STRUCTURE OF THE GRAVITON SELF-ENERGY AT FINITE-TEMPERATURE - ART. NO. 085012

We study the graviton self-energy function in a general gauge, using a hard thermal loop expansion which includes terms proportional to T-4, T-2 and log(T). We verify explicitly the gauge independence of the le ading T-4 term and obtain a compact expression for the subleading T-2 contribution. It is shown that the logarithmic term has the same struc ture as the ultraviolet pole part of the T=0 self-energy function. We argue that the gauge-dependent part of the T-2 contribution is effecti vely canceled in the dispersion relations of the graviton plasma, and present the solutions of these equations. [S0556-2821(98)03018-5].