On conformal higher spin wave operators

Abstract

We analyze free conformal higher spin actions and the corresponding wave operators in arbitrary even dimensions and backgrounds. We show that the wave operators do not factorize in general, and identify the Weyl tensor and its derivatives as the obstruction to factorization. We give a manifestly factorized form for them on (A)dS backgrounds for arbitrary spin and on Einstein backgrounds for spin 2. We are also able to fix the conformal wave operator in d=4 for s=3 up to linear order in the Riemann tensor on generic Bach-flat backgrounds.