Conformal invariance and the six-dimensional formalism

Conformal invariance is discussed assuming the equations are well defined in arbitrary coordinate systems. This assumption leads to some constraints on scale dimensions of terms, and constraints on the introduction of ‘conformally invariant massive equations’. The six-dimensional formalism is then discussed, and is generalized to project to all conformally flat spaces. Finally the imbedding of Minkowski space equations is studied.SO(4, 2) breaking is seen to enter due to the presence of a non-invariant scalar field, and a non-invariant vector field. The theorem relating invariance of the six-space equations underSO(4, 2) to the invariance of their corresponding four-space equations under the conformal group is carefully stated and proved.     

Separation of variables and symmetry operators for the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon equation on curved spacetime

The separability of the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon equation and the Laplace-Beltrami equation are contrasted on two classes of Petrov type D curved spacetimes, showing that neither implies the other. The second-order symmetry operators corresponding to the separation of variables of the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon equation are constructed in both classes and the most general second-order symmetry operator for the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon operator on a general curved background is characterized tensorially in terms of a valence two-symmetric tensor satisfying the conformal Killing tensor equation and further constraints.     

Black hole temperature: Minimal coupling vs conformal coupling

In this article, we discuss the propagation of scalar fields in conformally transformed spacetimes with either minimal or conformal coupling. The conformally coupled equation of motion is transformed into a one-dimensional Schrödinger-like equation with an invariant potential under conformal transformation. In a second stage, we argue that calculations based on conformal coupling yield the same Hawking temperature as those based on minimal coupling. Finally, it is conjectured that the quasi normal modes of black holes are invariant under conformal transformation.     

Conformal off-mass-shell extension and elimination of conformal anomalies in quantum gravity

Radiative corrections in the Einstein quantum gravity are made manifestly conformally invariant without changing the S matrix. The conformally invariant form of the classical gravitational action is restored. It is shown, that conformal anomalies, discovered in gravitating systems, do not affect the S matrix. Off the mass shell these anomalies are eliminated by the appropriate choice of a regularization.     

Metric-torsional conformal gravity

When in general geometric backgrounds the metric is accompanied by torsion, the metric conformal properties should correspondingly be followed by analogous torsional conformal properties; however a combined metric torsional conformal structure has never been found which provides a curvature that is both containing metric-torsional degree of freedom and conformally invariant: in this Letter we construct such a metric-torsional conformal curvature. We proceed by building the most general action, then deriving the most general system of field equations; we check their consistency by showing that both conservation laws and trace condition are verified. Final considerations and comments are outlined.     

Weyl geometry

We develop the properties of Weyl geometry, beginning with a review of the conformal properties of Riemannian spacetimes. Decomposition of the Riemann curvature into trace and traceless parts allows an easy proof that the Weyl curvature tensor is the conformally invariant part of the Riemann curvature, and shows the explicit change in the Ricci and Schouten tensors required to insure conformal invariance. We include a proof of the well-known condition for the existence of a conformal transformation to a Ricci-flat spacetime. We generalize this to a derivation of the condition for the existence of a conformal transformation to a spacetime satisfying the Einstein equation with matter sources. Then, enlarging the symmetry from Poincaré to Weyl, we develop the Cartan structure equations of Weyl geometry, the form of the curvature tensor and its relationship to the Riemann curvature of the corresponding Riemannian geometry. We present a simple theory of Weyl-covariant gravity based on a curvature-linear action, and show that it is conformally equivalent to general relativity. This theory is invariant under local dilatations, but not the full conformal group.     

