Parent form for higher spin fields on anti-de Sitter space

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive first order parent field theory for free higher spin gauge fields in anti-de Sitter space, unifying different formulations through a transparent geometric approach.

Contribution

It introduces a new parent theory framework that unifies flat and curved space formulations of higher spin fields using a higher dimensional embedding space.

Findings

Parent theory is formulated in a higher dimensional embedding space.

Both Fronsdal's and Vasiliev's formulations are derivable from the parent theory.

The approach simplifies understanding of higher spin gauge fields in AdS space.

Abstract

We construct a first order parent field theory for free higher spin gauge fields on constant curvature spaces. As in the previously considered flat case, both Fronsdal's and Vasiliev's unfolded formulations can be reached by two different straightforward reductions. The parent theory itself is formulated using a higher dimensional embedding space and turns out to be geometrically extremely transparent and free of the intricacies of both of its reductions.