We review recent progress in massive gravity. We start by showing how different theories of massive gravity emerge from a higher-dimensional theory of general relativity, leading to the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati model, cascading gravity and ghost-free massive gravity. We then explore their theoretical and phenomenological consistency, proving the absence of Boulware-Deser ghosts and reviewing the Vainshtein mechanism and the cosmological solutions in these models. Finally we present alternative and related models of massive gravity such as new massive gravity, Lorentz-violating massive gravity and non-local massive gravity.

Massive Gravity

We consider several aspects of unitary higher-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs). We first study massive deformations that trigger a flow to a gapped phase. Deep inelastic scattering in the gapped phase leads to a convexity property of dimensions of spinning operators of the original CFT. We further investigate the dimensions of spinning operators via the crossing equations in the light-cone limit. We find that, in a sense, CFTs become free at large spin and 1/s is a weak coupling parameter. The spectrum of CFTs enjoys additivity: if two twists τ
 1, τ
 2 appear in the spectrum, there are operators whose twists are arbitrarily close to τ
 1 + τ
 2. We characterize how τ
 1 + τ
 2 is approached at large spin by solving the crossing equations analytically. We find the precise form of the leading correction, including the prefactor. We compare with examples where these observables were computed in perturbation theory, or via gauge-gravity duality, and find complete agreement. The crossing equations show that certain operators have a convex spectrum in twist space. We also observe a connection between convexity and the ratio of dimension to charge. Applications include the 3d Ising model, theories with a gravity dual, SCFTs, and patterns of higher spin symmetry breaking.

Convexity and Liberation at Large Spin

We consider higher derivative corrections to the graviton three-point coupling within a weakly coupled theory of gravity. Lorentz invariance allows further structures beyond the one present in the Einstein theory. We argue that these are constrained by causality. We devise a thought experiment involving a high energy scattering process which leads to causality violation if the graviton three-point vertex contains the additional structures. This violation cannot be fixed by adding conventional particles with spins $J \leq 2$. But, it can be fixed by adding an infinite tower of extra massive particles with higher spins, $J > 2$. In AdS theories this implies a constraint on the conformal anomaly coefficients $\left|{a - c \over c} \right| \lesssim {1 \over \Delta_{gap}^2}$ in terms of $\Delta_{gap}$, the dimension of the lightest single particle operator with spin $J > 2$. For inflation, or de Sitter-like solutions, it indicates the existence of massive higher spin particles if the gravity wave non-gaussianity deviates significantly from the one computed in the Einstein theory.

/pdf/causality-constraints-on-corrections-to-the-graviton-three-4pr7s5ztot.pdf

Causality Constraints on Corrections to the Graviton Three-Point Coupling

Aiming at nonexperts, the key mechanisms of higher-spin extensions of ordinary gravities in four dimensions and higher are explained. An overview of various no-go theorems for low-energy scattering of massless particles in flat spacetime is given. In doing so, a connection between the $S$-matrix and the Lagrangian approaches is made, exhibiting their relative advantages and weaknesses, after which potential loopholes for nontrivial massless dynamics are highlighted. Positive yes-go results for non-Abelian cubic higher-derivative vertices in constantly curved backgrounds are reviewed. Finally, how higher-spin symmetry can be reconciled with the equivalence principle in the presence of a cosmological constant leading to the Fradkin-Vasiliev vertices and Vasiliev's higher-spin gravity with its double perturbative expansion (in terms of numbers of fields and derivatives) is outlined.

How higher-spin gravity surpasses the spin-two barrier

We consider three-dimensional conformal field theories that have a higher spin symmetry that is slightly broken. The theories have a large-N limit in the sense that the operators separate into single trace and multitrace and obey the usual large-N factorization properties. We assume that the spectrum of single trace operators is similar to the one that one obtains in the Vasiliev theories. Namely the only single trace operators are the higher spin currents plus an additional scalar. The anomalous dimensions of the higher spin currents are of the order 1/N. Using the slightly broken higher spin symmetry, we constrain the three-point functions of the theories to a leading order in N. We show that there are two families of solutions. One family can be realized as a theory of N fermions with an O(N) Chern?Simons gauge field, the other as an N bosons plus the Chern?Simons gauge field. The family of solutions is parametrized by the 't Hooft coupling. At special parity preserving points, we obtain the critical O(N) models: the Wilson?Fisher one and the Gross?Neveu one. Our analysis also fixes the on-shell three-point functions of Vasiliev's theory on AdS4 or dS4.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0264-9381/30/10/104003/pdf

Constraining conformal field theories with a slightly broken higher spin symmetry

Higher spin gravities and presymplectic AKSZ models

We study the general structure of correlation functions in an Sp(2n)-invariant formulation of systems of an infinite number of higher-spin fields. For n = 4, 8 and 16 these systems comprise the conformal higher-spin fields in space-time dimensions D = 4, 6 and 10, respectively, while when n = 2, one deals with conventional D = 3 conformal field theories of scalars and spinors. We show that for n > 2 the Sp(2n) symmetry and current conservation makes the 3-point correlators of two (rank-one or rank-two) conserved currents with a scalar operator be that of free theory. This situation is analogous to the one in conventional conformal field theories, where conservation of higher-spin currents implies that the theories are free.

/pdf/correlation-functions-of-sp-2n-invariant-higher-spin-systems-5aaivhw3c5.pdf

Correlation functions of Sp(2n) invariant higher-spin systems

On deformations of A_infty A ∞ -algebras

We explore a class of CFT's with higher spin currents and charges. Away from the free or $N=\infty$ limit the non-conservation of currents is governed by operators built out of the currents themselves, which deforms the algebra of charges by, and together with, its action on the currents. This structure is encoded in a certain $A_\infty/L_\infty$-algebra. Under quite general assumptions we construct invariants of the deformed higher spin symmetry, which can be nothing else but correlation functions. In particular, we show that there is a finite number of independent structures at the $n$-point level. The invariants are found to have a form reminiscent of a one-loop exact theory. In the case of Chern-Simons vector models the uniqueness of the invariants implies the three-dimensional bosonization duality in the large-$N$ limit.

Slightly Broken Higher Spin Symmetry: General Structure of Correlators

One of the main ideas behind Higher Spin Gravities is that the higher spin symmetry is expected to leave no room for counterterms, thereby eliminating UV divergences that make the pure gravity non-renormalizable. However, until recently it has not been clear if such a mechanism is realized. We show that Chiral Higher Spin Gravity is one-loop finite, the crucial point being that all one-loop $S$-matrix elements are UV-convergent despite the fact that the theory is naively not renormalizable by power counting. For any number of legs the one-loop $S$-matrix elements coincide with all-plus helicity one-loop amplitudes in pure QCD and SDYM, modulo a certain higher spin dressing, which is an unusual relation between the non-gravitational theories and a higher spin gravity.

/pdf/one-loop-finiteness-of-chiral-higher-spin-gravity-515onamzxy.pdf

Evgeny Skvortsov

Papers

Higher spin gravities and presymplectic AKSZ models

Correlation functions of Sp(2n) invariant higher-spin systems

On deformations of A_infty A ∞ -algebras

Slightly Broken Higher Spin Symmetry: General Structure of Correlators

One-loop Finiteness of Chiral Higher Spin Gravity