In a theory of a Dirac fermion field coupled to a metric-axial-tensor (MAT) background, using a Schwinger-DeWitt heat kernel technique, we compute non-perturbatively the two (odd parity) trace...

We formulate the worldline quantization (a.k.a. deformation quantization) of a massive fermion model coupled to external higher spin sources. We use the relations obtained in this way to show that its regularized effective action is endowed with an L_∞ symmetry. The same result holds also for a massive scalar model.

We analyze a novel approach to gauging rigid higher derivative (higher spin) symmetries of free relativistic actions defined on flat spacetime, building on the formalism originally developed by Bonora et al. and Bekaert et al. in their studies of linear coupling of matter fields to an infinite tower of higher spin fields. The off-shell definition is based on fields defined on a 2d-dimensional master space equipped with a symplectic structure, where the infinite dimensional Lie algebra of gauge transformations is given by the Moyal commutator. Using this algebra we construct well-defined weakly non-local actions, both in the gauge and the matter sector, by mimicking the Yang-Mills procedure. The theory allows for a description in terms of an infinite tower of higher spin spacetime fields only on-shell. Interestingly, Euclidean theory allows for such a description also off-shell. Owing to its formal similarity to non-commutative field theories, the formalism allows for the introduction of a covariant potential which plays the role of the generalised vielbein. This covariant formulation uncovers the existence of other phases and shows that the theory can be written in a matrix model form. The symmetries of the theory are analyzed and conserved currents are explicitly constructed. By studying the spin-2 sector we show that the emergent geometry is closely related to teleparallel geometry, in the sense that the induced linear connection is opposite to Weitzenböck’s.

Continuing the study of the Moyal Higher Spin Yang–Mills theory started in our previous paper we provide a detailed discussion of matter coupling and the corresponding tree-level amplitudes. We also start the investigation of the spectrum by expanding the master fields in terms of ordinary spacetime fields. We note that the spectrum can be consistent with unitarity while still preserving Lorentz covariance, albeit not in the usual way, but by employing an infinite-dimensional unitary representation of the Lorentz group.

We formulate the worldline quantization of a massive fermion model coupled to external higher spin sources. We use the relations obtained in this way to show that its regularized effective action is endowed with an $L_\infty$ symmetry. The same result holds also for a massive scalar model.