Abstract
We present a simple method for deriving the renormalization counterterms from the components of the energy-momentum tensor in curved space-time. This method allows control over the finite parts of the counterterms and provides explicit expressions for each term separately. As an example, the method is used for the self-interacting scalar field in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric in the adiabatic approximation, where we calculate the renormalized equation of motion for the field and the renormalized components of the energy-momentum tensor to fourth adiabatic order while including interactions to one-loop order. Within this formalism the trace anomaly, including contributions from interactions, is shown to have a simple derivation. We compare our results to those obtained by two standard methods, finding agreement with the Schwinger-DeWitt expansion but disagreement with adiabatic subtractions for interacting theories.
| Original language | English |
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| Article number | 045 |
| Journal | Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics |
| Volume | 2013 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| ISSN | 1475-7516 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2013 |