On conformally covariant spinor field equations

A spinor field equation, covariant with respect to the general conformal group (including reflections), should consist in general of not less than eight linear equations and then, in Minkowski space, could be represented by not less than two massless Dirac equations. Their reduction through projectors to only one equation, while not spoiling conformal covariance implies unphysical consequences. It is shown instead that two Dirac equations may be brought unambiguously through a stereographic projection to a manifestly conformal covariant form inE _4,2 space. The physical implications are discussed and it is shown that if the fundamental elementary interactions are expressed in terms of conformal semispinors (which can never appear as free particles), then the corresponding physical Dirac spinors appear in the elementary interactions in terms of their chiral projections. This could indicate both the conformally invariant origin of weak interactions and their fundamental character. The possibility of constructing unified models from conformally invariant Lagrangians is envisaged.Invited talk at the Symposium on Mathematical Methods in the Theory of Elementary Particles, Liblice castle, Czechoslovakia, June 18–23, 1978.A preliminary version was issued as Internal Report IC/78/43, ICTP Trieste May 1978, see also Lett. Nuovo Cim.21 (1978), 473.I am indebted to Prof. I. T.Todorov for interesting discussions.     

CONFORMAL INVARIANCE AND PARTICLE ASPECTS IN GENERAL RELATIVITY

We study the breakdown of conformal symmetry in a conformally invariant gravitational model. The symmetry breaking is introduced by defining a preferred conformal frame in terms of the large scale characteristics of the universe. In this context we show that a local change of the preferred conformal frame results in a Hamilton-Jacobi equation describing a particle with adjustable mass. In this equation the dynamical characteristics of the particle substantially depends on the applied conformal factor and local geometry. Relevant interpretations of the results are also discussed.     

Casimir Effect for Moving Branes in Static dS4+1 Bulk

In this paper we study the Casimir effect for conformally coupled massless scalar fields on background of Static dS₄₊₁ spacetime. We will consider the general plane–symmetric solutions of the gravitational field equations and boundary conditions of the Dirichlet type on the branes. Then we calculate the vacuum energy-momentum tensor in a configuration in which the boundary branes are moving by uniform proper acceleration in static de Sitter background. Static de Sitter space is conformally related to the Rindler space, as a result we can obtain vacuum expectation values of energy-momentum tensor for conformally invariant field in static de Sitter space from the corresponding Rindler counterpart by the conformal transformation.     

Conformal gravity and the bosonic string

We show that the Callan et al. effective equations of motion for the bosonic closed string in a non-trivial background may not be derived only from the bosonic part of theN=1 supergravity action of Manton and Chapline, but also from just a general conformally invariant theory of gravity. In our scheme the invariance under gauge transformations of the antisymmetric tensor field turns out to be a consequence of the metricity condition.     

Conformally invariant equations of the quantum field theory

The equations invariant under the transformation of the conformal algebra are obtained using the Casimir operators. The connections among the components of the field are explicitly derived in the case of indecomposable representations of the conformal algebra which give rise to e.g. the Maxwell equations with currents. The free field equations are also incorporated in the conformally covariant scheme.     

A local approach to dimensional reduction: II. Conformal invariance in Minkowski space

We consider the problem of obtaining conformally invariant differential operators in Minkowski space. We show that the conformal electrodynamics equations and the gauge transformations for them can be obtained in the frame of the method of dimensional reduction developed in the first part of the paper. We describe a method for obtaining a large set of conformally invariant differential operators in Minkowski space.     

Conformal Operators on Forms and Detour Complexes on Einstein Manifolds

For even dimensional conformal manifolds several new conformally invariant objects were found recently: invariant differential complexes related to, but distinct from, the de Rham complex (these are elliptic in the case of Riemannian signature); the cohomology spaces of these; conformally stable form spaces that we may view as spaces of conformal harmonics; operators that generalise Branson’s Q-curvature; global pairings between differential form bundles that descend to cohomology pairings. Here we show that these operators, spaces, and the theory underlying them, simplify significantly on conformally Einstein manifolds. We give explicit formulae for all the operators concerned. The null spaces for these, the conformal harmonics, and the cohomology spaces are expressed explicitly in terms of direct sums of subspaces of eigenspaces of the form Laplacian. For the case of non-Ricci flat spaces this applies in all signatures and without topological restrictions. In the case of Riemannian signature and compact manifolds, this leads to new results on the global invariant pairings, including for the integral of Q-curvature against the null space of the dimensional order conformal Laplacian of Graham et al.     

