Planckian Scattering and Shock Wave Mixing in General Relativity and Dilaton Gravity

Abstract

Point particle scattering at Planckian centre-of-mass (cm) energies and low fixed momentum transfers, occurring due both to electromagnetic and gravitational interactions, is surveyed, with particular emphasis on the novel features occurring in electromagnetic charge-monopole scattering. The issue of possible mixing of the shock waves occurring due to both kinds of interactions is then addressed within the framework of Einsteinian general relativity and the dilatonic extension suggested by string theory.