String Theory seminar - Jose Edelstein Seminar

I will consider higher derivative corrections to the graviton 3-point coupling within a weakly coupled theory of gravity. Lorentz invariance allows further structures beyond that of Einstein's theory. I will argue that these structures are constrained by causality, and show that the problem cannot be fixed by adding conventional particles with low spin but adding an infinite tower of massive particles with higher spins. Implications of this result in the context of AdS/CFT, quantum gravity in asymptotically at space-times, and non-Gaussianity features of primordial gravitational waves are discussed. The case of 3D gravity is briefly discussed.