We employ the curvature expansion of the quantum effective action for gravity-matter systems to construct graviton-mediated scattering amplitudes for non-minimally coupled scalar fields in a Minkowski background. By design, the formalism parameterises all quantum corrections to these processes and is manifestly gauge-invariant. The conditions resulting from UV-finiteness, unitarity, and causality are analysed in detail and it is shown by explicit construction that the quantum effective action provides sufficient room to meet these structural requirements without introducing non-localities or higher-spin degrees of freedom. Our framework provides a bottom-up approach to all quantum gravity programs seeking for the quantisation of gravity within the framework of quantum field theory. Its scope is illustrated by specific examples, including effective field theory, Stelle gravity, infinite derivative gravity, and Asymptotic Safety.
We express all tree-level graviton amplitudes in Einstein's gravity as the collinear limits of a linear combination of pure Yang-Mills amplitudes in which each graviton is represented by two gauge bosons, each of them carrying exactly one half of graviton's momentum and helicity.
We argue that if the Newtonian gravitational field of a body can mediate entanglement with another body, then it should also be possible for the body producing the Newtonian field to entangle directly with on-shell gravitons. Our arguments are made by revisiting a gedankenexperiment previously analyzed by Belenchia et al., which showed that a quantum superposition of a massive body requires both quantized gravitational radiation and local vacuum fluctuations of the spacetime metric in order to avoid contradictions with complementarity and causality. We provide a precise and rigorous descriptio…
Graviton mediated polarisation-polarisation entanglement of photons by means of the Schwinger Keldysh and Kadanoff Baym formalisms and Quantum Boltzmann equations
We present first results of a systematic study of the structure of the low energy limit of the one-loop photon-graviton amplitudes induced by massive scalars and spinors. Our main objective is the search of KLT-type relations where effectively two photons merge into a graviton. We find such a relation at the graviton-photon-photon level. We also derive the diffeomorphism Ward identity for the 1PI one graviton - N photon amplitudes.
Adopting the hypothesis about the exact cancellation of vacuum condensates contributions to the ground state energy in particle physics to the leading order in graviton-mediated interactions, we argue that the observable cosmological constant can be dynamically induced by an uncompensated quantum gravity correction to them after the QCD phase transition epoch. To start with, we demonstrate a possible cancellation of the quark-gluon condensate contribution to the total vacuum energy density of the Universe at temperatures $T<100$ MeV without taking into account the graviton-mediated effects. In…
We report on the status of an ongoing effort to calculate the complete one-loop low-energy effective actions in Einstein-Maxwell theory with a massive scalar or spinor loop, and to use them for obtaining the explicit form of the corresponding M-graviton/N-photon amplitudes. We present explicit results for the effective actions at the one-graviton four-photon level, and for the amplitudes at the one-graviton two-photon level. As expected on general grounds, these amplitudes relate in a simple way to the corresponding four-photon amplitudes. We also derive the gravitational Ward identity for the…
Using the CHY-formalism and its extension to a double cover we provide covariant expressions for tree-level amplitudes with two massive scalar legs and an arbitrary number of gravitons in D dimensions. Using unitarity methods, such amplitudes are needed inputs for the computation of post-Newtonian and post-Minkowskian expansions in classical general relativity.
In this follow up paper, we calculate higher point tree level graviton Witten diagrams in AdS$_4$ via bulk perturbation theory. We show that by rearranging the bulk to bulk graviton propagators, the calculations effectively reduce to the computation of a scalar factor. Analogous to the amplitudes for vector boson interactions we computed in the previous paper, scalar factors for the graviton exchange diagrams also become relatively simple when written in momentum space. We explicitly calculate higher point correlators and discuss how this momentum space formalism makes flat space and collinear…
In this paper, we generalize the simplified Dark Matter models with graviton mediator to the curved space-time, in particular to the de Sitter space. We obtain the generating functional of the Green's functions in the Euclidean de Sitter space for the covariant free gravitons. We determine the generating functional of the interacting theory between Dark Matter particles and the covariant gravitons. Also, we calculate explicitly the 2-point and 3-point interacting Green's functions for the symmetric traceless divergence-less covariant graviton. The results derived here are general in the sense …
We discuss how scattering amplitudes in 4d Minkowski spacetime which involve multiple soft gravitons realize the algebra of BMS charges on the null boundary. In particular, we show how the commutator of two such charges is realized by the antisymmetrized consecutive soft limit of the double soft amplitude. The commutator is found to be robust even in the presence of quantum corrections, and the associated Lie algebra has an extension, which breaks the BMS symmetry if the BMS algebra is taken to include the Virasoro algebra of local superrotations. We discuss the implications of this structure …
