a

r
X
i
v
:
h
e
p
-
t
h
/
9
6
0
7
0
1
0
v
1


1

J
u
l

1
9
9
6
Spinors in Weyl Geometry
A. H. Fariborz

and D. G. C. McKeon

Department of Applied Mathematics,
University of Western Ontario,
London, Ontario N6A 5B7,
CANADA.
(February 1, 2008)
Abstract
We consider the wave equation for spinors in D-dimensional Weyl geometry.
By appropriately coupling the Weyl vector

as well as the spin connection

ab
to the spinor eld, conformal invariance can be maintained. The one loop
eective action generated by the coupling of the spinor eld to an external
gravitational eld is computed in two dimensions. It is found to be identical to
the eective action for the case of a scalar eld propagating in two dimensions.
Typeset using REVT
E
X

e-mail: AMIR@PINEAPPLE.APMATHS.UWO.CA

e-mail: TMLEAFS@APMATHS.UWO.CA
Fax: 519-661-3523
PACS No: 4.90e
1
I. INTRODUCTION
The eective action for gravity generated by the coupling of an external gravitational eld
to quantum matter elds is of crucial importance in string theory [1,2]. The behaviour of
this induced gravitational theory under a conformal transformation is of particular interest.
In refs. [3,4], the induced gravitational action in the case of a scalar matter eld propagating
in a background Weyl geometry is examined. In this paper, we extend these considerations
to the case in which the matter eld is a spinor eld.
In the next section we consider how to couple a spinor eld to a background gravitational
eld in the case of Weyl geometry in D-dimensions. We then compute the rst Seely-
Gilkey/DeWitt-Schwinger coecient E
1
(x, D), needed to determine the one-loop eective
action in two dimensions when using the formalism of ref. [5].
II. SPINORS IN WEYL GEOMETRY
Weyl in 1918 [6,7] introduced the idea of a conformal transformation
g

(x)
2
(x)g

(x) (1)
on the metric tensor g

(x). (We use the conventions of [8], except that we employ the
metric with signature ( + + + ...+) in D dimensions. ) In addition, he employed a vector
eld

(x) in order to preserve the conformal invariance of the theory; the transformation
of

that accompanies that of (1) is

+
1

. (2)
As is explained in [6,8], the role of

is to ensure that the magnitude of a vector

(l
2
= g

) transforms as
dl = (

dx

)l (3)
under a conformal transformation. This in turn implies that the symmetric connection

is given by
2

=
1
2
g

(g
,
+ g
,
g
,
) +

. (4)
The curvature tensor R

is dened by

;;

;;
= R

(5)
where

;
=

(6)
and hence
R

,
+

,
+

. (7)
We also nd from these equations that
g

;
= 2g

, (8)
so that
g
;
= +2g

. (9)
Consequently, we nd that

;
=
1

g
(

)
,
D

= g

(
;
) (D 2)

(10)
and therefore

;;

;;
= R

+ 2

(
;

;
). (11)
Since
;;

;;
= 0, we see that if = g

then

+
2
(
;

;
) = 0 (12)
and hence R

is not anti-symmetric in the indices and .

3
We now consider the vierbein eld e
a
dened so that
g

=
ab
e
a
e
b
(13)
and

ab
= g

e
a
e
b
. (14)
By (8) and (9), we see that
e
m
;
= e
m

(15)
and
e
m;
= e
m

. (16)
These equations, when combined with the denition of the covariant derivative of e
m
,
e
m
;
= e
m
,

e
m
+
m
n
e
n
(17)
show that the spin connection is given by

ma
=
1
2
_
e

m,
e
a
e

a,
e
m
_

1
2
e

m
e
a,
+
1
2
e

a
e
m,
+
1
2
g

_
e

m
e

a,
e

a
e

m,
_

a
e
m
+
m
e
a
. (18)
Under the conformal transformations of (1) and (2), we nd that
e
a
e
a
(19)

(20)

mn

mn
(21)
and
R
2
R (22)
4
where R = g

and R

= R

.
A conformally invariant coupling between the gravitational eld dened by

and g

and a spinor eld is given by

S =
_
d
D
xe

e
c
_
i
c
_

+
1
2

ab

ab
+
D 1
2

__
(23)
where
c
is a set of D-dimensional Dirac matrices satisfying {
a
,
b
} = 2
ab
, and
ab
=
(1/4) [
a
,
b
]. The eld undergoes the conformal transformation

