Tree-level unitarity in Higgs inflation in the metric and the Palatini formulation

Abstract We calculate the tree-level amplitudes for electrically neutral 2 → 2 scattering for the Standard Model Higgs doublet non-minimally coupled to the Ricci scalar. We consider both the metric and the Palatini formulation of gravity. We find the partial wave unitarity limit for a general backgr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Asuka Ito, Wafaa Khater, Syksy Räsänen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2022-06-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2022)164
Description
Summary:Abstract We calculate the tree-level amplitudes for electrically neutral 2 → 2 scattering for the Standard Model Higgs doublet non-minimally coupled to the Ricci scalar. We consider both the metric and the Palatini formulation of gravity. We find the partial wave unitarity limit for a general background field value. Our results are in agreement with previous work. In the electroweak vacuum, tree-level unitarity is violated at ∼ M Pl/ξ in the metric formulation, and at ∼ M P 1 / ξ $$ \sim {M}_{\mathrm{P}1}/\sqrt{\xi } $$ in the Palatini formulation. In the inflationary large field background, the unitarity limit is at ∼ M P 1 / ξ $$ \sim {M}_{\mathrm{P}1}/\sqrt{\xi } $$ in both formulations. We compare the unitarity violation energy to scales relevant during inflation. We also calculate a direct collider limit on ξ in the Palatini formulation, ξ < 2.5 × 1031.
ISSN:1029-8479