Autocatalysis of Graviton Production via the Gertsenshtein Effect for the Yang-Mills Field

Abstract: As shown by Gertsenshtein in 1961, an external magnetic field can couple electromagnetic to gravitational waves, giving rise to oscillations between them. Viewed as a quantum process, the magnetic field has catalyzed the mixing of photon and graviton states. We show that the self-interaction terms of the Yang-Mills SU(2) field can take the place of the external magnetic field and autocatalyze the mixing of Yang-Mills bosons and gravitons. In the process, rotational symmetry is broken and the Yang-Mills boson acquires a mass.