A simple parity violating gravity model without ghost instability

Abstract

In this paper we consider a parity violating gravity model without higher derivatives, thus ghost free. This model is constructed from the tetrad and its derivatives and coupled to a dynamical scalar field, like axion. It can be reduced from the Nieh-Yan term within the framework of teleparallel gravity. We apply this model to cosmology and investigate its consequences on cosmological perturbation theory. We find that the coupled dynamical scalar field lost its independent dynamics at the linear order and the parity violating term itself behaves like a viscosity. For gravitational waves, this model produces velocity difference between left- and right-handed polarizations, but generates no amplitude discrepancy.