English

New expressions for gravitational scattering amplitudes

High Energy Physics - Theory 2011-08-26 v2

Abstract

New methods are introduced for the description and evaluation of tree-level gravitational scattering amplitudes. An N=7 super-symmetric recursion, free from spurious double poles, gives a more efficient method for evaluating MHV amplitudes. The recursion is naturally associated with twistor geometry, and thereby gives a new interpretation for the amplitudes. The recursion leads to new expressions for the MHV amplitudes for six and seven gravitons, simplifying their symmetry properties, and suggesting further generalization. The N=7 recursion is valid for all tree amplitudes, and we illustrate it with a simplified expression for the six-graviton NMHV amplitude. Further new structure emerges when MHV amplitudes are expressed in terms of momentum twistors.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1108.2227,
  title  = {New expressions for gravitational scattering amplitudes},
  author = {Andrew Hodges},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1108.2227},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

43 pages. Version 2 has a new section 13 with an explanation of why N=7 recursion is valid, plus minor corrections

R2 v1 2026-06-21T18:48:55.417Z