Fourth Order Theories Without Ghosts

Simple item page
dc.creatorMannheim, Philip D.
dc.creatorDavidson, Aharon
dc.date2000-01-19
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T04:09:21Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T04:09:21Z
dc.descriptionUsing the Dirac constraint method we show that the pure fourth-order Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator model is free of observable negative norm states. Even though such ghosts do appear when the fourth order theory is coupled to a second order one, the limit in which the second order action is switched off is found to be a highly singular one in which these states move off shell. Given this result, construction of a fully unitary, renormalizable, gravitational theory based on a purely fourth order action in 4 dimensions now appears feasible.
dc.descriptionRevTeX, 8 pages
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0001115
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0001115
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/49810
dc.subjectHigh Energy Physics - Theory
dc.subjectGeneral Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
dc.titleFourth Order Theories Without Ghosts
dc.typetext

Files

Collections

arXiv