L. Freidel, J. Kowalski--Glikman, A. Starodubtsev
Published 2006-07-04, updated 2006-09-13Version 2
Since the work of Mac-Dowell-Mansouri it is well known that gravity can be written as a gauge theory for the de Sitter group. In this paper we consider the coupling of this theory to the simplest gauge invariant observables that is, Wilson lines. The dynamics of these Wilson lines is shown to reproduce exactly the dynamics of relativistic particles coupled to gravity, the gauge charges carried by Wilson lines being the mass and spin of the particles. Insertion of Wilson lines breaks in a controlled manner the diffeomorphism symmetry of the theory and the gauge degree of freedom are transmuted to particles degree of freedom.
Comments: 19 pages, some number of comments and clarifications added, to be published in Phys. Rev. D
Journal: Phys.Rev. D74 (2006) 084002
The non-existence of the self-accelerating dipole, and related questions
On the nature of the force acting on a charged classical particle deviated from its geodesic path in a gravitational field
Breaking and restoring of diffeomorphism symmetry in discrete gravity
