Correspondence principle in quantum gravity

The problem of consistent formulation of the correspondence principle in quantum gravity is considered. The usual approach based on the use of the two-particle scattering amplitudes is shown to be in disagreement with the classical result of General Relativity given by the Schwarzschild solution. It is shown also that this approach fails to describe whatever non-Newtonian interactions of macroscopic bodies. An alternative interpretation of the correspondence principle is given directly in terms of the effective action. Gauge independence of the \hbar^0 part of the one-loop radiative corrections to the gravitational form factors of the scalar particle is proved, justifying the interpretation proposed. Application to the black holes is discussed.Comment: Talk presented at the international meeting "Quantum Gravity and Spectral Geometry", Naples, July 2001. 4 pages, 1 figur

Quarkonium Decays and Light Quark Masses

The $SU(3)$-violating decays \Phi^{2S} \goto \Phi^{1S} X, where $X = \pi^0$ or $\eta$ and $\Phi = J/\psi$ or $\Upsilon$ have been recently proposed as a means of probing the light quark masses beyond leading order in chiral perturbation theory. We argue that this analysis is incorrect, even in the heavy quark limit. We show that these decays are governed by an infinite number of matrix elements which are not suppressed by any small parameter, and which cannot be computed with our present understanding of QCD. Furthermore, for sufficiently heavy quarks, we show that the decay amplitudes can be organized into a twist expansion, and that the contributions considered in the above proposal are subleading in this expansion. We also explain how these decays nonetheless give a constraint on the light quark masses valid at {\it leading order} in the chiral expansion. The decays \Phi^{1S} \goto \eta\gamma and \Phi^{2S} \goto \Phi^{1S} \pi\pi also have contributions from infinitely many operators, contrary to claims in the literature.Comment: 8 pages, LBL-33946, UCB-PTH-93/1

Quantum power correction to the Newton law

We have found the graviton contribution to the one-loop quantum correction to the Newton law. This correction results in interaction decreasing with distance as 1/r^3 and is dominated numerically by the graviton contribution. The previous calculations of this contribution to the discussed effect are demonstrated to be incorrect.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures; numerical error corrected, few references adde

Systematics of soft final state interactions in BB decay

By using very general and well established features of soft strong interactions we show, contrary to conventional expectations, that (i) soft final state interactions (FSI) do not disappear for large $m_B$, (ii) inelastic rescattering is expected to be the main source of soft FSI phases, and (iii) flavor off-diagonal FSI are suppressed by a power of $m_B$, but are quite likely to be significant at $m_B\simeq 5$~GeV. We briefly discuss the influence of these interactions on tests of CP-violation and on theoretical calculations of weak decays.Comment: 11 pages, REVTeX, no figure

One loop calculations on the Wess-Zumino-Witten anomalous functional at finite temperature

We analyze the finite temperature (T) extension of the Wess-Zumino- Witten functional, discussed in a previous work, to one loop in chiral perturbation theory. As a phenomenological application, we calculate finite temperature corrections to the amplitude of the $\pi^0$ decay into two photons. This calculation is performed in three limits : i)$T/M_{\pi}<<1$, ii)the chiral limit at finite T and iii)$T/M_{\pi}>>1$ ($M_{\pi}$ being the pion mass). The $T$-corrections tend to vanish in the chiral limit, where only the kaon contribution remains (although it is exponentially suppressed).Comment: Latex, 13 pages and 3 figures avalaible upon reques

On the power counting of loop diagrams in general relativity

A class of loop diagrams in general relativity appears to have a behavior which would upset the utility of the energy expansion for quantum effects. We show through the study of specific diagrams that cancellations occur which restore the expected behaviour of the energy expansion. By considering the power counting in a physical gauge we show that the apparent bad behavior is a gauge artifact, and that the quantum loops enter with a well behaved energy expansion.Comment: 29 pages, uses axodraw and epsfig.tex, one small .eps file is included. The full PostScript version is also available as http://het.phast.umass.edu/students/kakukk/powercount_hepth.p

Final state rescattering as a contribution to B→ργB \to \rho \gamma

We provide a new estimate of the long-distance component to the radiative transition $B \to \rho \gamma$. Our mechanism involves the soft-scattering of on-shell hadronic products of nonleptonic $B$ decay, as in the chain $B \to \rho\rho \to \rho\gamma$. We employ a phenomenological fit to scattering data to estimate the effect. The specific intermediate states considered here modify the $B \to \rho \gamma$ decay rate at roughly the $5 \to 8$ level, although the underlying effect has the potential to be larger. Contrary to other mechanisms of long distance physics which have been discussed in the literature, this yields a non-negligible modification of the $B^0 \to \rho^0 \gamma$ channel and hence will provide an uncertainty in the extraction of $V_{td}$. This mechanism also affects the isospin relation between the rates for $B^- \to \rho^-\gamma$ and $B^0 \to \rho^0 \gamma$ and may generate CP asymmetries at experimentally observable levels.Comment: 15 pages, RevTex, 3 figure

Photon-Photon Scattering, Pion Polarizability and Chiral Symmetry

Recent attempts to detect the pion polarizability via analysis of $\gamma\gamma\rightarrow\pi\pi$ measurements are examined. The connection between calculations based on dispersion relations and on chiral perturbation theory is established by matching the low energy chiral amplitude with that given by a full dispersive treatment. Using the values for the polarizability required by chiral symmetry, predicted and experimental cross sections are shown to be in agreement.Comment: 21 pages(+10 figures available on request), LATEX, UMHEP-38