Matrix Gravity and Massive Colored Gravitons

Abstract

We formulate a theory of gravity with a matrix-valued complex vierbein based on the SL(2N,C)xSL(2N,C) gauge symmetry. The theory is metric independent, and before symmetry breaking all fields are massless. The symmetry is broken spontaneously and all gravitons corresponding to the broken generators acquire masses. If the symmetry is broken to SL(2,C) then the spectrum would correspond to one massless graviton coupled to $2N^2 -1$ massive gravitons. A novel feature is the way the fields corresponding to non-compact generators acquire kinetic energies with correct signs. Equally surprising is the way Yang-Mills gauge fields acquire their correct kinetic energies through the coupling to the non-dynamical antisymmetric components of the vierbeins.