General relativity as an effective field theory: The leading quantum corrections

TLDR

Gravity behaves as a well‑behaved quantum field theory at ordinary energies within this framework. The paper describes treating gravity as a quantum effective field theory. The approach isolates low‑energy quantum corrections from massless particle propagation, characterized by nonlocal/nonanalytic vertex and propagator contributions, and demonstrates this by computing the leading corrections to the gravitational interaction between two heavy masses. The analysis shows that low‑energy quantum effects can be naturally separated from unknown high‑energy contributions, and that the leading corrections are parameter‑free consequences of quantum gravity.

Abstract

I describe the treatment of gravity as a quantum effective field theory. This allows a natural separation of the (known) low energy quantum effects from the (unknown) high energy contributions. Within this framework, gravity is a well-behaved quantum field theory at ordinary energies. In studying the class of quantum corrections at low energy, the dominant effects at large distance can be isolated, as these are due to the propagation of the massless particles ( including gravitons) of the theory and are manifested in the nonlocal and/or nonanalytic contributions to vertex functions and propagators. These leading quantum corrections are parameter-free and represent necessary consequences of quantum gravity. The methodology is illustrated by a calculation of the leading quantum corrections to the gravitational interaction of two heavy masses.