Graviton mediated photon-photon scattering in general relativity

Abstract

In this paper we consider photon-photon scattering due to self-induced gravitational perturbations on a Minkowski background. We focus on four-wave interaction between plane waves with weakly space and time dependent amplitudes, since interaction involving a fewer number of waves is excluded by energy-momentum conservation. The Einstein-Maxwell system is solved perturbatively to third order in the field amplitudes and the coupling coefficients are found for arbitrary polarizations in the center of mass system. Comparisons with calculations based on quantum field theoretical methods are made, and the small discrepances are explained.