Presymplectic BV-AKSZ formulation of Conformal Gravity

Abstract

We elaborate on the presymplectic BV-AKSZ approach to local gauge theories and apply it to conformal gravity. More specifically, we identify a compatible presymplectic structure on the minimal model of the total BRST complex of this theory and show that together with the BRST differential it determines a full-scale BV formulation for a specific frame-like action which seems to be previously unknown. Remarkably, the underlying frame-like description requires no artificial off-shell constraints. Instead, the action becomes equivalent to the usual conformal gravity one, upon gauging away all the variables belonging to the kernel of the presymplectic structure. Finally, we show how the presymplectic BV-AKSZ approach extends to generic gauge theories.