A Superspace Formulation of the BV Action for Higher Derivative Gravity

TL;DR

This paper develops a superspace formulation of the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) action for higher derivative gravity, analyzing its BRST symmetries and invariance properties, both on-shell and off-shell.

Contribution

It introduces a superspace approach to the BV action in higher derivative gravity, elucidating extended BRST symmetries and their invariance conditions.

Findings

Extended BRST symmetry is only on-shell invariant.

Superspace formalism clarifies symmetry structure.

Analysis of anti-BRST and double BRST symmetries.

Abstract

In this paper we analyse perturbative higher derivative gravity which is known to possess a BRST symmetry associated with its higher derivative structure. We first analyse the anti-BRST and double BRST symmetries of this theory. We then discuss the extended BRST and extended anti-BRST symmetries of this theory using the superspace formalism. We show that even though this theory is generally invariant under extended BRST transformations under extended anti-BRST transformations it is only invariant on-shell.