of Maxwell's theory and the diffeomorphisms underlying general relativity. Here we show that Fronsdal's action is actually uniquely identified by the weaker requirement of invariance under higher-derivative gauge transformations driven by a vector parameter. This observation may hint to a tighter, if unexpected, connection between higher-spin symmetry and diffeomorphisms.

8 pages, 1 figure

References in corpus (16)

• On higher spins and the tensionless limit of String Theory
• Gauge Invariant Lagrangians for Free and Interacting Higher Spin Fields. A Review of the BRST formulation
• General trilinear interaction for arbitrary even higher spin gauge fields
• On geometric equations and duality for free higher spins
• Current Exchanges and Unconstrained Higher Spins
• Minimal Local Lagrangians for Higher-Spin Geometry
• Quartet unconstrained formulation for massless higher spin fields
• On Higher Spin Theory: Strings, BRST, Dimensional Reductions
• Maxwell-like Lagrangians for higher spins
• Cubic interactions of Maxwell-like higher spins
• String theory triplets and higher-spin curvatures
• Transverse Invariant Higher Spin Fields
• Carrollian and Galilean conformal higher-spin algebras in any dimensions
• Basic introduction to higher-spin theories
• Solving the Noether procedure for cubic interactions of higher spins in (A)dS
• Low-spin models for higher-spin Lagrangians