2009/09/30 by Glenn Barnich, Cedric Troessaert · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #gr-qc #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.105.111103
published as Phys.Rev.Lett.105:111103,2010 · 7 pages Latex file, references added, comments on Poincare algebra and angular momentum added
arxiv created 2010/01/10 · arxiv updated 2014/11/20
It is argued that the symmetry algebra of asymptotically flat spacetimes at null infinity in 4 dimensions should be taken as the semi-direct sum of supertranslations with infinitesimal local conformal transformations and not, as usually done, with the Lorentz algebra. As a consequence, two dimensional conformal field theory techniques will play as fundamental a role in this context of direct physical interest as they do in three dimensional anti-de Sitter gravity.