Generalized cosmological term from Maxwell symmetries

By gauging the Maxwell spacetime algebra, the standard geometric framework of Einstein gravity with cosmological constant term is extended by adding six four-vector fields A(mu)(ab)(x) associated with the six Abelian tensorial charges in the Maxwell algebra. In the simplest Maxwell extension of Einstein gravity this leads to a generalized cosmological term that includes a contribution from these vector fields. We also consider going beyond the basic gravitational model by means of bilinear actions for the new Abelian gauge fields. Finally, an analogy with the supersymmetric generalization of gravity is indicated. In an appendix, we propose an equivalent description of the model in terms of a shift of the standard spin connection by the A(mu)(ab)(x) fields.