Amplitude for n-gluon scattering

Gauge-Invariant Double Copies via Recursion Relations

We prove by construction that all tree-level amplitudes in pure (super)gravity can be expressed as termwise, gauge-invariant double copies of those of pure (super-)Yang-Mills obtained via on-shell recursion. These representations are far from unique: varying the recursive scheme leads to a wide variety of distinct but equally valid representations of gravitational amplitudes, all realized as double copies.

3D Quantum Gravity Partition Function at Three Loops

The partition function of three-dimensional quantum gravity has been argued to be one-loop exact. Here, we verify the vanishing of higher orders in perturbation theory by explicit computation in the second-order metric formulation at three loops. The number of one-particle irreducible Feynman diagrams involving both gravitons and ghosts turns out to be 17. Using dimensional regularization, we solve all the diagrams. At two loops, we find that all such diagrams vanish separately after regularization. At three loops, in contrast, a series of remarkable cancellations between different diagrams takes place, with nine diagrams beautifully conspiring to yield a vanishing result. Our techniques are suitable to be applied to higher loops as well as to similar computations in higher dimensions.

Fusions of Consciousness

What are conscious experiences? Can they combine to form new experiences? What are conscious subjects? Can they combine to form new subjects? Most attempts to answer these questions assume that spacetime, and some of its particles, are fundamental. However, physicists tell us that spacetime cannot be fundamental. Spacetime, they say, is doomed. We heed the physicists, and drop the assumption that spacetime is fundamental. We assume instead that subjects and experiences are entities beyond spacetime, not within spacetime. We make this precise in a mathematical theory of conscious agents, whose dynamics are described by Markov chains. We show how (1) agents combine into more complex agents, (2) agents fuse into simpler agents, and (3) qualia fuse to create new qualia. The possible dynamics of n agents form an n(n-1)-dimensional polytope with nn vertices-the Markov polytopeMn. The total fusions of n agents and qualia form an (n-1)-dimensional simplex-the fusion simplexFn. To project the Markovian dynamics of conscious agents onto scattering processes in spacetime, we define a new map from Markov chains to decorated permutations. Such permutations-along with helicities, or masses and spins-invariantly encode all physical information used to compute scattering amplitudes. We propose that spacetime and scattering processes are a data structure that codes for interactions of conscious agents: a particle in spacetime is a projection of the Markovian dynamics of a communicating class of conscious agents.

Leading Singularities in Higher-Derivative Yang–Mills Theory and Quadratic Gravity

In this work, we explore general leading singularities of one-loop amplitudes in higher-derivative Yang–Mills and quadratic gravity. These theories are known to possess propagators which contain quadratic and quartic momentum dependence, which leads to the presence of an unstable ghostlike resonance. However, unitarity cuts are not to be taken through unstable particles and therefore unitarity is still satisfied. On the other hand, this could engender issues when calculating leading singularities which are generalizations of unitarity cuts. Nevertheless, we will show with explicit examples how leading singularities are still well defined and accordingly they are able to capture relevant information on the analytic structure of amplitudes in such higher-derivative theories. We discuss some simple one-loop amplitudes which clarify these features.

Single-Valued Integration and Superstring Amplitudes in Genus Zero

We study open and closed string amplitudes at tree-level in string perturbation theory using the methods of single-valued integration which were developed in the prequel to this paper (Brown and Dupont in Single-valued integration and double copy, 2020). Using dihedral coordinates on the moduli spaces of curves of genus zero with marked points, we define a canonical regularisation of both open and closed string perturbation amplitudes at tree level, and deduce that they admit a Laurent expansion in Mandelstam variables whose coefficients are multiple zeta values (resp. single-valued multiple zeta values). Furthermore, we prove the existence of a motivic Laurent expansion whose image under the period map is the open string expansion, and whose image under the single-valued period map is the closed string expansion. This proves the recent conjecture of Stieberger that closed string amplitudes are the single-valued projections of (motivic lifts of) open string amplitudes. Finally, applying a variant of the single-valued formalism for cohomology with coefficients yields the KLT formula expressing closed string amplitudes as quadratic expressions in open string amplitudes.

Maximal-Helicity-Violating Scattering of Gluons and Gravitons in Chiral Strong Fields

We present all-multiplicity formulas for the tree-level scattering of gluons and gravitons in the maximal helicity violating (MHV) helicity configuration, calculated in certain chiral strong fields. The strong backgrounds we consider are self-dual plane waves in gauge theory and general relativity, which are treated exactly and admit a well-defined S matrix. The gauge theory background-coupled MHV amplitude is simply a dressed analog of the familiar Parke-Taylor formula, but the gravitational version has nontrivial new structures due to graviton tails. Both formulas have just one residual integral rather than the n-2 expected at n points from space-time perturbation theory; this simplification arises from the integrability of self-dual backgrounds and their corresponding twistor description. The resulting formulas pass several consistency checks and limit to the well-known expressions for MHV scattering of gluons and gravitons when the background becomes trivial.