(
D1
2
)
(24)
in conjunction with (1) and (2). A term of the form e

R in (23) would also be conformally

invariant, but will not be considered due to its non-polynomial dependence on R.
At one-loop order, the eective action for gravity due to the propagation of the spinor
eld in (23) is given by detD/ where
D/ = e
c

c
_

+
1
2

ab

ab
+
D 1
2

_
. (25)
Since D/ is linear in the derivatives, we will replace detD/ by det
1/2
(D/
2
). Despite the fact
that D/ is not Hermitian due to the term proportional to

in (23), the anti-Hermitian part

of D/
2
does not contribute in two dimensions as is demonstrated by the following calculation
in which D/
2
is simplied.
If

= e
c

c
and D

+
1
2

ab

ab
+
D1
2

, then by (25),
D/
2
=

([D

] +

) D

(26)
with
[D

] = e

a,

a
+
1
2

ab
e

c
_

ab
,
c
_
(27)
where in both four and two dimensions
[
ab
,
c
] =
a

c
b

b

c
a
. (28)
Together, (15), (17) and (27) yield
5
[D

] =
_

p
e

p
(29)
so that
D/
2
=
_
e

q
(
qp
+ 2
qp
)
_

p
e

_
+ (g

+ 2

) D

_
D

. (30)
We also can use the relation
e

q
e

qp

= g

which by (4) becomes

= g

,
+
1
2
g

g
,
+ (2 D)

. (31)
Consequently as
1
2
g

g
,
=
1

g
x

(32)
we have
D/
2
=
_
1

g
_

gg

_
,
+ (1 D)

2
qp
e

q
e

+ (g

+ 2

) D

_
D

. (33)
We now nd that as

=
1
2

[D

, D

]
=
1
2

_
D 1
2
(
,

,
) +
1
2

ab
(
ab,

ab,
) +
1
4

ab

cd
_

ab
,
cd
_
_
(34)
with
[
ab
,
cd
] = [
ac

bd

ad

bc
+
bd

ac

bc

ad
] ,
( and, in four dimensions {
ab
,
cd
} =
1
2
[
ac

bd
+
ad

bc
+
abcd

5
]) we have

=
1
2

__
D 1
2
_
F

1
2

ab
R
ab
_
. (35)
This involves use of the relations R
ab
=
ab,
+
ab,

am

m
b
+
am

m
b
with
R
ab
= e

a
e

b
R

and F

=
,

,
.
6
We also have
2
qp
e

q
e

= 2A

=
1

g
__

D

+ A

gg

_

D

+ A

gg

)

D

_

D

gg

gA

_
(36)
where
A

(37)
and

+
1
2

ab

ab
, (38)
( so that
_

D

gg

_
=
_

gg

_
,
+
1
2

gg

ab

ab
, A

_
) as well as
_
1

g
(g

g)
,
+ (1 D)

+ g

_
D

=
1

gg

)

D

_
D 1
2
_
2

+
_
D 1
2
_
1

g
(

gg

)
,
. (39)
Together (30),(35) and (36) reduce (26) to
D/
2
=
1

g
_
_

D

+ A

gg

_

D

+ A

_

D

gg

gA

_
D 1
2
_
2

+
D 1
2
(

gg

)
,
_
+

__
D 1
2
_
F

1
2

ab
R
ab
_
. (40)
We note that D/
2
is not Hermitian due to the presence of the terms
_

D

gg

_
+
D1
2

in (40). However, as we shall show in the next section, these terms do not
contribute to the eective action in two dimensions.
III. THE EFFECTIVE ACTION FOR GRAVITY
In order to compute the eective action for gravity induced by the propagation of a
spinor in two-dimensional Weyl geometry, we use the formalism of ref. [5]. In this approach,
we consider the operator
7
/ = e
1/2
(iD/) e
1/2
(41)
where D/ is dened in (25). If we make the transforms of eqs. (1), (2), (19 - 22) so that
/

/, then it is easy to see that in all dimensions
/ =
1/2

/
1/2
(42)
and thus the formalism used to determine eective action for spinors propagating in a
Riemannian background in ref. [5] can be used in the case of a Weyl background; the
one dierence being that the expansion coecient E
1
(x) given in (A21) must be used in
conjunction with the explicit forms for V

and X that occur in (40), viz.

