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Asymptotic symmetries of three-dimensional gravity coupled to higher-spin fields

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Abstract

We discuss the emergence of \( \mathcal{W} \mbox{-algebras}\) as asymptotic symmetries of higher-spin gauge theories coupled to three-dimensional Einstein gravity with a negative cosmological constant. We focus on models involving a finite number of bosonic higher-spin fields, and especially on the example provided by the coupling of a spin-3 field to gravity. It is described by a SL(3) × SL(3) Chern-Simons theory and its asymptotic symmetry algebra is given by two copies of the classical \( {\mathcal{W}_3}\mbox{-algebra} \) with central charge the one computed by Brown and Henneaux in pure gravity with negative cosmological constant.

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  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Golm, Germany

    A. Campoleoni, S. Fredenhagen, S. Pfenninger & S. Theisen

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  1. A. Campoleoni
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  2. S. Fredenhagen
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  3. S. Pfenninger
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Correspondence to A. Campoleoni.

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ArXiv ePrint: 1008.4744

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Campoleoni, A., Fredenhagen, S., Pfenninger, S. et al. Asymptotic symmetries of three-dimensional gravity coupled to higher-spin fields. J. High Energ. Phys. 2010, 7 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP11(2010)007

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