Hamiltonian analysis and positivity of a new massive spin-2 model

Abstract

Abstract Recently a new model has been proposed to describe free massive spin-2 particles in D dimensions in terms of a non symmetric rank-2 tensor e μν and a mixed symmetry tensor B μ[αβ]. The model is invariant under linearized diffeomorphisms without Stueckelberg fields. It resembles a spin-2 version of the topologically massive spin-1 BF model (Cremmer–Scherk model). Here we apply the Dirac–Bergmann procedure in order to identify all Hamiltonian constraints and perform a complete counting of degrees of freedom. In D = 3 + 1 we find 5 degrees of freedom corresponding to helicities ±2, ±1, 0 as expected. The positivity of the reduced Hamiltonian is proved by using spin projection operators. We have also proposed a parent action that establishes the duality between the Fierz–Pauli and the new model. The equivalence between gauge invariant correlation functions of both theories is demonstrated.