Asymptotically free scalar curvature-ghost coupling in Quantum Einstein Gravity

TL;DR

This paper investigates the asymptotic safety scenario in quantum gravity, demonstrating that a scalar curvature-ghost coupling is asymptotically free and remains stable under the inclusion of ghost flow, supporting the viability of the theory.

Contribution

It introduces the first analysis of a running curvature-ghost coupling within the asymptotic safety framework for quantum gravity.

Findings

The scalar curvature-ghost coupling is asymptotically free.

The ghost coupling is RG relevant in the ultraviolet.

Asymptotic safety remains stable with ghost flow inclusion.

Abstract

We consider the asymptotic-safety scenario for quantum gravity which constructs a non-perturbatively renormalisable quantum gravity theory with the help of the functional renormalisation group. We verify the existence of a non-Gaussian fixed point and include a running curvature-ghost coupling as a first step towards the flow of the ghost sector of the theory. We find that the scalar curvature-ghost coupling is asymptotically free and RG relevant in the ultraviolet. Most importantly, the property of asymptotic safety discovered so far within the Einstein-Hilbert truncation and beyond remains stable under the inclusion of the ghost flow.