Spin-2 quantum gauge theories and perturbative gauge invariance

In the framework of causal perturbation theory we analyze the gauge structu re of a massless self-interacting quantum tenser field. We look at this the ory from a pure field theoretical point of view without assuming any geomet rical aspect from general relativity. To first order in the perturbation ex pansion of the S-matrix we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for s uch a theory to be gauge invariant, by which we mean that the gauge variati on of the self-coupling with respect to the gauge charge operator P is a di vergence in the sense of vector analysis. The most general trilinear self-c oupling of the graviton field turns out to be the one derived from the Eins tein-Hilbert action plus divergences and coboundaries.