Superstring field theory gives expressions for heterotic and type II string loop amplitudes that are free from ultraviolet and infrared divergences when the number of non-compact space-time dimensions is five or more. We prove the subleading soft graviton theorem in these theories to all orders in perturbation theory for S-matrix elements of arbitrary number of finite energy external states but only one external soft graviton. We also prove the leading soft graviton theorem for arbitrary number of finite energy external states and arbitrary number of soft gravitons. Since our analysis is based…
We calculate graviton multi-point amplitudes in an anti-de Sitter black brane background for higher-derivative gravity of arbitrary order in numbers of derivatives. The calculations are performed using tensor graviton modes in a particular regime of comparatively high energies and large scattering angles. The regime simplifies the calculations but, at the same time, is well suited for translating these results into the language of the dually related gauge theory. After considering theories of up to eight derivatives, we generalize to even higher-derivative theories by constructing a "basis" fo…
We analyze scattering amplitudes with one soft external graviton and arbitrary number of other finite energy external states carrying arbitrary mass and spin to sub-subleading order in the momentum of the soft graviton. Our result can be expressed as the sum of a universal part that depends only on the amplitude without the soft graviton and not the other details of the theory and a non-universal part that depends on the amplitude without the soft graviton, and the two and three point functions of the theory. For tree amplitudes our results are valid in all space-time dimensions while for loop…
We evaluate the four-closed-string scattering amplitude, using the Polyakov string path integral in the proper-time gauge. By identifying the Fock space representation of the four-closed-string-vertex, we obtain a field theoretic expression of the closed string scattering amplitudes. In the zero-slope limit, the four-closed-string scattering amplitude reduces to the four-graviton-scattering amplitude of Einstein's gravity. However, at a finite slope, the four-graviton scattering amplitude in the proper-time gauge differs not only from that of Einstein gravity, but also significantly differs fr…
In the context of gravity in the strong-coupling regime, the propagation amplitude of gravity coupled to relativistic particles undergoing geodesic separation is calculated exactly. Geodesic separation gives rise to boundary terms associated with the h_\times and h_+ graviton components. At low temperatures the propagation amplitude vanishes, implying no graviton propagation in this regime.
In arXiv:2008.04330 it was shown that supertranslation and $\overline{SL(2,\mathbb C)}$ current algebra symmetries, corresponding to leading and subleading soft graviton theorems, are enough to determine the tree level MHV graviton scattering amplitudes. In this note we clarify the role of subsubleading soft graviton theorem in this context.
The extended-BMS algebra of asymptotically flat spacetime contains an SO(3,1) subgroup that acts by conformal transformations on the celestial sphere. It is of interest to study the representations of this subgroup associated with gravitons. To reduce the equation of motion to a Schrodinger-like equation it is necessary to impose a non-covariant gauge condition. Using these solutions, leading-order gauge invariant Weyl scalars are then computed and decomposed into families of unitary principal series representations. An invertible holographic mapping is constructed between these unitary princi…
In this short note, we propose an algorithm based on the expansions of amplitudes, the dimensional reduction technic and the differential operators, to calculate the tree level scalar-graviton amplitudes with two massive scalars, as well as the tree level scalar-photon-graviton amplitudes with two massive scalars and one photon. While applying the unitarity method, these amplitudes are necessary inputs for the calculation of post-Newtonian and post-Minkowskian expansions in general relativity for two massive charged objects interact with gravity and electromagnetic field.
We continue to develop the pure connection formalism for gravity. We derive the Feynman rules for computing the connection correlation functions, as well as the prescription for obtaining the Minkowski space graviton scattering amplitudes from the latter. The present formalism turns out to be simpler than the metric based one in many aspects. Simplifications result from the fact that the conformal factor of the metric, a source of complications in the usual approach, does not propagate in the connection formulation even off-shell. This simplifies both the linearized theory and the interactions…
In the metric formulation gravitons are described with the parity symmetric $S_+^2\otimes S_-^2$ representation of Lorentz group. General Relativity is then the unique theory of interacting gravitons with second order field equations. We show that if a chiral $S_+^3\otimes S_-$ representation is used instead, the uniqueness is lost, and there is an infinite-parametric family of theories of interacting gravitons with second order field equations. We use the language of graviton scattering amplitudes, and show how the uniqueness of GR is avoided using simple dimensional analysis. The resulting d…
We show that the mixed gravitational/gauge superstring amplitudes describing decays of massless closed strings - gravitons or dilatons - into a number of gauge bosons, can be written at the tree (disk) level as linear combinations of pure open string amplitudes in which the graviton (or dilaton) is replaced by a pair of collinear gauge bosons. Each of the constituent gauge bosons carry exactly one half of the original closed string momentum, while their +/- 1 helicities add up to +/- 2 for the graviton or to 0 for the dilaton.