V

=
1
2

ab

ab
+

(43)
and
X =
1

g
_
_

D

gg

_
+

gA

+
1
4

1
2
(

gg

)
,
_

1
2

_
F

ab
R
ab
_
.
(44)
Since in two dimensions

=
1
2i

5
, tr (

) = 0 and tr (

) =
1
2
(

)
we see that
tr (E
1
(x)) =
1
4
tr
_
2
_
1
2

ab

ab
+

g
_
_

D

gg

_
+

gA

+
1
4

1
2
(

gg

)
,
_
+
1
2

_
F

ab
R
ab
_

1
3
g

1
6
R
_
=
1
24
_
R + 2g

)
;
_
. (45)
Since in D dimensions [6,8] R =

R + (D 1)(D 2)

2(D 1)
1

g
_

_
,
where

R is the Ricci scalar in the limit

0, tr (E
1
) =
1
24

R, which is the Riemannian space

limit. (Those contributions to X in (44) that come from the non-Hermitian parts of H have
vanishing trace and hence do not contribute to the eective action, as was noted at the end
of the preceding section.)
The result of (45) is precisely the same as the result that one obtains for a model in which
a scalar propagates in a two-dimensional space with Weyl geometry [3,4]. Consequently, the
8
arguments of [5] can be used in the same way that they were in the scalar case, and we
obtain
S
eff
=
1
24
_
d
2
x

g
_

_
R +
2

g
_

_
,
_
+ 2
_
(46)
(where = ln(
1
) ). The integrand in (46) reduces to what occurs in Reimannian space
in two dimensions as was argued above. Hence in two dimensions, the eective action for
gravity induced by the propagation of a spinor in a background with Weyl geometry is
identical to what one obtains with Riemannian background.
IV. DISCUSSION
We have analyzed in some detail the formalism appropriate for a spinor eld propagating
in a space-time with Weyl geometry. Despite the fact that the action for the spinor eld is
not Hermitian, we have shown that the anti-Hermitian contribution does not contribute to
the eective action for gravity in two dimensions that is induced by the propagation of the
spinor eld. Indeed, the spinor contribution turns out to be precisely equal to that of the
scalar eld in two dimensions.
Currently we are considering expanding our considerations to include a version of super-
gravity that involves Weyl geometry in the bosonic sector.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to thank the Natural Sience and Engineering Research Council of Canada
for nancial support. R. and D. Mackenzie posed the questions that stimulated this inves-
tigation.
APPENDIX A:
In this appendix we consider the matrix element
9
M
xy
= x|e
Ht
|y (A1)
for the operator
H =
1

g
(

+ V

gg

+ V

) + X. (A2)
In order to compute the coecient E
1
(x) in the expansion [9]
M
xx
=
1
t
D/2
_
E
0
(x) + E
1
(x)t + E
2
(x)t
2
+ ...
_
(A3)
we employ the approach of [10,11] in conjunction with a normal coordinate expansion, as
was employed in the non-linear sigma model [12].
We begin by expanding the metric tensor in normal coordinate about a point x to the
order that will eventually be required to obtain E
1
(x),
g

(x + ()) = g

+ g
;

+
1
2
_
g
;
+
1
3
_
R

+ R

_
_

+ ... (A4)
which, by (8), becomes
= g

+ 2g

+
1
2
_
4g

+ g

(
;
+
;
) +
1
3
_
R

+ R

_
_

+ ...
(A5)
Consequently, we nd that
_
g (x + ()) = exp
_
1
2
tr [ln(g

)]
_
=

g
_
1 +D. +
D
2
2
(.)
2
+
D
2

;

+
1
6
R

+ ...
_
(A6)
and so
1
_
g (x + ())
=
1

g
_
1 D. +
D
2
2
(.)
2

D
2

;

1
6
R

+ ...
_
. (A7)
We also will have occasion to use the expansions
V

(x + ()) = V

+ V
;

+
1
2!
_
V
;;
+
1
3
R

+ ... (A8)
10
and
X (x + ()) = X + X
;

+
1
2!
X
;;

+ ... (A9)
For purpose of illustration, we now let X = V

= 0 in (A2), so that
H =
1

gg

=
_
1 + Y

+ Y

_
p

+ Z

+ Z

_
p

(A10)
to the order which we need to compute E
1
(x). (Here we have dened p to be i and have
assumed g

(x) =

.) In order to expand M
xx
in (A1) in powers of t as in (A3), we follow
the approach of [10,11]. This involves rst using the Schwinger expansion [13]
e
(H
0
+H
1
)t
= e
H
0
t
+ (t)
_
1
0
du e
(1u)H
0
t
H
1
e
uH
0
t
+(t)
2
_
1
0
du u
_
1
0
dv e
(1u)H
0
t
H
1
e
u(1v)H
0
t
H
1
e
uvH
0
t
+ ... (A11)
where H
0
is independent of

