Litcius/Paper detail

Gravitational soft theorem from emergent soft gauge symmetries

Martin Beneke, Patrick Hager, Robert Szafron

2022Journal of High Energy Physics17 citationsDOIOpen Access PDF

Abstract

A bstract We consider and derive the gravitational soft theorem up to the sub-subleading power from the perspective of effective Lagrangians. The emergent soft gauge symmetries of the effective Lagrangian provide a transparent explanation of why soft graviton emission is universal to sub-subleading power, but gauge boson emission is not. They also suggest a physical interpretation of the form of the soft factors in terms of the charges related to the soft transformations and the kinematics of the multipole expansion. The derivation is done directly at Lagrangian level, resulting in an operatorial form of the soft theorems. In order to highlight the differences and similarities of the gauge-theory and gravitational soft theorems, we include an extensive discussion of soft gauge-boson emission from scalar, fermionic and vector matter at subleading power.

Topics & Concepts

PhysicsGravitonGravitationTheoretical physicsMultipole expansionSoft modesGauge symmetryHomogeneous spaceGauge theoryInterpretation (philosophy)LagrangianClassical mechanicsGauge (firearms)KinematicsBosonMathematical physicsInertial frame of referenceGauge bosonParticle physicsOrder (exchange)Quantum electrodynamicsSoft photonIntroduction to gauge theorySupersymmetric gauge theoryGeneral relativityBlack Holes and Theoretical PhysicsCosmology and Gravitation TheoriesQuantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions