Particles and Fields Seminar

A unique coupling of the massive spin-2 field to supergravity

Gabriele Casagrande
BGU
Date Mon, 01 Dec 2025
Time 14:00 – 15:00
Venue Sacta-Rashi Building for Physics (54), room 207

Abstract

In this talk, we investigate the possible couplings of a massive spin-2 field to (undeformed) D=4, N=1 supergravity. We do so by constructing the general stress-energy tensor multiplet for the N=1 massive spin-2 supermultiplet. We show that, at leading order in the Planck mass, this coupling is unique and characterized by a specific non-minimal coupling to the Riemann tensor. The massive spin-2 sector of this unique coupling reproduces the one of an oscillator mode in open string theory. The massive spin-1 sector, on the other hand, includes a higher-derivative term that may lead to violations of causality, which can be resolved by introducing infinitely many higher-spin fields, similar to the Regge trajectories in string theory. Moreover, we argue that this coupling is genuinely different from the one arising from Kaluza-Klein reductions of higher-dimensional supergravities, which we show leads instead to a deformation of the massless supersymmetry transformations.
Created on 30-11-2025 by Chapman, Shira (schapman) · Updated on 30-11-2025 by Chapman, Shira (schapman)
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