Hamiltonian formulation of general relativity and post-Newtonian dynamics of compact binaries

Gravitationally induced decoherence vs space-time diffusion: testing the quantum nature of gravity

We consider two interacting systems when one is treated classically while the other system remains quantum. Consistent dynamics of this coupling has been shown to exist, and explored in the context of treating space-time classically. Here, we prove that any such hybrid dynamics necessarily results in decoherence of the quantum system, and a breakdown in predictability in the classical phase space. We further prove that a trade-off between the rate of this decoherence and the degree of diffusion induced in the classical system is a general feature of all classical quantum dynamics; long coherence times require strong diffusion in phase-space relative to the strength of the coupling. Applying the trade-off relation to gravity, we find a relationship between the strength of gravitationally-induced decoherence versus diffusion of the metric and its conjugate momenta. This provides an experimental signature of theories in which gravity is fundamentally classical. Bounds on decoherence rates arising from current interferometry experiments, combined with precision measurements of mass, place significant restrictions on theories where Einstein's classical theory of gravity interacts with quantum matter. We find that part of the parameter space of such theories are already squeezed out, and provide figures of merit which can be used in future mass measurements and interference experiments.

Conservative Scattering of Spinning Black Holes at Fourth Post-Minkowskian Order

Using the N=1 supersymmetric, spinning worldline quantum field theory formalism, we compute the conservative spin-orbit part of the momentum impulse Δp_{i}^{μ}, spin kick ΔS_{i}^{μ}, and scattering angle θ from the scattering of two spinning massive bodies (black holes or neutron stars) up to fourth post-Minkowskian (PM) order. These three-loop results extend the state of the art for generically spinning binaries from 3PM to 4PM. They are obtained by employing recursion relations for the integrand construction and advanced multiloop Feynman integral technology in the causal (in-in) worldline quantum field theory framework to directly produce classical observables. We focus on the conservative contribution (including tail effects) and outline the computations for the dissipative contributions as well. Our spin-orbit results agree with next-to-next-to-next-to-leading-order post-Newtonian and test-body data in the respective limits. We also reconfirm the conservative 4PM nonspinning results.

Radiation Reaction and Gravitational Waves at Fourth Post-Minkowskian Order

We obtain the total impulse in the scattering of nonspinning binaries in general relativity at fourth post-Minkowskian order, i.e., O(G^{4}), including linear, nonlinear, and hereditary radiation-reaction effects. We derive the total radiated spacetime momentum as well as the associated energy flux. The latter can be used to compute gravitational-wave observables for generic (un)bound orbits. We employ the ("in-in") Schwinger-Keldysh worldline effective field theory framework in combination with modern "multiloop" integration techniques from collider physics. The complete results are in agreement with various partial calculations in the post-Minkowskian and post-Newtonian expansion.

First post-Newtonian N-body problem in Einstein-Cartan theory with the Weyssenhoff fluid: Lagrangian and first integrals

The rotational dynamics of an N-body system at the first post-Newtonian order in Einstein-Cartan theory is derived. This result is achieved by performing the point-particle limit of the equations of motion of the Weyssenhoff fluid, which models the quantum spin effects residing inside the bodies. For the special case of binary systems, we determine the Lagrangian function and the resulting first integrals underlying the translational dynamics and the spin precession.

Conservative Dynamics of Binary Systems at Fourth Post-Minkowskian Order in the Large-Eccentricity Expansion

We compute the conservative dynamics of nonspinning binaries at fourth post-Minkowskian order in the large-eccentricity limit, including both potential and radiation-reaction tail effects. This is achieved by obtaining the scattering angle in the worldline effective field theory approach and deriving the bound radial action via analytic continuation. The associated integrals are bootstrapped to all orders in velocities through differential equations, with boundary conditions in the potential and radiation regions. The large angular momentum expansion captures all the local-in-time effects as well as the trademark logarithmic corrections for generic bound orbits. Agreement is found in the overlap with the state of the art in post-Newtonian theory.

