The Λ-BMS4 charge algebra

Abstract

Abstract The surface charge algebra of generic asymptotically locally (A)dS4 spacetimes without matter is derived without assuming any boundary conditions. Surface charges associated with Weyl rescalings are vanishing while the boundary diffeomorphism charge algebra is non-trivially represented without central extension. The Λ-BMS4 charge algebra is obtained after specifying a boundary foliation and a boundary measure. The existence of the flat limit requires the addition of corner terms in the action and symplectic structure that are defined from the boundary foliation and measure. The flat limit then reproduces the BMS4 charge algebra of supertranslations and super-Lorentz transformations acting on asymptotically locally flat spacetimes. The BMS4 surface charges represent the BMS4 algebra without central extension at the corners of null infinity under the standard Dirac bracket, which implies that the BMS4 flux algebra admits no non-trivial central extension.