A solution of the van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov discontinuity problem in the frame of the Poincare-covariant field gravitation theory

TL;DR

This paper proposes a Poincare-covariant tensor field gravity theory that resolves the vDVZ discontinuity by introducing spin-2 and spin-0 fields with different signs, leading to a natural massless limit and testable predictions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel tensor field gravity framework with intrinsic spin-2 and spin-0 fields that naturally avoids the vDVZ discontinuity and aligns with gravitational observations.

Findings

The theory provides a massless limit without discontinuity.

It predicts a repulsive spin-0 gravitational component.

Experimental tests via gravitational wave observations are feasible.

Abstract

The van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov (vDVZ) mass discontinuity problem can be solved in the frame of the linear approximation of the Poincare-covariant second rank symmetric tensor field gravitation theory. Conservation of the source energy-momentum tensor, together with gauge invariance of the field equations, lead to generation of two intrinsic irreducible non-ghost dynamical fields: 4-traceless symmetric tensor (spin-2 universal attraction) and 4-trace (spin-0 universal repulsion). Due to difference in the signs of these forces the total free field Lagrangian contains different signs for the tensor and scalar dynamical fields. Generalized Fierz-Pauli mass term in total spin-2 plus spin-0 Lagrangian gives natural massless limit for mg --> 0, so the mass discontinuity paradox is absent. The Newtonian gravity and relativistic gravity effects, including positive localizable energy density of both parts of the gravitational field, are derived. Experimental test of the reality of the dynamical spin-0 repulsive field can be performed by LIGO-Virgo gravitational wave observations.