On unconstrained higher spins and their current exchanges

by Dario Francia (Chalmers, Gothenburg)

Monday 2 Jun 2008, 15:30 → 16:30 Europe/Stockholm

CoPS group room (A5:1041)

I shall introduce the subject of higher-spin field theory and briefly review classical difficulties and basic motivations. Established results due to Fronsdal describe free higher-spin gauge fields in terms of tensors subject to certain algebraic constraints which, on the other hand, are not suggested by string theory and conflict with the linear `geometry' available for these fields. I shall thus discuss a different formulation of the theory where such constraints are foregone, and check its consistency by coupling unconstrained higher-spin fields with external currents both on flat and on (A)dS backgrounds.

Slides for this talk: PDF