Feynman Propagator in Curved Space-Time: A Momentum Space Representation

1979
12 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.D 20 (1979) 2499-2510

Citations per year

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Abstract: (APS)
We obtain a momentum-space representation of the Feynman propagator G(x,x′) for scalar and spin-½ fields propagating in arbitrary curved spacetimes. The construction uses Riemann normal coordinates with origin at the point x′ and is therefore only valid for points x lying in a normal neighborhood of x′. We show that the resulting momentum-space representation is equivalent to the DeWitt-Schwinger propertime representation. Our momentum-space representation permits one to apply momentum-space techniques used in Minkowski space to arbitrary curved spacetimes. The usefulness of this representation in discussing the renormalizability of interacting field theories in curved spacetime is illustrated by an explicit renormalization, to second order in the coupling constant, of a quartically self-interacting scalar field theory in an arbitrary spacetime.
  • field theory: scalar
  • GRAVITATION: BACKGROUND
  • PROPAGATOR: SCALAR
  • PROPAGATOR: SPINOR
  • SPINOR: PROPAGATOR
  • Dirac equation
  • RENORMALIZATION
  • APPROXIMATION: WKB approximation