Spin-2 field theory in curved spacetime

Abstract

We present a new formulation to deal with the consistency problem of a massive spin-2 field in a curved spacetime. Using Fierz variables to represent the spin-2 field, we show how to avoid the arbitrariness and inconsistency that exists in the standard formulation of spin-2 field coupled to gravity. The superiority of the Fierz frame appears explicitly in the combined set of equations for spin-2 field and gravity: it preserves the standard Einstein equations of motion.