Abstract
The nonminimal coupling of a scalar field is considered in the framework of Ashtekar's new variables formulation of gravity. A first-order action functional for this system is derived in which the field variables are a tetrad field, and an connection, together with the scalar field. The tetrad field and the connection are related to the Ashtekar variables for the vacuum case by a conformal transformation. A canonical analysis shows that for this coupling the equations of Ashtekar's formulation of canonical gravity are nonpolynomial in the scalar field.
- Received 30 January 1992
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.46.1450
©1992 American Physical Society