The most general covariant gauge fixing Lagrangian is considered for aspin-two gauge theory in the context of the Faddeev-Popov procedure. Ingeneral, five parameters characterize this gauge fixing. Certain limitingvalues for these parameters give rise to a spin-two propagator that is eithertraceless or transverse, but for no values of these parameters is thispropagator simultaneously traceless and transverse. Having atraceless-transverse (TT) propagator ensures that only the physical degrees offreedom associated with the tensor field propagate, and hence it is analogousto the Landau gauge in electrodynamics. To obtain such a traceless-transversepropagator, a gauge fixing Lagrangian which is not quadratic must be employed;this sort of gauge fixing Lagrangian is not encountered in the usualFaddeev-Popov procedure. It is shown that when this non-quadratic gauge fixingLagrangian is used, two Fermionic and one Bosonic ghost arise. As a simpleapplication we discuss the energy-momentum tensor of the gravitational field atfinite temperature.
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