Born-Infeld gravity with a unique vacuum and a massless graviton


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Gullu I., Sisman T. C., TEKİN B.

PHYSICAL REVIEW D, vol.92, no.10, 2015 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 92 Issue: 10
  • Publication Date: 2015
  • Doi Number: 10.1103/physrevd.92.104014
  • Journal Name: PHYSICAL REVIEW D
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

We construct an n-dimensional Born-Infeld-type gravity theory that has the same properties as Einstein's gravity in terms of the vacuum and particle content: Namely, the theory has a unique viable vacuum (maximally symmetric solution) and a single massless unitary spin-2 graviton about this vacuum. The Born-Infeld gravity, in some sense, is the most natural, minimal generalization of Einstein's gravity with a better UV behavior and hence is a potentially less singular theory at small distances. The Gauss-Bonnet combination plays a nontrivial role in the construction of the theory. As an extreme example, we consider the infinite-dimensional limit where an interesting exponential gravity arises.