Bounds to strong gravity from electron-positron annihilations near threshold

TL;DR

This paper explores how electron-positron annihilation processes near threshold can set bounds on strong gravity effects, with potential improvements from future colliders and relevance to graviton search constraints.

Contribution

It introduces bounds on strong gravity from electron-positron annihilation data, analyzing specific processes and their enhancement near threshold, offering a new approach complementary to graviton searches.

Findings

Bounds can be improved with next-generation colliders.

Enhancement of cross sections near threshold indicates strong gravity effects.

Results provide constraints on theories of strong gravity.

Abstract

We discuss bounds to strong gravity arising from annihilation of electron and positrons and the corresponding enhancement of the cross section for the production of massive particles. Two complementary examples are discussed, the case of the $e^+e^- \to W^+ W^-$ processes, with maximum mass and short lifetime for the particle pairs in the final state, and the case of electron positron annihilation into heavier charged lepton pairs, $e^+ e^- \to \mu^+ \mu^-$ and $e^+ e^- \to \tau^+ \tau^-$. These bounds may be improved by the next generation of electron-positron colliders, and are complementary to bounds arising from direct graviton searches.