On conformally related fields in Rosen's bimetric gravitation theory

It is shown that the gravitational energy generation vector is conformally invariant. The necessary and sufficient condition for the conformai invariance of the gravitational field equations is found. The conformal transformations of two simple nongravitational energy tensors are considered. It is shown that the conformal factor for metrics conformal to the background is the solution of a simple differential equation.     

Conformal Structures of Static Vacuum Data

In the Cauchy problem for asymptotically flat vacuum data the solution-jets along the cylinder at space-like infinity develop in general logarithmic singularities at the critical sets at which the cylinder touches future/past null infinity. The tendency of these singularities to spread along the null generators of null infinity obstructs the development of a smooth conformal structure at null infinity. For the solution-jets arising from time reflection symmetric data to extend smoothly to the critical sets it is necessary that the Cotton tensor of the initial three-metric h satisfies a certain conformally invariant condition (*) at space-like infinity, it is sufficient that h be asymptotically static at space-like infinity. The purpose of this article is to characterize the gap between these conditions. We show that with the class of metrics which satisfy condition (*) on the Cotton tensor and a certain non-degeneracy requirement is associated a one-form κ with conformally invariant differential dκ. We provide two criteria. If h is real analytic, κ is closed, and one of its integrals satisfies a certain equation then h is conformal to static data near space-like infinity. If h is smooth, κ is asymptotically closed, and one of its integrals satisfies a certain equation asymptotically then h is asymptotically conformal to static data at space-like infinity.     

Conformal properties of an evaporating black hole model

We use a new, conformally invariant method of analysis to test incomplete null geodesics approaching the singularity in a model of an evaporating black hole for the possibility of extensions of the conformal metric. In general, a local conformal extension is possible from the future but not from the past.     

General relativity as a conformally invariant scalar gauge field theory

The global symmetry implied by the fact that one can multiply all masses with a common constant is made into a local, gauge symmetry. The matter action then becomes Conformally invariant and it seems natural to choose for the corresponding scalar gauge field the action for a conformally invariant (massless) scalar field. The resulting conformally invariant theory turns out to be equivalent to general relativity. Since this means that the usual Einstein-Hilbert action is not, in fact, a true gauge action for the space-time geometry, the full theory ought to be supplied with such a term. Gauge-theoretic arguments and conformal invariance requirements dictate its form.     

Conformal invariance and spontaneous symmetry breaking

We study the spontaneous symmetry breaking in a conformally invariant gravitational theory. We particularly emphasize on the nonminimal coupling of matter fields to gravity. By the nonminimal coupling we consider a local distinction between the conformal frames of metric of matter fieldsand the metric explicitly entering the vacuum sector. We suppose that these two frames are conformally related by a dilaton field. We show that the imposition of a condition on the variable mass term of a scalar field may lead to the spontaneous symmetry breaking. In this way the scalar field may imitate the Higgs field behavior. Attributing a constant configuration to the ground state of the Higgs field, a Higgs conformal frame is specified. We define the Higgs conformal frame as a cosmological frame which describes the large scale characteristics of the observed universe. In the cosmological frame the gravitational coupling acquires a correct value and one no longer deals with the vacuum energy problem. We then study a more general case by considering a variable configuration for the ground state of Higgs field. In this case we introduce a cosmological solution of themodel.     

Solutions of Yang's EuclideanR-gauge equations and self-duality

Under some assumptions and transformations of variables, Yang's equations forR-gauge fields on Euclidean space lead to conformally invariant equations permitting one to obtain infinitely many other solutions from any solution of these conformally invariant equations. These conformally invariant equations closely resemble the mathematically interesting generalized Lund-Regge equations. Some exact solutions of these conformally in variant equations are obtained. Except for some singular situations, these solutions are self-dual.