On higher-spin supertranslations and superrotations

TL;DR

The paper investigates large gauge transformations of massless higher-spin fields in four-dimensional Minkowski space, showing that, under Bondi-like fall-off conditions, there exists an infinite-dimensional Abelian asymptotic symmetry algebra whose Ward identities reproduce Weinberg's soft factorisation for any spin. It provides explicit constructions for spin-3 and general spin-s supertranslations, analyzes consistency of the Bondi gauge, links soft theorems to Goldstone modes of these large gauge symmetries, and reveals an extended set of higher-spin superrotations in 4D, suggesting a possible connection to W-algebras and AdS3 higher-spin structures. These results deepen the understanding of infrared symmetries in higher-spin theories and indicate a rich boundary dynamics that could inform connections to string theory and holographic frameworks.

Abstract

We study the large gauge transformations of massless higher-spin fields in four-dimensional Minkowski space. Upon imposing suitable fall-off conditions, providing higher-spin counterparts of the Bondi gauge, we observe the existence of an infinite-dimensional asymptotic symmetry algebra. The corresponding Ward identities can be held responsible for Weinberg's factorization theorem for amplitudes involving soft particles of spin greater than two.