Double logarithms in ${\cal N} \geq 4$ supergravity: weak gravity and Shapiro's time delay

Abstract

A study of the double logarithmic in the center-of-mass energy, $s$, contributions to the four-graviton scattering amplitude is presented for four-dimensional ${\cal N} \geq 4$ supergravities. This includes a novel representation for the coefficients of the perturbative expansion based on exactly solvable recurrences. A review is given of the structure in the complex angular momentum plane for the $t$-channel partial wave singularities of the different amplitudes. Working in impact parameter representation, $\rho$, it is shown that the resummation of double logarithms makes gravity weaker in regions of small $\rho$ and large $s$. This screening of the gravitational interaction at short distances in the double logarithmic sector of the amplitudes is more acute as the number of gravitinos in the theory increases. It brings corrections to the eikonal phase which can change the sign of the graviton's deflection angle and generate regions with repulsive interaction. For very small impact parameters there appears a constant negative shift in both the eikonal phase and Shapiro's time delay which is not large enough to generate causality violation.