, and then converting this into a power series in t by inser-

tion of complete sets of momentum states and then performing the appropriate momentum
integrals.
Explicitly, we nd that to the order that contributes to E
1
,
M
xx
x|
_
(t)
_
1
0
du e
(1u)p
2
t
_
Y

p
2
+ p

+ Y

_
e
up
2
t
+(t)
2
_
1
0
du u
_
1
0
dv e
(1u)p
2
t
_
Y

p
2
+ p

_
e
u(1v)p
2
t

_
Y

p
2
+ p

_
e
uvp
2
t
+ ...
_
|x. (A12)
If we now insert complete sets of position and momentum states into (A12) we obtain
M
xx
(t)
_
1
0
du
_
dpdq
(2)
2D
_
dz e
i(pq).z
e
[(1u)p
2
+uq
2
]t
_
Y

q
2
+ p

_
+(t)
_
1
0
du
_
dpdqdr
(2)
3D
_
dz
1
dz
2
e
i[(pq).z
1
+(qr).z
2
]
e
[(1u)p
2
+ur
2
]t
_
Y

1
q

2
r

_
+(t)
2
_
1
0
du u
_
1
0
dv
_
dpdqdr
(2)
3D
_
dz
1
dz
2
e
i[(pq).z
1
+(qr).z
2
]
e
[(1u)p
2
+u(1v)q
2
+uvr
2
]t

_
Y

1
q
2
+ p

1
q

_ _
Y

2
r
2
+ q

2
r

_
. (A13)
11
It is now a straightforward exercise to rst integrate over z
i
in (A13), and then after utilizing
the resulting delta functions, evaluate the momentum integrals over p,q and r (all of which
are Gaussian). We nally arrive the result
M
xx

t
(4t)
D/2
_
Y

D
6
+
2
3
_
+
_

1
6
Z

1
3
Z

_
+Y

(D + 2)
_
D 4
48
_
+ Y

D
12
+
1
3
_
+ Y

_
D 4
24
_
+
_
1
24
Z

+
1
12
Z

+
1
48
Z

1
12
Z

__
. (A14)
If in (A10) we were to include X and V

as in (A2), then by employing the expansions of

(A8) and (A9), we nd that in order to determine E
1
(x), (A14) must be supplemented by
M
xx

t
(4t)
D/2
(V

Y

X) . (A15)
It is now possible to determine E
1
for the particular case in which Y

, Y

, Z

and Z

are
xed by the expansions (A5 - A9). We nd that these imply that
Y

= D

(A16)
Y

=
D
2
2

D
4
(
;
+
;
)
1
6
R

(A17)
Z

= (D 2)g

(A18)
and
Z

=
_
g

_
D
2
2
2D + 2
_

+ g

_
D
4

1
2
_
(
;
+
;
)
+
1
6
g

1
6
_
R


+ R


_
_
. (A19)
Together, (A14 - A18) imply that when D = 2,
M
xx

t
(4t)
_
2V

X
1
3
g

1
6
R
_
. (A20)
By (A20) we see that in two dimensions
4E
1
(x) = 2V

X
1
3
g

1
6
R (A21)
when considering the operator H in (A2).
12
REFERENCES
[1] A.M. Polyakov, Phys. Lett. 103B (1981) 207
[2] A.M. Polyakov, Phys. Lett. 103B (1981) 211
[3] D.G.C McKeon, Classical and Quantum Gravity, 9 (1992) 1495
[4] D.G.C. McKeon, Can. J. Phys. 70 (1992) 455
[5] I.L. Bukhbinder, V.P. Gusynin and P.I. Fomin, Sov. J. Nucl. Phys. 44 (1987) 534
[6] H. Weyl, Preuss. Akad. Wiss. 465 (1918); reprinted in The Principle of Relativity
(Dover, New York 1952).
[7] P.A.M. Dirac, Proc. Royal Soc. London A 333 (1973) 403
[8] R. Adler, M. Bazin and M. Schier, Introduction to General Relativity (McGraw-Hill,
New York (1965)).
[9] B.S. DeWitt, Dynamical Theory of Groups and Fields, ( Gordon and Breach, New
York (1965) ),
R.T. Seely, Proc. Symp. on Pure Math. 10, Amer. Math. Soc. 288 (1967),
P.B. Gilkey, J. Di. Geom. 10 (1965) 601
[10] L. Culumovic and D.G.C. McKeon, Phys. Rev. D38 (1988) 3831
[11] R.B. Mann, D.G.C. McKeon, T.Steele and L. Tarasov, Nucl. Phys. B 311 (1989) 630
[12] J. Honerkamp, Nucl. Phys. B36 (1972) 130,
L. Alvarez-Gaume, D.Z. Freedman and S. Mukhi, Ann. Phys. 134 (1981) 85
[13] J. Schwinger, Phys. Rev. 82 (1951) 664,
D.G.C. McKeon and T.N. Sherry, Phys. Rev. Lett 59 (1987) 532
13