Abstract
We discuss the derivation of the trace anomaly using a non-local effective action at one loop. This provides a simple and instructive form and emphasizes infrared physics. We then use this example to explore several of the properties of non-local actions, including displaying the action for the full non-local energy-momentum tensor. As an application, we show that the long-distance corrections at one loop lead to quantum violations of some classical consequences of the equivalence principle, for example producing a frequency dependence of the gravitational bending of light.
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ArXiv ePrint: 1503.06099
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Donoghue, J.F., El-Menoufi, B.K. QED trace anomaly, non-local Lagrangians and quantum equivalence principle violations. J. High Energ. Phys. 2015, 118 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2015)118
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2015)118