Graviton particle statistics and coherent states from classical scattering amplitudes

Abstract

In the two-body scattering problem in general relativity, we study the final graviton particle distribution using a perturbative approach. We compute the mean, the variance and the factorial moments of the distribution from the expectation value of the graviton number operator in the KMOC formalism. For minimally coupled scalar particles, the leading deviation from the Poissonian distribution is given by the unitarity cut involving the six-point tree amplitude with the emission of two gravitons. We compute this amplitude in two independent ways. First, we use an extension of the Cheung-Remmen parametrization that includes minimally coupled scalars. We then repeat the calculation using on-shell BCFW-like techniques, finding complete agreement. In the classical limit, this amplitude gives a purely quantum contribution, proving that we can describe the final semiclassical radiation state as a coherent state at least up to order $\mathcal{O}(G^4)$ for classical radiative observables. Finally, we give general arguments about why we expect this to hold also at higher orders in perturbation theory.

44 pages, 12 figures; v3: published in JHEP, final version

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