On higher spin interactions with matter

Abstract

Cubic couplings between a complex scalar field and a tower of symmetric tensor gauge fields of all ranks are investigated. A symmetric conserved current, bilinear in the scalar field and containing r derivatives, is provided for any rank r ≥ 1 and is related to the corresponding rigid symmetry of Klein-Gordon's Lagrangian. Following Noether's method, the tensor gauge fields interact with the scalar field via minimal coupling to the conserved currents. The corresponding cubic vertex is written in a compact form by making use of Weyl's symbols. This enables the explicit computation of the non-Abelian gauge symmetry group, the current-current interaction between scalar particles mediated by any gauge field and the corresponding four-scalar elastic scattering tree amplitude. The exact summation of these amplitudes for an infinite tower of gauge fields is possible and several examples for a definite choice of the coupling constants are provided where the total amplitude exhibits fast (e.g. exponential) fall-off in the high-energy limit. Nevertheless, the long range interaction potential is dominated by the exchange of low-spin (r ≤ 2) particles in the low-energy limit. © 2009 SISSA.