Conformal transformations in metric‐affine gravity and ghosts

Abstract Conformal transformations play a widespread role in gravity theories in regard to their cosmological and other implications. In the pure metric theory of gravity, conformal transformations change the frame to a new one wherein one obtains a conformal‐invariant scalar–tensor theory such that the scalar field, deriving from the conformal factor, is a ghost. In this work, conformal transformations and ghosts will be analyzed in the framework of the metric‐affine theory of gravity. Within this framework, metric and connection are independent variables, and, hence, transform independently under conformal transformations. It will be shown that, if affine connection is invariant under conformal transformations, then the scalar field of concern is a non‐ghost, non‐dynamical field. It is an auxiliary field at the classical level, and might develop a kinetic term at the quantum level. Alternatively, if connection transforms additively with a structure similar to yet more general than that of the Levi‐Civita connection, the resulting action describes the gravitational dynamics correctly, and, more importantly, the scalar field becomes a dynamical non‐ghost field. The equations of motion, for generic geometrical and matter‐sector variables, do not reduce connection to the Levi‐Civita connection, and, hence, independence of connection from metric is maintained. Therefore, metric‐affine gravity provides an arena in which ghosts arising from the conformal factor are avoided thanks to the independence of connection from the metric.