All-Multiplicity Nonplanar Amplitude Integrands in Maximally Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory at Two Loops

We give a prescriptive representation of all-multiplicity two-loop maximally-helicity-violating (MHV) amplitude integrands in fully-color-dressed (nonplanar) maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory.

Analytic Form of the Full Two-Loop Five-Gluon All-Plus Helicity Amplitude

We compute the full-color two-loop five-gluon amplitude for the all-plus helicity configuration. In order to achieve this, we calculate the required master integrals for all permutations of the external legs, in the physical scattering region. We verify the expected divergence structure of the amplitude and extract the finite hard function. We further validate our result by checking the factorization properties in the collinear limit. Our result is fully analytic and valid in the physical scattering region. We express it in a compact form containing logarithms, dilogarithms, and rational functions.

Analytic Result for a Two-Loop Five-Particle Amplitude

We compute the symbol of the full-color two-loop five-particle amplitude in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory, including all nonplanar subleading-color terms. The amplitude is written in terms of permutations of Parke-Taylor tree-level amplitudes and pure functions to all orders in the dimensional regularization parameter, in agreement with previous conjectures. The answer has the correct collinear limits and infrared factorization properties, allowing us to define a finite remainder function. We study the multi-Regge limit of the nonplanar terms, analyze its subleading power corrections, and analytically present the leading logarithmic terms.

Two-Loop Five-Point Amplitude in N=4 Super-Yang-Mills Theory

We compute the symbol of the two-loop five-point scattering amplitude in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, including its full color dependence. This requires constructing the symbol of all two-loop five-point nonplanar massless master integrals, for which we give explicit results.

Dual Conformal Structure Beyond the Planar Limit

The planar scattering amplitudes of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory display symmetries and structures which underlie their relatively simple analytic properties such as having only logarithmic singularities and no poles at infinity. Recent work shows in various nontrivial examples that the simple analytic properties of the planar sector survive into the nonplanar sector, but this has yet to be understood from underlying symmetries. Here, we explicitly show that for an infinite class of nonplanar integrals that covers all subleading-color contributions to the two-loop four- and five-point amplitudes of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory, symmetries analogous to dual conformal invariance exist. A natural conjecture is that this continues to all amplitudes of the theory at any loop order.

Twistor theory at fifty: from contour integrals to twistor strings

We review aspects of twistor theory, its aims and achievements spanning the last five decades. In the twistor approach, space-time is secondary with events being derived objects that correspond to compact holomorphic curves in a complex threefold-the twistor space. After giving an elementary construction of this space, we demonstrate how solutions to linear and nonlinear equations of mathematical physics-anti-self-duality equations on Yang-Mills or conformal curvature-can be encoded into twistor cohomology. These twistor correspondences yield explicit examples of Yang-Mills and gravitational instantons, which we review. They also underlie the twistor approach to integrability: the solitonic systems arise as symmetry reductions of anti-self-dual (ASD) Yang-Mills equations, and Einstein-Weyl dispersionless systems are reductions of ASD conformal equations. We then review the holomorphic string theories in twistor and ambitwistor spaces, and explain how these theories give rise to remarkable new formulae for the computation of quantum scattering amplitudes. Finally, we discuss the Newtonian limit of twistor theory and its possible role in Penrose's proposal for a role of gravity in quantum collapse of a wave function.

Mellin Amplitudes for Supergravity on AdS_{5}×S^{5}

We revisit the calculation of holographic correlation functions in type-IIB supergravity on AdS_{5}×S^{5}. Results for four-point functions simplify drastically when expressed in Mellin space. We conjecture a compact formula for the four-point functions of one-half Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield single-trace operators of arbitrary weight. Our methods rely on general consistency conditions and eschew detailed knowledge of the supergravity effective action.

Twistors and amplitudes

A brief review is given of why twistor geometry has taken a central place in the theory of scattering amplitudes for fundamental particles. The emphasis is on the twistor diagram formalism as originally proposed by Penrose, the development of which has now led to the definition by Arkani-Hamed et al. of the 'amplituhedron'.

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories: challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.

Maximal R-symmetry violating amplitudes in type IIb superstring theory

On-shell superspace techniques are used to quantify R-symmetry violation in type IIB superstring theory amplitudes in a flat background in 10 dimensions. This shows the existence of a particularly simple class of nonvanishing amplitudes in this theory, which violate R symmetry maximally. General properties of the class and some of its extensions are established that at string tree level are shown to determine the first three nontrivial effective field theory contributions to all multiplicity. This leads to a natural conjecture for the exact analytic part of the first two of these.

Maximal-helicity-violating n-point one-loop amplitude in N=4 supergravity

We propose an explicit formula for the n-point maximal-helicity-violating one-loop amplitude in a N=4 supergravity theory. This formula is derived from the soft and collinear factorizations of the amplitude.

