Effective Lagrangian from Higher Curvature Terms: Absence of vDVZ Discontinuity in AdS Space

TL;DR

This paper investigates how higher curvature terms in gravity theories can eliminate the vDVZ discontinuity in AdS space, especially when the graviton mass approaches zero, by analyzing the effects of these terms and the cosmological constant.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the vDVZ discontinuity can be absent in AdS space due to higher curvature effects and spontaneous mass generation mechanisms.

Findings

vDVZ discontinuity can be absent in AdS space with higher curvature terms

massless limit can be achieved faster than the cosmological constant approaches zero

stability of massive excitations depends on higher-curvature couplings

Abstract

We argue that the van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov discontinuity arising in the $M^2 \to 0$ limit of the massive graviton through an explicit Pauli-Fierz mass term could be absent in anti de Sitter space. This is possible if the graviton can acquire mass spontaneously from the higher curvature terms or/and the massless limit $M^2\to 0$ is attained faster than the cosmological constant $\Lambda \to 0$. We discuss the effects of higher-curvature couplings and of an explicit cosmological term ($\Lambda$) on stability of such continuity and of massive excitations.