Three-dimensional $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb R)$ Yang-Mills theory is three-dimensional gravity with background sources

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Borsten, Leron, Kanakaris, Dimitri, Kim, Hyungrok
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Borsten, Leron
Kanakaris, Dimitri
Kim, Hyungrok
author_facet Borsten, Leron
Kanakaris, Dimitri
Kim, Hyungrok
contents Chern-Simons theory with certain gauge groups is known to be equivalent to a first-order formulation of three-dimensional Einstein gravity with a cosmological constant, where both are purely topological. Here, we extend this correspondence to theories with dynamical degrees of freedom. We show that three-dimensional Yang-Mills theory with gauge group $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb R)$ is equivalent to the first-order formulation of three-dimensional Einstein gravity with no cosmological constant coupled to a background stress-energy tensor density (which breaks the diffeomorphism symmetry). The local degree of freedom of three-dimensional Yang-Mills theory corresponds to degenerate "gravitational waves" in which the metric is degenerate and the spin connection is no longer completely determined by the metric. Turning on a cosmological constant produces the third-way (for $Λ<0$) or the imaginary third-way (for $Λ>0$) gauge theories with a background stress-energy tensor density.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_14228
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Three-dimensional $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb R)$ Yang-Mills theory is three-dimensional gravity with background sources
Borsten, Leron
Kanakaris, Dimitri
Kim, Hyungrok
High Energy Physics - Theory
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
83C80 (Primary) 81T13, 81T20, 81T35, 83C55 (Secondary)
Chern-Simons theory with certain gauge groups is known to be equivalent to a first-order formulation of three-dimensional Einstein gravity with a cosmological constant, where both are purely topological. Here, we extend this correspondence to theories with dynamical degrees of freedom. We show that three-dimensional Yang-Mills theory with gauge group $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb R)$ is equivalent to the first-order formulation of three-dimensional Einstein gravity with no cosmological constant coupled to a background stress-energy tensor density (which breaks the diffeomorphism symmetry). The local degree of freedom of three-dimensional Yang-Mills theory corresponds to degenerate "gravitational waves" in which the metric is degenerate and the spin connection is no longer completely determined by the metric. Turning on a cosmological constant produces the third-way (for $Λ<0$) or the imaginary third-way (for $Λ>0$) gauge theories with a background stress-energy tensor density.
title Three-dimensional $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb R)$ Yang-Mills theory is three-dimensional gravity with background sources
topic High Energy Physics - Theory
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
83C80 (Primary) 81T13, 81T20, 81T35, 83C55 (Secondary)
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.14228