Related papers: Linear Higher-Order Maxwell-Einstein-Scalar Theori…
We classify higher-order Maxwell-Einstein theories linear in the curvature tensor and quadratic in the derivatives of the electromagnetic field strength whose kinetic matrices are degenerate. This provides a generalisation of quadratic…
We use a description based on differential forms to systematically explore the space of scalar-tensor theories of gravity. Within this formalism, we propose a basis for the scalar sector at the lowest order in derivatives of the field and…
We propose a covariant, gauge-independent construction of foliation-based scalar-tensor theories, yielding diffeomorphism-invariant operators involving only gradients on the hypersurfaces where the scalar field is constant, assumed to be…
We investigate higher-derivative extensions of Einstein-Maxwell theory that are invariant under electromagnetic duality rotations, allowing for non-minimal couplings between gravity and the gauge field. Working in a derivative expansion of…
The Einstein-Hilbert action with a cosmological constant is the most general local four-dimensional action leading to second-order derivative equations of motion that are symmetric and divergence free. In higher dimensions, additional terms…
We propose a new class of higher derivative scalar-tensor theories without the Ostrogradsky's ghost instabilities. The construction of our theory is originally motivated by a scalar field with spacelike gradient, which enables us to fix a…
The equivalence between theories depending on the derivatives of $R$, i.e. $f\left( R,\nabla R,...,\nabla^{n}R\right) $, and scalar-multi-tensorial theories is verified. The analysis is done in both metric and Palatini formalisms. It is…
We perform the Hamiltonian constraint analysis for a wide class of gravity theories that are invariant under spatial diffeomorphism. With very general setup, we show that different from the general relativity, the primary and secondary…
We construct a gauge theory based in the supergroup $G=SU(2,2|2)$ that generalizes MacDowell-Mansouri supergravity. This is done introducing an extended notion of Hodge operator in the form of an outer automorphism of $su(2,2|2)$-valued…
The scalar field theory with higher derivatives is considered in the first order formalism. The field equation of the forth order describes scalar particles possessing two mass states. The first order relativistic wave equation in the…
The general second-order massive field equations for arbitrary positive integer spin in three spacetime dimensions, and their "self-dual" limit to first-order equations, are shown to be equivalent to gauge-invariant higher-derivative field…
We summarize previous results on the most general Proca theory in 4 dimensions containing only first-order derivatives in the vector field (second-order at most in the associated St\"uckelberg scalar) and having only three propagating…
Symmetries corresponding to local transformations of the fundamental fields that leave the action invariant give rise to (invertible) topological defects, which obey group-like fusion rules. One can construct more general (codimension-one)…
We study the structure of scalar-tensor theories of gravity based on derivative couplings between the scalar and the matter degrees of freedom introduced through an effective metric. Such interactions are classified by their tensor…
The aim of this paper is to find higher order geometrical corrections to the Einstein-Hilbert action that can lead to only second order equations of motion. The metric formalism is used, and static spherically symmetric and…
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…
We study a free scalar field $\phi$ in a fixed curved background spacetime subject to a higher derivative field equation of the form $F(\Box)\phi =0$, where $F$ is a polynomial of the form $F(\Box)= \prod_i (\Box-m_i^2)$ and all masses…
We investigate the ghostfree scalar-tensor theory with a timelike scalar field, with derivatives of the scalar field up to the third order and with the Riemann tensor up to the quadratic order. We build two types of linear spaces. One is…
We classify all higher-order generalised Einstein-Maxwell Lagrangians that include terms linear in the curvature tensor and quadratic in the derivatives of the electromagnetic field strength tensor. Using redundancies due to the Bianchi…
We study a general Scalar-Tensor Theory with an arbitrary coupling funtion $\omega (\phi )$ but also an arbitrary dependence of the ``gravitational constant'' $G(\phi )$ in the cases in which either one of them, or both, do not admit an…