Mori-Zwanzig Formalism for General Relativity: A New Approach to the Averaging Problem

Cosmology relies on a coarse-grained description of the universe, assumed to be valid on large length scales. However, the nonlinearity of general relativity makes coarse graining extremely difficult. We here address this problem by extending the Mori-Zwanzig projection operator formalism, a highly successful coarse-graining method from statistical mechanics, towards general relativity. Using the Buchert equations, we derive a new dynamic equation for the Hubble parameter which captures the effects of averaging through a memory function. This gives an empirical prediction for the cosmic jerk.

Classical Gravitational Bremsstrahlung from a Worldline Quantum Field Theory

Using the recently established formalism of a worldline quantum field theory description of the classical scattering of two spinless black holes, we compute the far-field time-domain waveform of the gravitational waves produced in the encounter at leading order in the post-Minkowskian (weak field but generic velocity) expansion. We reproduce the previous results of Kovacs and Thorne in a highly economic way. Then, using the waveform, we extract the leading-order total radiated angular momentum and energy (including differential results). Our work may enable crucial improvements of gravitational-wave predictions in the regime of large relative velocities.

Conservative Dynamics of Binary Systems to Third Post-Minkowskian Order from the Effective Field Theory Approach

We derive the conservative dynamics of nonspinning binaries to third post-Minkowskian order, using the effective field theory (EFT) approach introduced in [G. Kälin and R. A. Porto, J. High Energy Phys. 11 (2020) 106JHEPFG1029-847910.1007/JHEP11(2020)106] together with the boundary-to-bound dictionary developed in [G. Kälin and R. A. Porto, J. High Energy Phys. 01 (2020) 072JHEPFG1029-847910.1007/JHEP01(2020)072; J. High Energy Phys. 02 (2020) 120.JHEPFG1029-847910.1007/JHEP02(2020)120]. The main ingredient is the scattering angle, which we compute to O(G^{3}) via Feynman diagrams. Adapting to the EFT framework powerful tools from the amplitudes program, we show how the associated (master) integrals are bootstrapped to all orders in velocities via differential equations. Remarkably, the boundary conditions can be reduced to the same integrals that appear in the EFT with post-Newtonian sources. For the sake of comparison, we reconstruct the Hamiltonian and the classical limit of the scattering amplitude. Our results are in perfect agreement with those in Bern et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 201603 (2019)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.122.201603; J. High Energy Phys. 10 (2019) 206JHEPFG1029-847910.1007/JHEP10(2019)206].

Absence of a perfect intermediate reference wavefront for anamorphic systems

An exact reference wavefront for a single paraxial surface that provides two perpendicular remote image lines instead of a single focal point has not been provided in the recent literature. A naïve estimate would state that it may have a toric form. We provide a proof for the nonexistence of an exact toric reference wavefront for intermediate spaces in cross-cylindic symmetrical optical systems where the two principal images do not coincide. As it will be shown, such a shape exists only at the second order in the coordinates x and y in departure from a plane.

Effective field theories of post-Newtonian gravity: a comprehensive review

This review article presents the progress made over the last decade, since the introduction of effective field theories (EFTs) into post-Newtonian (PN) gravity. These have been put forward in the context of gravitational waves (GWs) from the compact binary inspiral. The mature development of this interdisciplinary field has resulted in significant advances of wide interest to physics at several levels serving various purposes. The field has firmly demonstrated, that seemingly disparate physical domains, such as quantum field theory and classical gravity, are related, and that the EFT framework is a universal one, where it has been proven to supply a robust methodology to boost progress in the development of PN theory. In this review emphasis was put on an accessible pedagogic presentation of the field theoretic aspects of the subject, with the view, that these are in fact common across the whole of theoretical physics, rather than in their original narrow quantum context. The review is aimed at a broad audience, from general readers new to the field, to specialists and experts in related subjects. The review begins with an overview of the introduction of EFTs into classical gravity and their development. Then, the basic ideas, which form the conceptual foundation of EFTs, are provided, and the strategy of a multi-stage EFT framework, which is utilized for the PN binary inspiral problem, is outlined. The main body of the review is then dedicated to presenting in detail the study of each of the effective theories at each of the intermediate scales in the problem, up to the actual GW observables. First, the EFT for a single compact object is considered, from which one proceeds to the EFT of a compact binary system, viewed as a composite particle with internal binding interactions. Finally, one arrives at the effective theory of the time-dependent multipole moments of the radiating system. The review is concluded with the multiple prospects of building on the progress in the field, and using further modern field theory insights and tools, to specifically address the study of GWs, as well as to broadly expand our fundamental understanding of gauge and gravity theories across the classical and quantum regimes.

