The classical limit of the Magnus expansion

Abstract

We uncover a connection between the classical limit of the Magnus expansion in quantum field theory and the Malvenuto-Reutenauer Hopf algebra of permutations. We study a cubic scalar theory describing a massive particle coupled to massless scalar quanta, which captures the propagator structure relevant to classical scattering in gravity and scalar QED. Using a Schwinger parametrisation of the massive propagators, we compute the classical limit of Magnus amplitudes at tree level in this theory. First, we prove that all hyperclassical contributions cancel at the level of the Schwinger proper-time integrand, before integration. Then, we show that the classical Magnus amplitude precisely matches expectations from worldline quantum field theory. Both results rely on cancellations of disconnected diagrams which we relate to the Hopf algebra, specifically to the action of the adjoint first Eulerian projector, which annihilates the shuffle products associated with disconnected contributions. Moreover, the worldline diagrams include generic directed-tree topologies, whereas the field-theory diagrams only include directed chains. The correspondence we establish between the two therefore leads to a new formula for generic Murua coefficients in terms of simpler directed chain coefficients. Finally, we observe a suggestive connection between Magnus amplitudes and the web-mixing matrices governing the exponentiation of multiple Wilson lines.