27 research outputs found
Massive amplitudes on the Coulomb branch of N=4 SYM
We initiate a systematic study of amplitudes with massive external particles
on the Coulomb-branch of N=4 super Yang Mills theory: 1) We propose that
(multi-)soft-scalar limits of massless amplitudes at the origin of moduli space
can be used to determine Coulomb-branch amplitudes to leading order in the
mass. This is demonstrated in numerous examples. 2) We find compact explicit
expressions for several towers of tree-level amplitudes, including scattering
of two massive W-bosons with any number of positive helicity gluons, valid for
all values of the mass. 3) We present the general structure of superamplitudes
on the Coulomb branch. For example, the n-point "MHV-band" superamplitude is
proportional to a Grassmann polynomial of mixed degree 4 to 12, which is
uniquely determined by supersymmetry. We find explicit tree-level
superamplitudes for this MHV band and for other simple sectors of the theory.
4) Dual conformal generators are constructed, and we explore the dual conformal
properties of the simplest massive amplitudes. Our compact expressions for
amplitudes and superamplitudes should be of both theoretical and
phenomenological interest; in particular the tree-level results carry over to
truncations of the theory with less supersymmetry.Comment: 29 pages, 1 figur
Symbols of One-Loop Integrals From Mixed Tate Motives
We use a result on mixed Tate motives due to Goncharov
(arXiv:alg-geom/9601021) to show that the symbol of an arbitrary one-loop
2m-gon integral in 2m dimensions may be read off directly from its Feynman
parameterization. The algorithm proceeds via recursion in m seeded by the
well-known box integrals in four dimensions. As a simple application of this
method we write down the symbol of a three-mass hexagon integral in six
dimensions.Comment: 13 pages, v2: minor typos correcte
OPE for Super Loops
We extend the Operator Product Expansion for Null Polygon Wilson loops to the
Mason-Skinner-Caron-Huot super loop, dual to non MHV gluon amplitudes. We
explain how the known tree level amplitudes can be promoted into an infinite
amount of data at any loop order in the OPE picture. As an application, we
re-derive all one loop NMHV six gluon amplitudes by promoting their tree level
expressions. We also present some new all loops predictions for these
amplitudes.Comment: 16 pages + appendices; 5 figure
Single-valued harmonic polylogarithms and the multi-Regge limit
We argue that the natural functions for describing the multi-Regge limit of
six-gluon scattering in planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory are the
single-valued harmonic polylogarithmic functions introduced by Brown. These
functions depend on a single complex variable and its conjugate, (w,w*). Using
these functions, and formulas due to Fadin, Lipatov and Prygarin, we determine
the six-gluon MHV remainder function in the leading-logarithmic approximation
(LLA) in this limit through ten loops, and the next-to-LLA (NLLA) terms through
nine loops. In separate work, we have determined the symbol of the four-loop
remainder function for general kinematics, up to 113 constants. Taking its
multi-Regge limit and matching to our four-loop LLA and NLLA results, we fix
all but one of the constants that survive in this limit. The multi-Regge limit
factorizes in the variables (\nu,n) which are related to (w,w*) by a
Fourier-Mellin transform. We can transform the single-valued harmonic
polylogarithms to functions of (\nu,n) that incorporate harmonic sums,
systematically through transcendental weight six. Combining this information
with the four-loop results, we determine the eigenvalues of the BFKL kernel in
the adjoint representation to NNLLA accuracy, and the MHV product of impact
factors to NNNLLA accuracy, up to constants representing beyond-the-symbol
terms and the one symbol-level constant. Remarkably, only derivatives of the
polygamma function enter these results. Finally, the LLA approximation to the
six-gluon NMHV amplitude is evaluated through ten loops.Comment: 71 pages, 2 figures, plus 10 ancillary files containing analytic
expressions in Mathematica format. V2: Typos corrected and references added.
V3: Typos corrected; assumption about single-Reggeon exchange made explici
The All-Loop Integrand For Scattering Amplitudes in Planar N=4 SYM
We give an explicit recursive formula for the all L-loop integrand for
scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM in the planar limit, manifesting the full
Yangian symmetry of the theory. This generalizes the BCFW recursion relation
for tree amplitudes to all loop orders, and extends the Grassmannian duality
for leading singularities to the full amplitude. It also provides a new
physical picture for the meaning of loops, associated with canonical operations
for removing particles in a Yangian-invariant way. Loop amplitudes arise from
the "entangled" removal of pairs of particles, and are naturally presented as
an integral over lines in momentum-twistor space. As expected from manifest
Yangian-invariance, the integrand is given as a sum over non-local terms,
rather than the familiar decomposition in terms of local scalar integrals with
rational coefficients. Knowing the integrands explicitly, it is straightforward
to express them in local forms if desired; this turns out to be done most
naturally using a novel basis of chiral, tensor integrals written in
momentum-twistor space, each of which has unit leading singularities. As simple
illustrative examples, we present a number of new multi-loop results written in
local form, including the 6- and 7-point 2-loop NMHV amplitudes. Very concise
expressions are presented for all 2-loop MHV amplitudes, as well as the 5-point
3-loop MHV amplitude. The structure of the loop integrand strongly suggests
that the integrals yielding the physical amplitudes are "simple", and
determined by IR-anomalies. We briefly comment on extending these ideas to more
general planar theories.Comment: 46 pages; v2: minor changes, references adde
N >= 4 Supergravity Amplitudes from Gauge Theory at Two Loops
We present the full two-loop four-graviton amplitudes in N=4,5,6
supergravity. These results were obtained using the double-copy structure of
gravity, which follows from the recently conjectured color-kinematics duality
in gauge theory. The two-loop four-gluon scattering amplitudes in N=0,1,2
supersymmetric gauge theory are a second essential ingredient. The gravity
amplitudes have the expected infrared behavior: the two-loop divergences are
given in terms of the squares of the corresponding one-loop amplitudes. The
finite remainders are presented in a compact form. The finite remainder for N=8
supergravity is also presented, in a form that utilizes a pure function with a
very simple symbol.Comment: 31 pages, 2 figures, 1 table. v2: minor corrections, and references
adde
The Multi-Regge limit of NMHV Amplitudes in N=4 SYM Theory
We consider the multi-Regge limit for N=4 SYM NMHV leading color amplitudes
in two different formulations: the BFKL formalism for multi-Regge amplitudes in
leading logarithm approximation, and superconformal N=4 SYM amplitudes. It is
shown that the two approaches agree to two-loops for the 2->4 and 3->3
six-point amplitudes. Predictions are made for the multi-Regge limit of three
loop 2->4 and 3->3 NMHV amplitudes, as well as a particular sub-set of two loop
2 ->2 +n N^kMHV amplitudes in the multi-Regge limit in the leading logarithm
approximation from the BFKL point of view.Comment: 28 pages, 3 figure