New symmetries for the gravitational S-matrix

In [15] we proposed a generalization of the BMS group G which is a semi-direct product of supertranslations and smooth diffeomorphisms of the conformal sphere. Although an extension of BMS, G is a symmetry group of asymptotically flat space times. By taking G as a candidate symmetry group of the quantum gravity S-matrix, we argued that the Ward identities associated to the generators of Diff(S2) were equivalent to the Cachazo-Strominger subleading soft graviton theorem. Our argument however was based on a proposed definition of the Diff(S2) charges which we could not derive from first principles as G does not have a well defined action on the radiative phase space of gravity. Here we fill this gap and provide a first principles derivation of the Diff(S2) charges. The result of this paper, in conjunction with the results of [4, 15] prove that the leading and subleading soft theorems are equivalent to the Ward identities associated to G .