Constraints on antisymmetric tensor fields from Bhabha scattering

Antisymmetric tensor fields are a compelling prediction of string theory. This makes them an interesting target for particle physics because antisymmetric tensors may couple to electromagnetic dipole moments, thus opening a possible discovery opportunity for string theory. The strongest constraints on electromagnetic dipole couplings would arise from couplings to electrons, where these couplings would contribute to Møller and Bhabha scattering. Previous measurements of Bhabha scattering constrain the couplings to $${\tilde{M}}_e m_C>7.1\times 10^4\,{\mathrm {GeV}}^2$$ M ~ e m C > 7.1 × 10 4 GeV 2 , where $$m_C$$ m C is the mass of the antisymmetric tensor field and $${\tilde{M}}_e$$ M ~ e is an effective mass scale appearing in the electromagnetic dipole coupling.

Properties of an Alternative Off-Shell Formulation of 4D Supergravity

This article elaborates on an off-shell formulation of D = 4, N = 1 supergravity whose auxiliary fields comprise an antisymmetric tensor field without gauge degrees of freedom. In particular, the relation to new minimal supergravity, a supercovariant tensor calculus and the construction of invariant actions including matter fields are discussed.

On the quantum equivalence of an antisymmetric tensor field with spontaneous Lorentz violation

We present an explicit proof that a minimal model of rank-2 antisymmetric field with spontaneous Lorentz violation and a classically equivalent vector field model are also quantum equivalent by calculating quantum effective actions of both theories. We comment on the issues encountered while checking quantum equivalence in curved spacetime.

Lorentz-violating gaugeon formalism for rank-2 tensor theory

We develop a BRST symmetric gaugeon formalism for the Abelian rank-2 antisymmetric tensor field in the Lorentz-breaking framework. The Lorentz-breaking is achieved here by considering a proper subgroup of Lorentz group together with translation. In this scenario, the gaugeon fields together with the standard fields of the Abelian rank-2 antisymmetric tensor theory get mass. In order to develop the gaugeon formulation for this theory in very special relativity (VSR), we first introduce a set of dipole vector fields as a quantum gauge freedom to the action. In order to quantize the dipole vector fields, the VSR-modified gauge-fixing and corresponding ghost action are constructed as the classical action is invariant under a VSR-modified gauge transformation. Further, we present a Type I gaugeon formalism for the Abelian rank-2 antisymmetric tensor field theory in VSR. The gauge structures of Fock space constructed with the help of BRST charges are also discussed.

Avoiding instabilities in antisymmetric tensor field driven inflation

Models of inflation with antisymmetric tensor studied in the past are plagued with ghost instability even in an unperturbed FRW background. We show that it is possible to avoid ghosts in an unperturbed FRW background by considering the most general kinetic term for antisymmetric tensor field. The kinetic part acquires a new gauge symmetry violating term whose effect on perturbed modes is to prevent the appearance of nondynamical modes, and thus avoid ghosts. For completeness, we perform a check for gradient instability and derive the conditions for perturbations to be free of gradient instability.

Hamiltonian formalism of topologically massive electrodynamics

We consider the four-dimensional topologically massive electrodynamics in which a gauge field interacts with rank two antisymmetric tensor field through a topological interaction. The photon becomes massive by eating the rank two tensor field, which is dual to the Higgs mechanism. We explicitly demonstrate the nature of the mechanism by performing a canonical analysis of the theory and discuss various aspects of it.