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Phys. Rev. 135, B1049–B1056 (1964)

Photons and Gravitons in S-Matrix Theory: Derivation of Charge Conservation and Equality of Gravitational and Inertial Mass

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Steven Weinberg*
Physics Department, University of California, Berkeley, California

Received 13 April 1964; published in the issue dated August 1964

We give a purely S-matrix-theoretic proof of the conservation of charge (defined by the strength of soft photon interactions) and the equality of gravitational and inertial mass. Our only assumptions are the Lorentz invariance and pole structure of the S matrix, and the zero mass and spins 1 and 2 of the photon and graviton. We also prove that Lorentz invariance alone requires the S matrix for emission of a massless particle of arbitrary integer spin to satisfy a "mass-shell gauge invariance" condition, and we explain why there are no macroscopic fields corresponding to particles of spin 3 or higher.

© 1964 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRev.135.B1049
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRev.135.B1049
PACS:

*Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow.