Quantum gravity, gauge coupling constants, and the cosmological constant

Abstract

The quantization of Einstein-Maxwell theory with a cosmological constant is considered. We obtain all logarithmically divergent terms in the one-loop effective action that involve only the background electromagnetic field. This includes Lee-Wick--type terms, as well as those responsible for the renormalization group behavior of the electric charge (or fine structure constant). Of particular interest is the possible gauge condition dependence of the results, and we study this in some detail. We show that the traditional background-field method, that is equivalent to a more traditional Feynman diagram calculation, does result in gauge condition dependent results in general. One resolution of this is to use the Vilkovisky-DeWitt effective action method, and this is presented here. Quantum gravity is shown to lead to a contribution to the running charge not present when the cosmological constant vanishes. This reopens the possibility, suggested by Robinson and Wilczek, of altering the scaling behavior of gauge theories at high energies although our result differs. We show the possibility of an ultraviolet fixed point that is linked directly to the cosmological constant.