Related papers: Degenerate Higher-Order Maxwell Theories in Flat S…
This article reviews scalar-tensor theories characterized by a Lagrangian that, despite the presence of second order derivatives, contain a single scalar degree of freedom. These theories, known as Degenerate Higher-Order Scalar-Tensor…
As the first step to extend our understanding of higher-derivative theories, within the framework of analytic mechanics of point particles, we construct a ghost-free theory involving third-order time derivatives in Lagrangian. While…
We perform a Hamiltonian analysis and prove that a large class of scalar-tensor theories whose Lagrangian is given by a generic function $F\left(K_{ab},N,R_{ab},h^{ab},\nabla_a,t\right)$ is free from the Ostrogradsky ghost, and thus these…
We make a perturbative analysis of spatially covariant gravity only respecting spatial symmetries, of which the Lagrangian includes the dynamic lapse function and the coupling term of spatial curvature and extrinsic curvature. We show that…
We construct Lorentz-invariant massless/massive spin-2 theories in flat spacetime. Starting from the most generic action of a rank-2 symmetric tensor field whose Lagrangian contains up to quadratic in first derivatives of a field, we…
We give a proof of the most general multiple scalar field theory in flat space-time free of Ostrogradski ghosts. We start from the assumption that the action is a functional of the scalar fields and their derivatives of order upto two…
We systematically construct ghost-free scalar-tensor theories whose Lagrangian includes up to third-order derivatives of the scalar field. Using a spatially covariant action written in terms of the ADM variables, we impose degeneracy and…
There has been considerable interest in constructing modified gravity theories that propagate only two degrees of freedom (DOFs), corresponding to the tensorial gravitational waves of general relativity. Within the framework of spatially…
We construct the consistent ghost-free covariant scalar-vector-tensor gravity theories with second order equations of motion with derivative interactions. We impose locality, unitarity, Lorentz invariance and pseudo-Riemannian geometry as…
A necessary condition for a generally covariant scalar-tensor theory to be ghostfree is that it contains no extra degrees of freedom in the unitary gauge, in which the Lagrangian corresponds to the spatially covariant gravity. Comparing…
We exploit the fact that, in Minkowski space-time, gamma matrices are possibly more fundamental than the metric to describe how gauge invariance at perturbative level enforces a Lagrangian for spinor electrodynamics with massless photons.…
We consider theories describing the dynamics of a four-dimensional metric, whose Lagrangian is diffeomorphism invariant and depends at most on second derivatives of the metric. Imposing degeneracy conditions we find a set of Lagrangians…
By using the 3+1 point of view and parametrized Minkowski theories we develop the theory of {\it non-inertial} frames in Minkowski space-time. The transition from a non-inertial frame to another one is a gauge transformation connecting the…
We present the details of the novel framework for Lagrangian field theories that are Lorentz-invariant and lead to at most second order equations of motion. The use of antisymmetric structure is of crucial importance. The general ghost-free…
In this note we continue to pursue the question whether gauge theories can be represented in terms of effective "scalar" degrees of freedom. We provide such a consistent representation for a free photon theory in 3+1 dimensions. Building on…
A discussion of the number of degrees of freedom, and their dynamical properties, in higher-derivative gravitational theories is presented. The complete non-linear sigma model for these degrees of freedom is exhibited using the method of…
By using the 3+1 point of view and parametrized Minkowski theories we develop the theory of {\it non-inertial} frames in Minkowski space-time. The transition from a non-inertial frame to another one is a gauge transformation connecting the…
It is shown that a 4D N=1 softly broken supersymmetric theory with higher derivative operators in the Kahler or the superpotential part of the Lagrangian and with an otherwise arbitrary superpotential, can be re-formulated as a theory…
Within the general framework of spatially covariant theories of gravity, we study the conditions for having only the two tensorial degrees of freedom. Generally, there are three degrees of freedom propagating in the theory, of which two are…
We carry out the extension of the covariant Ostrogradski method to fermionic field theories. Higher-derivative Lagrangians reduce to second order differential ones with one explicit independent field for each degree of freedom.