English

Physics of Trans-Planckian Gravity

High Energy Physics - Theory 2011-08-04 v2 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology

Abstract

We study the field theoretical description of a generic theory of gravity flowing to Einstein General Relativity in IR. We prove that, if ghost-free, in the weakly coupled regime such a theory can never become weaker than General Relativity. Using this fact, as a byproduct, we suggest that in a ghost-free theory of gravity trans-Planckian propagating quantum degrees of freedom cannot exist. The only physical meaning of a trans-Planckian pole is the one of a classical state (Black Hole) which is described by the light IR quantum degrees of freedom and gives exponentially-suppressed contributions to virtual processes. In this picture Einstein gravity is UV self-complete, although not Wilsonian, and sub-Planckian distances are unobservable in any healthy theory of gravity. We then finally show that this UV/IR correspondence puts a severe constraint on any attempt of conventional Wilsonian UV-completion of trans-Planckian gravity. Specifically, there is no well-defined energy domain in which gravity could become asymptotically weak or safe.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1006.0984,
  title  = {Physics of Trans-Planckian Gravity},
  author = {Gia Dvali and Sarah Folkerts and Cristiano Germani},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1006.0984},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

23 pages, 4 figures, v2: Paper reorganized to improve clarity; additional explanations and references added; version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D

R2 v1 2026-06-21T15:32:16.353Z