Abstract
The formulation of gravitation theory in the light cone gauge is studied. After a brief discussion of Yang- Mills theory for purposes of illustration, tensor and scalartensor gravitation are investigated. We show that if the gauge conditions are properly chosen the constrained components of the metric tensor can be explicitly solved for by quadrature, so that the field theory can be reformulated entirely in terms of the physical transverse fields. It is also shown that the light cone gauge is useful for finding wave solutions of classical field equations. Occasional reference is made to dual models, primarily to explain our motivation, but familiarity with them is not required for an understanding of this paper.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Scherk, J. and Schwarz, J. H. (1974).Nucl. Phys.,B81, 118.
Cremmer, E. and Scherk, J. (1974).Nucl. Phys.,B72, 117; Kalb, M. and Ramond, P. (1974).Phys. Rev.,D9, 2273.
Scherk, J. and Schwarz, J. H. (1974).Phys. Lett.,B52, 347.
Kaku, M. and Kikkawa, K. (1974).Phys. Rev.,D10, 1110;Phys. Rev., D, (to be published); Kaku, M. (Preprint, CUNY), (to be published); Cremmer, E. and Gervais, J.-L. (Preprint, LPTHE 74/25); Ramond, P. (Preprint, Yale); Marshall, C. and Ramond, P. (Preprint, Yale).
Goddard, P., Hanson, A. J. and Ponzano, G. (Preprint, Institute for Advanced Study).
Cremmer, E. and Gervais, J.-L. (1974). Seminar presented at the Aspen Workshop on Dual Models, 1974.
Neveu, A. and Scherk, J. (1972).Nucl. Phys.,B36, 155; Gervais, J.-L. and Neveu, A. (1972).Nucl. Phys.,B46, 381.
Tomboulis, E. (1973).Phys. Rev.,D8, 2736.
Free spin 2 fields in the light cone gauge have been studied by: Root, R.G. (1973).Phys. Rev.,D8, 3382; Aragone, C. and Gambini, R. (1973).Nuovo Cim.,B18, 311.
See: Zakharov, V.D. (1973).Gravitational Waves in Einstein's Theory, (Halstead Press), and references contained therein.
Peres, A. (1959).Phys. Rev. Lett.,3, 571.
' t Hooft, G. and Veltman, M. (1973). (Preprint, CERN TH 1723).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Work supported in part by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. Prepared under Contract AT (11-1)-68 for the San Francisco Operations Office, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scherk, J., Schwarz, J.H. Gravitation in the light cone gauge. Gen Relat Gravit 6, 537–550 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00761962
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00761962