Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The gauge-theoretic formulation of gravity, enriched with the observation that the tangent group of a curved manifold need not have the same dimension as the manifold itself, provides a natural framework for unifying gravity with internal interactions. In the present work we study the unification of Einstein gravity with the $SO(10)$ grand unified theory within an $SO(1,17)$ gauge theory. As a central result, we derive Einstein gravity with a cosmological constant from the spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) of an $SO(1,5)$ gauge theory to the Lorentz group via two independent routes: one using two scalar fields in the fundamental representation $\mathbf{6}$ of $SO(6)$, and one using a single scalar in the adjoint $\mathbf{15}$. Both yield a Gauss-Bonnet + Einstein-Hilbert + cosmological constant action. Embedding the $SO(1,5)$ gravitational sector in $SO(1,17)$ and breaking the full gauge group yields Einstein gravity coupled to $SO(10)$. The Weyl-Majorana condition reduces the fermion family degeneracy to two, in contrast to the four families obtained in the $SO(2,16)$ conformal gravity unification.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Stefas, S., Zoupanos, G.
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214360333