English

On the chiral anomaly in non-Riemannian spacetimes

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2009-10-30 v1

Abstract

The translational Chern-Simons type three-form coframe torsion on a Riemann-Cartan spacetime is related (by differentiation) to the Nieh-Yan four-form. Following Chandia and Zanelli, two spaces with non-trivial translational Chern-Simons forms are discussed. We then demonstrate, firstly within the classical Einstein-Cartan-Dirac theory and secondly in the quantum heat kernel approach to the Dirac operator, how the Nieh-Yan form surfaces in both contexts, in contrast to what has been assumed previously.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.gr-qc/9702011,
  title  = {On the chiral anomaly in non-Riemannian spacetimes},
  author = {Yuri N. Obukhov and Eckehard W. Mielke and Jan Budczies and Friedrich W. Hehl},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/9702011},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

18 pages, RevTeX