Dijet production at large rapidity separation in N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory

Ratios of azimuthal angle correlations between two jets produced at large rapidity separation are studied in the N = 4 maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills (MSYM) theory. It is shown that these observables, which directly prove the SL(2,C) symmetry present in gauge theories in the Regge limit, exhibit an excellent perturbative convergence. They are compared to those calculated in QCD for different renormalization schemes concluding that the momentum-substraction scheme with the Brodsky-Lepage-Mackenzie scale-fixing procedure captures the bulk of the MSYM results.

Bonus Yangian symmetry for the planar S matrix of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory

Recent developments in the determination of the planar S matrix of N=4 super Yang-Mills are closely related to its Yangian symmetry. Here we provide evidence for a yet unobserved additional symmetry: the Yangian level-one helicity operator.

Constraints on tree-level higher order gravitational couplings in superstring theory

We consider the scattering amplitudes of five and six gravitons at tree level in superstring theory. Their power series expansions in the Regge slope α' are analyzed through the order α'(8) showing some interesting constraints on higher order gravitational couplings in the effective superstring action such as the absence of R(5) terms. Furthermore, some transcendentality constraints on the coefficients of the nonvanishing couplings are observed: the absence of zeta values of even weight through the order α'(8) like the absence of ζ(2)ζ(3)R(6) terms. Our analysis is valid for any superstring background in any space-time dimension, which allows for a conformal field theory description.

Jet signals for low mass strings at the large hadron collider

The mass scale M{s} of superstring theory is an arbitrary parameter that can be as low as few TeVs if the Universe contains large extra dimensions. We propose a search for the effects of Regge excitations of fundamental strings at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), in the process pp-->gamma+jet. The underlying parton process is dominantly the single photon production in gluon fusion, gg-->gammag, with open string states propagating in intermediate channels. If the photon mixes with the gauge boson of the baryon number, which is a common feature of D-brane quivers, the amplitude appears already at the string disk level. It is completely determined by the mixing parameter-and it is otherwise model (compactification) independent. Even for relatively small mixing, 100 fb{-1} of LHC data could probe deviations from standard model physics, at a 5sigma significance, for M{s} as large as 3.3 TeV.

Amplitude for N-gluon superstring scattering

We consider scattering processes involving N gluonic massless states of open superstrings with a certain Regge slope alpha'. At the semiclassical level, the string world-sheet sweeps a disk and N gluons are created or annihilated at the boundary. We present exact expressions for the corresponding amplitudes, valid to all orders in alpha', for the so-called maximally helicity violating configurations, with N = 4, 5 and N = 6. We also obtain the leading O(alpha '2) string corrections to the zero-slope N-gluon Yang-Mills amplitudes.

Compact multigluonic scattering amplitudes with heavy scalars and fermions

Combining the Berends-Giele and on-shell recursion relations we obtain an extremely compact expression for the scattering amplitude of a complex massive scalar-antiscalar pair and an arbitrary number of positive helicity gluons. This is one of the basic building blocks for constructing other helicity configurations from recursion relations. We also show explicitly that the scattering amplitude of massive fermions to gluons, all with positive helicity, is proportional to the scalar one, confirming in this way the recently advocated SUSY-like Ward identities relating both amplitudes.

All conjugate-maximal-helicity-violating amplitudes from topological open string theory in twistor space

It has recently been proposed that the D-instanton expansion of the open topological B model on P(3|4) is equivalent to the perturbative expansion of the maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions. In this letter we show how to construct the gauge theory results for all n-point conjugate-maximal-helicity-violating amplitudes by computing the integral over the moduli space of curves of degree n-3 in P(3|4), providing strong support to the string theory construction.

Perturbative Quantum Gravity and its Relation to Gauge Theory

In this review we describe a non-trivial relationship between perturbative gauge theory and gravity scattering amplitudes. At the semi-classical or tree-level, the scattering amplitudes of gravity theories in flat space can be expressed as a sum of products of well defined pieces of gauge theory amplitudes. These relationships were first discovered by Kawai, Lewellen, and Tye in the context of string theory, but hold more generally. In particular, they hold for standard Einstein gravity. A method based on D-dimensional unitarity can then be used to systematically construct all quantum loop corrections order-by-order in perturbation theory using as input the gravity tree amplitudes expressed in terms of gauge theory ones. More generally, the unitarity method provides a means for perturbatively quantizing massless gravity theories without the usual formal apparatus associated with the quantization of constrained systems. As one application, this method was used to demonstrate that maximally supersymmetric gravity is less divergent in the ultraviolet than previously thought.

Coupling gravitons to matter

Using relationships between open and closed strings, we present a construction of tree-level scattering amplitudes for gravitons minimally coupled to matter in terms of gauge theory partial amplitudes. In particular, we present examples of amplitudes with gravitons coupled to vectors or to a single fermion pair. We also present two examples with massive graviton exchange, as would arise in the presence of large compact dimensions. The gauge charges are represented by flavors of dynamical scalars or fermions. This also leads to an unconventional decomposition of color and kinematics in gauge theories.