A note on graviton exchange in emergent gravity scenario (1610.09844v2)

Abstract: It is well-known that there exists a close relation between a large $N$ matrix model and noncommutative (NC) field theory: The latter can be naturally obtained from the former by expanding it around a specific background. Because the matrix model can be a constructive formulation of string theory, this relation suggests that NC field theory can also include quantum gravity. In particular, the NC $U(1)$ gauge theory attracts much attention because its low-energy effective action partially contains gravity where the metric is determined by the $U(1)$ gauge field. Thus, the NC $U(1)$ gauge theory could be a quantum theory of gravity. In this paper, we investigate the scenario by calculating the scattering amplitude of massless test particles, and find that the NC $U(1)$ gauge theory correctly reproduces the amplitude of the usual graviton exchange if the noncommutativity that corresponds to the background of the matrix model is appropriately averaged. Although this result partially supports the relation between the NC $U(1)$ gauge theory and gravity, it is desirable to find a mechanism by which such an average is naturally realized.