We apply recently developed path integral resummation methods to perturbative quantum gravity. In particular, we provide supporting evidence that eikonal graviton amplitudes factorize into hard and soft parts, and confirm a recent hypothesis that soft gravitons are modelled by vacuum expectation values of products of certain Wilson line operators, which differ for massless and massive particles. We also investigate terms which break this factorization, and find that they are subleading with respect to the eikonal amplitude. The results may help in understanding the connections between gravity …
We use the feature that the gravitational Compton scattering amplitude factorizes in terms of Abelian QED amplitudes to evaluate various gravitational Compton processes. We examine both the QED and gravitational Compton scattering from a massive spin-1 system by the use of helicity amplitude methods. In the case of gravitational Compton scattering we show how the massless limit can be used to evaluate the cross section for graviton-photon scattering and discuss the difference between photon interactions and the zero mass spin-1 limit. We show that the forward scattering cross section for gravi…
In this paper, we study the tree amplitudes with gluons coupled to gravitons. We first study the relations among the mixed amplitudes. With BCFW on-shell recursion relation, we will show the color-order reversed relation, $U(1)$-decoupling relation and KK relation hold for tree amplitudes with gluons coupled to gravitons. We then study the disk relation which expresses mixed amplitudes by pure gluon amplitudes. More specifically we will prove the disk relation for mixed amplitudes with gluons coupled to one graviton. Using the disk relation and the properties of pure gluon amplitudes, the colo…
Two new formulas which express n-graviton MHV tree amplitudes in terms of sums of squares of n-gluon amplitudes are discussed. The first formula is derived from recursion relations. The second formula, simpler because it involves fewer permutations, is obtained from the variant of the Berends, Giele, Kuijf formula given in Arxiv:0707.1035.
We compute graviton scattering amplitudes in M-theory using Feynman rules for a scalar particle coupled to gravity in eleven dimensions. The processes that we consider describe the single graviton exchange and the double graviton exchange, that in M(atrix) theory correspond to the $v^4/r^7$- and $v^6/r^{14}$-term respectively. We further show that the $ v^6/r^{14}$-term appearing in M(atrix) theory at two-loops can be obtained from the covariant eleven-dimensional four-graviton amplitude. Finally, we calculate the $v^8/r^{18}$-term appearing at two-loops in M(atrix) theory. It has been previou…
In part 1 of this series compact integral representations had been obtained for the one-loop photon-graviton amplitude involving a charged spin 0 or spin 1/2 particle in the loop and an arbitrary constant electromagnetic field. In this sequel, we study the structure and magnitude of the various polarization components of this amplitude on-shell. Explicit expressions are obtained for a number of limiting cases.
We use the Cutkosky rules as a tool for determining the infinities present in graviton scattering amplitudes. We are able to confirm theoretical derivations of counterterms in Einstein-Maxwell theory and to determine new results in the Dirac-Einstein counter-Lagrangian.
We show how the maximally helicity violating (MHV) scattering amplitudes for gravitons can be related to current correlators and vertex operators in twistor space. This is similar to what happens in Yang-Mills theory and raises the possibility of a direct twistor-string-like construction for ${\cal N}=8$ supergravity.
We construct an expression for the n-point one-loop graviton scattering amplitude with a single negative helicity external leg using an augmented recursion technique. We analyse the soft-limits of these amplitudes and demonstrate that they have soft behaviour beyond the conjectured universal behaviour.
We analyze the structure of scattering amplitudes of the Kaluza-Klein (KK) gravitons and of the KK gravitational Goldstone bosons in the compactified 5d General Relativity (GR). Using a general $R_ξ$ gauge-fixing, we study the geometric Higgs mechanism for the massive spin-2 KK gravitons. We newly propose and prove a Gravitational Equivalence Theorem (GRET) to connect the scattering amplitudes of longitudinal KK gravitons to that of the KK gravitational Goldstone bosons, which formulates the geometric gravitational Higgs mechanism at the scattering $S$-matrix level. We demonstrate that the GRE…
We study the structure of scattering amplitudes of the Kaluza-Klein (KK) gravitons and of the gravitational KK Goldstone bosons in the compactified 5d General Relativity (GR). We analyze the geometric "Higgs" mechanism for mass-generation of KK gravitons under compactification with a general $R_ξ$ gauge-fixing, which is free from the vDVZ discontinuity. Then, we formulate the Gravitational Equivalence Theorem (GRET) to connect the longitudinal KK graviton amplitudes to the KK Goldstone amplitudes, which is a manifestation of the geometric Higgs mechanism at $S$-matrix level. We directly comput…
We provide a new efficient diagrammatic tool, in the context of the scattering equations, for computation of covariant $D$-dimensional tree-level $n$-point amplitudes with pairs of spinning massive particles using compact exponential numerators. We discuss how this framework allows non-integer spin extensions of recurrence relations for amplitudes developed for integer spin. Our results facilitate the on-going program for generating observables in classical general relativity from on-shell tree amplitudes through the Kawai-Lewellen-Tye relations and generalized unitarity.
