scholarly journals The effective field theory treatment of quantum gravity

Author(s):  
John F. Donoghue
Universe ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 171
Author(s):  
Folkert Kuipers ◽  
Xavier Calmet

In this paper, we discuss singularity theorems in quantum gravity using effective field theory methods. To second order in curvature, the effective field theory contains two new degrees of freedom which have important implications for the derivation of these theorems: a massive spin-2 field and a massive spin-0 field. Using an explicit mapping of this theory from the Jordan frame to the Einstein frame, we show that the massive spin-2 field violates the null energy condition, while the massive spin-0 field satisfies the null energy condition, but may violate the strong energy condition. Due to this violation, classical singularity theorems are no longer applicable, indicating that singularities can be avoided, if the leading quantum corrections are taken into account.


Author(s):  
Nicolás Valdés-Meller

We argue that quantum gravity is nonlocal, first by recalling well-known arguments that support this idea and then by focusing on a point not usually emphasized: that making a conventional effective field theory (EFT) for quantum gravity is particularly difficult, and perhaps impossible in principle. This inability to realize an EFT comes down to the fact that gravity itself sets length scales for a problem: when integrating out degrees of freedom above some cutoff, the effective metric one uses will be different, which will itself re-define the cutoff. We also point out that even if the previous problem is fixed, naïvely applying EFT in gravity can lead to problems — we give a particular example in the case of black holes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 095008
Author(s):  
L Ibiapina Bevilaqua ◽  
A C Lehum ◽  
A J da Silva

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 26-30
Author(s):  
Seoktae KOH ◽  
Jinn-Ouk GONG ◽  
Min-Seok SEO

A brief review on inflation is given from the quantum gravity perspective. Using the effective field theory, we discuss quantum fluctuations and how they evolve into classical perturbations. We then list some limitations on de Sitter space model building and unresolved issues of inflation theory, together with persepectives.


2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (13) ◽  
pp. 1330017 ◽  
Author(s):  
TIM A. KOSLOWSKI

Shape dynamics is a gauge theory based on spatial diffeomorphism- and Weyl-invariance which is locally indistinguishable from classical general relativity. If taken seriously, it suggests that the space–time geometry picture that underlies general relativity can be replaced by a picture based on spatial conformal geometry. This classically well-understood trading of gauge symmetries opens new conceptual avenues in many approaches to quantum gravity. This paper focusses on the general implications for quantum gravity and effective field theory and considers the application of the shape dynamics picture in the exact renormalization group approaches to gravity, loop- and polymer-quantization approaches to gravity and low energy effective field theories. Also, the interpretation of known results is discussed through the shape dynamics picture, particularly holographic renormalization and the problem of time in canonical quantum gravity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Passant Ali ◽  
Astrid Eichhorn ◽  
Martin Pauly ◽  
Michael M. Scherer

Abstract The question whether global symmetries can be realized in quantum-gravity-matter-systems has far-reaching phenomenological consequences. Here, we collect evidence that within an asymptotically safe context, discrete global symmetries of the form ℤn, n > 4, cannot be realized in a near-perturbative regime. In contrast, an effective-field-theory approach to quantum gravity might feature such symmetries, providing a mechanism to generate mass hierarchies in the infrared without the need for additional fine-tuning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Heidenreich ◽  
Jacob McNamara ◽  
Miguel Montero ◽  
Matthew Reece ◽  
Tom Rudelius ◽  
...  

Abstract We draw attention to a class of generalized global symmetries, which we call “Chern-Weil global symmetries,” that arise ubiquitously in gauge theories. The Noether currents of these Chern-Weil global symmetries are given by wedge products of gauge field strengths, such as F2 ∧ H3 and tr($$ {F}_2^2 $$ F 2 2 ), and their conservation follows from Bianchi identities. As a result, they are not easy to break. However, it is widely believed that exact global symmetries are not allowed in a consistent theory of quantum gravity. As a result, any Chern-Weil global symmetry in a low-energy effective field theory must be either broken or gauged when the theory is coupled to gravity. In this paper, we explore the processes by which Chern-Weil symmetries may be broken or gauged in effective field theory and string theory. We will see that many familiar phenomena in string theory, such as axions, Chern-Simons terms, worldvolume degrees of freedom, and branes ending on or dissolving in other branes, can be interpreted as consequences of the absence of Chern-Weil symmetries in quantum gravity, suggesting that they might be general features of quantum gravity. We further discuss implications of breaking and gauging Chern-Weil symmetries for particle phenomenology and for boundary CFTs of AdS bulk theories. Chern-Weil global symmetries thus offer a unified framework for understanding many familiar aspects of quantum field theory and quantum gravity.


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