Modifications of Gravity Via Differential Transformations of Field Variables

We discuss field theories appearing as a result of applying field transformations with derivatives (differential field transformations, DFTs) to a known theory. We begin with some simple examples of DFTs to see the basic properties of the procedure. In this process, the dynamics of the theory might either change or be conserved. After that, we concentrate on the theories of gravity which appear as a result of various DFTs applied to general relativity, namely the mimetic gravity and Regge–Teitelboim embedding theory. We review the main results related to the extension of dynamics in these theories, as well as the possibility to write down the action of a theory after DFTs as the action of the original theory before DFTs plus an additional term. Such a term usually contains some constraints with Lagrange multipliers and can be interpreted as an action of additional matter, which might be of use in cosmological applications, e.g., for the explanation of the effects of dark matter.

Novel Approach to Binary Dynamics: Application to the Fifth Post-Newtonian Level

We introduce a new methodology for deriving the conservative dynamics of gravitationally interacting binary systems. Our approach combines, in a novel way, several theoretical formalisms: post-Newtonian, post-Minkowskian, multipolar-post-Minkowskian, gravitational self-force, and effective one body. We apply our method to the derivation of the fifth post-Newtonian dynamics. By restricting our results to the third post-Minkowskian level, we give the first independent confirmation of the recent result of Bern et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 201603 (2019)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.122.201603]. We also offer checks for future fourth post-Minkowskian calculations. Our technique can, in principle, be extended to higher orders of perturbation theory.

Detecting the Hadron-Quark Phase Transition with Gravitational Waves

The long-awaited detection of a gravitational wave from the merger of a binary neutron star in August 2017 (GW170817) marks the beginning of the new field of multi-messenger gravitational wave astronomy. By exploiting the extracted tidal deformations of the two neutron stars from the late inspiral phase of GW170817, it is now possible to constrain several global properties of the equation of state of neutron star matter. However, the most interesting part of the high density and temperature regime of the equation of state is solely imprinted in the post-merger gravitational wave emission from the remnant hypermassive/supramassive neutron star. This regime was not observed in GW170817, but will possibly be detected in forthcoming events within the current observing run of the LIGO/VIRGO collaboration. Numerous numerical-relativity simulations of merging neutron star binaries have been performed during the last decades, and the emitted gravitational wave profiles and the interior structure of the generated remnants have been analysed in detail. The consequences of a potential appearance of a hadron-quark phase transition in the interior region of the produced hypermassive neutron star and the evolution of its underlying matter in the phase diagram of quantum cromo dynamics will be in the focus of this article. It will be shown that the different density/temperature regions of the equation of state can be severely constrained by a measurement of the spectral properties of the emitted post-merger gravitational wave signal from a future binary compact star merger event.

Scattering Amplitudes and the Conservative Hamiltonian for Binary Systems at Third Post-Minkowskian Order

We present the amplitude for classical scattering of gravitationally interacting massive scalars at third post-Minkowskian order. Our approach harnesses powerful tools from the modern amplitudes program such as generalized unitarity and the double-copy construction, which relates gravity integrands to simpler gauge-theory expressions. Adapting methods for integration and matching from effective field theory, we extract the conservative Hamiltonian for compact spinless binaries at third post-Minkowskian order. The resulting Hamiltonian is in complete agreement with corresponding terms in state-of-the-art expressions at fourth post-Newtonian order as well as the probe limit at all orders in velocity. We also derive the scattering angle at third post-Minkowskian order and find agreement with known results.