We compute the three-graviton tree amplitude in Type IIB superstring theory compactified to six dimensions using the manifestly (6d) supersymmetric Berkovits-Vafa-Witten worldsheet variables. We consider two cases of background geometry: the flat space example R6xK3, and the curved example AdS3xS3xK3 with Ramond flux, and compute the correlation functions in the bulk.
Techniques based upon the string organisation of amplitudes may be used to simplify field theory calculations. We apply these techniques to perturbative gravity and calculate all one-loop amplitudes for four-graviton scattering with arbitrary internal particle content. Decomposing the amplitudes into contributions arising from supersymmetric multiplets greatly simplifies these calculations. We also discuss how unitarity may be used to constrain the amplitudes.
We extend the Berkovits-Maldacena prescription for MHV amplitudes of the open superstring to the closed superstring, showing that in the α'=0 limit it reduces to the result of supergravity found recently by Hodges. We also verify that this prescription calculates the correct superstring tree level MHV amplitude for 4 gravitons including α' corrections.
We derive the subleading soft graviton theorem in a generic quantum theory of gravity for arbitrary number of soft external gravitons and arbitrary number of finite energy external states carrying arbitrary mass and spin. Our results are valid to all orders in perturbation theory when the number of non-compact space-time dimensions is six or more, but only for tree amplitudes for five or less non-compact space-time dimensions due to enhanced contribution to loop amplitudes from the infrared region.
A new class of twistor string theories were recently constructed by Abou-Zeid, Hull and Mason. The most interesting one of these theories has the particle content of N=8 supergravity. Arguments are given for the vanishing of the (+ - -)-helicity amplitude for gravitons which suggest that this theory describes a chiral N=8 supergravity rather than Einstein supergravity.
The interaction between gravitons and fermions is investigated in the teleparallel gravity. The scattering of fermions and gravitons in the weak field approximation is analyzed. The transition amplitudes of M$\varnothing$ller, Compton and new gravitational scattering are calculated.
Anomaly-mediated Scalar Gravitational Interactions and the Coupling of Conformal Sectors
Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università del Salento（萨伦托大学数学与物理系）；INFN Sezione di Lecce（意大利国家核物理研究所莱切分部）；National Center for HPC, Big Data and Quantum Computing（高性能计算、大数据与量子计算国家中心）；CNR-nanotec, Lecce（国家研究委员会纳米技术研究所莱切分部）
We present unitarity as a method for determining the infinities present in graviton scattering amplitudes. The infinities are a combination of IR and UV. By understanding the soft singularities we may extract the UV infinities and relate these to counter-terms in the effective action. As an demonstration of this method we rederive the UV infinities present at one-loop when gravity is coupled to matter.
Using relationships between open and closed strings, we present a construction of tree-level scattering amplitudes for gravitons minimally coupled to matter in terms of gauge theory partial amplitudes. In particular, we present examples of amplitudes with gravitons coupled to vectors or to a single fermion pair. We also present two examples with massive graviton exchange, as would arise in the presence of large compact dimensions. The gauge charges are represented by flavors of dynamical scalars or fermions. This also leads to an unconventional decomposition of color and kinematics in gauge th…
We consider the D^8 R^5 and D^{10} R^5 terms in the low momentum expansion of the five graviton amplitude in type IIB string theory at one loop. They involve integrals of various modular graph functions over the fundamental domain of SL(2,Z). Unlike the graphs which arise in the four graviton amplitude or at lower orders in the momentum expansion of the five graviton amplitude where the links are given by scalar Green functions, there are several graphs for the D^8 R^5 and D^{10} R^5 terms where two of the links are each given by a derivative of the Green function. Starting with appropriate au…
Recently, Bern, Carrasco and Johansson conjectured dual identities inside the gluon tree scattering amplitudes. In this paper, we use the properties of the heterotic string and open string tree scattering amplitudes to refine and derive these dual identities. These identities can be carried over to loop amplitudes using the unitarity method. Furthermore, given the $M$-gluon (as well as gluon-gluino) tree amplitudes, $M$-graviton (as well as graviton-gravitino) tree scattering amplitudes can be written down immediately, avoiding the derivation of Feynman rules and the evaluation of Feynman diag…
In the two-body scattering problem in general relativity, we study the final graviton particle distribution using a perturbative approach. We compute the mean, the variance and the factorial moments of the distribution from the expectation value of the graviton number operator in the KMOC formalism. For minimally coupled scalar particles, the leading deviation from the Poissonian distribution is given by the unitarity cut involving the six-point tree amplitude with the emission of two gravitons. We compute this amplitude in two independent ways. First, we use an extension of the Cheung-Remmen …
