Infrared Issues in Graviton Higgs Theory

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the infrared behavior of the effective potential in graviton Higgs theory, revealing an instability due to a tachyonic pole, and discusses its physical implications and differences from gauge theories.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of infrared instabilities in graviton Higgs theory and compares it with gauge theories, highlighting unique features.

Findings

Effective potential is complex, indicating an infrared instability.

Infrared instability is linked to a tachyonic pole in the graviton propagator.

Physical differences between gauge and graviton Higgs theories are discussed.

Abstract

We investigate the one-loop infrared behaviour of the effective potential in minimally coupled graviton Higgs theory in Minkowski background. The gravitational analogue of one loop Coleman Weinberg effective potential turns out to be complex, the imaginary part indicating an infrared instability. This instability is traced to a tachyonic pole in the graviton propagator for constant Higgs fields. Physical implications of this behaviour are studied. We also discuss physical differences between gauge theories coupled to Higgs fields and graviton Higgs theory.