Asymptotic Safety in Einstein Gravity and Scalar-Fermion Matter

TL;DR

This paper investigates the possibility of asymptotic safety in Einstein gravity coupled with scalar and fermion matter using the functional renormalization group, revealing non-trivial fixed points that could support a safe quantum gravity and matter theory.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of non-trivial fixed points in gravity and matter sectors, including matter anomalous dimensions, suggesting asymptotic safety in a combined gravitational and matter framework.

Findings

Non-trivial fixed points found for gravity and matter sectors

Matter anomalous dimensions are included in the analysis

Asymptotic safety may extend to the Standard Model and Higgs sector

Abstract

Within the functional renormalization group approach we study the effective QFT of Einstein gravity and one self-interacting scalar coupled to N_f Dirac fermions. We include in our analysis the matter anomalous dimensions induced by all the interactions and analyze the highly non linear beta functions determining the renormalization flow. We find the existence of a non trivial fixed point structure both for the gravity and the matter sector, besides the usual gaussian matter one. This suggest that asymptotic safety could be realized in the gravitational sector \emph{and} in the standard model. Non triviality in the Higgs sector might involve gravitational interactions.