Classical-quantum scattering

Abstract

We analyze the framework recently proposed by Oppenheim et al. to model relativistic quantum fields coupled to relativistic, classical, stochastic fields (in particular, as a model of quantum matter coupled to ``classical gravity''). Perhaps surprisingly, we find that we can define and calculate scattering probabilities which are Lorentz-covariant and conserve total probability, at least at tree level. As a concrete example, we analyze $2 \to 2$ scattering of quantum matter mediated by a classical Yukawa field. Mapping this to a gravitational coupling in the non-relativistic limit, and assuming that we can treat large objects as point masses, we find that the simplest possible ``classical-quantum'' gravity theory constructed this way gives predictions for $2 \to 2$ gravitational scattering which are inconsistent with simple observations of, e.g., spacecraft undergoing slingshot maneuvers. We comment on lessons learned for attempts to couple quantum matter to ``non-quantum'' gravity, or more generally, for attempts to couple relativistic quantum and classical systems.