On higher spin analogues of linearized Topologically Massive Gravity and linearized "New Massive Gravity"

TL;DR

This paper introduces higher spin-4 self-dual and doublet models in 2+1 dimensions, demonstrating their ghost-free nature and gauge invariance, and proposing a conformal higher spin symmetry framework for linearized topologically massive gravity.

Contribution

It develops new higher derivative, ghost-free spin-4 models and extends the gauge invariance and symmetry principles to arbitrary integer spins in 2+1 dimensions.

Findings

Higher spin-4 models are ghost free despite higher derivatives.

Models follow the same canonical pattern as lower spins after field redefinitions.

Proposes a conformal higher spin symmetry principle for linearized topologically massive gravity.

Abstract

We suggest a new spin-4 self-dual model (parity singlet) and a new spin-4 parity doublet in $D=2+1$. They are of higher order in derivatives and are described by a totally symmetric rank-4 tensor without extra auxiliary fields. Despite the higher derivatives they are ghost free. We find gauge invariant field combinations which allow us to show that the canonical structure of the spin-4 (spin-3) models follows the same pattern of its spin-2 (spin-1) counterpart after field redefinitions. For $s=1,2,3,4$, the spin-$s$ self-dual models of order $2s-1$ and the doublet models of order $2s$ can be written in terms of three gauge invariants. The cases $s=3$ and $s=4$ suggest a restricted conformal higher spin symmetry as a principle for defining linearized topologically massive gravity and linearized "New Massive Gravity" for arbitrary integer spins. A key role in our approach is played by the fact that the Cotton tensor in $D=2+1$ has only two independent components for any integer spin.