String Theory Seminars

Causality Constraints on Corrections to the Graviton Three-Point Coupling

by Dr. Xian Camanho (Albert-Einstein-Institut, Golm, Berlin)

Monday, December 1, 2014 from to (Asia/Kolkata)
at A304
Description
We consider higher derivative corrections to the graviton three-point
coupling within a weakly coupled theory of gravity. We argue that
these are constrained by causality by means of a thought experiment
involving a high energy scattering process. This violation cannot be
fixed by adding conventional particles with spins lower or equal to
two. But, it may be fixed by adding an infinite tower of extra massive
particles with higher spins. In AdS theories these causality
conditions can be traced back to the positivity of certain energy flux
correlators and this implies a constraint on the coefficients of the
conformal anomaly.