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The Dynamical Approach to Spin-2 Gravity

Salimkhani, Kian (2020) The Dynamical Approach to Spin-2 Gravity. Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics. ISSN 1355-2198

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Abstract

This paper engages with the following closely related questions that have recently received some attention in the literature: (a) what is the status of the equivalence principle in general relativity (GR)?; (b) how does the metric field obtain its property of being able to act as a metric?; and (c) is the metric of GR derivative on the dynamics of the matter fields? The paper attempts to complement these debates by studying the spin-2 approach to (quantum) gravity. In particular, the paper argues that three lessons can be drawn from the spin-2 approach: (1) different from what is sometimes claimed in the literature, central aspects of the non-linear theory of GR are already derivable in classical spin-2 theory; in particular, ‘universal coupling’ can be considered a derived ‘theorem’ in both the classical and the quantum spin-2 approach; this provides new insights for the investigation of the equivalence principle; (2) the ‘second miracle’ that Read et al. argue characterises GR is explained in the classical as well as in the quantum version of the spin-2 approach; (3) the spin-2 approach allows for an ontological reduction of the metrical part of spacetime to the dynamics of matter fields.


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Item Type: Published Article or Volume
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Salimkhani, Kianksalimkhani@uni-bonn.de0000-0003-3453-402X
Keywords: spin-2, equivalence principle, dynamical approach, general relativity, quantum field theory, quantum gravity
Subjects: General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Depositing User: Mr. Kian Salimkhani
Date Deposited: 23 Aug 2020 03:48
Last Modified: 23 Aug 2020 03:48
Item ID: 18016
Journal or Publication Title: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
Publisher: Elsevier
DOI or Unique Handle: 10.1016/j.shpsb.2020.05.002
Subjects: General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Date: 2020
ISSN: 1355-2198
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18016

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