arXiv subjects

Brian Henning

Publications and source records attributed to Brian Henning.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Quantum vorticity: a not so effective field theory

We provide a comprehensive picture for the formulation of the perfect fluid in the modern effective field theory formalism at both the classical and quantum level. Due to the necessity of decomposing the hydrodynamical variables $(\rho, p, u^\mu)$ into other internal degrees of freedom, the procedure is inherently not unique. We discuss and compare the different inequivalent formulations. These theories possess a peculiarity: the presence of an infinite dimensional symmetry implying a vanishing dispersion relation $\omega = 0$ for the transverse modes. This sets the stage for UV-IR mixing in the quantum theory, which we study in the different formulations focussing on the incompressible limit. We observe that the dispersion relation gets modified by quantum effects to become $\omega \propto \mathbf{k}^2$, where the fundamental excitations can be viewed as vortex-anti-vortex pairs. The spectrum exhibits infinitely many types of degenerate quanta. The unusual sensitivity to UV quantum fluctuations renders the implementation of the defining infinite symmetry somewhat subtle. However we present a lattice regularization that preserves a deformed version of such symmetry.

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arXiv2022

Hilbert Series, the Higgs Mechanism, and HEFT

We expand Hilbert series technologies in effective field theory for the inclusion of massive particles, enabling, among other things, the enumeration of operator bases for non-linearly realized gauge theories. We find that the Higgs mechanism is manifest at the level of the Hilbert series, as expected for the partition function of an $S$-matrix that is subject to the Goldstone equivalence theorem. In addition to massive vectors, we detail how other massive, spinning particles can be studied with Hilbert series; in particular, we spell out the ingredients for massive gravity in general spacetime dimensions. Further methodology is introduced to enable Hilbert series to capture the effect of spurion fields acquiring vevs. We apply the techniques to the Higgs Effective Field Theory (HEFT), providing a systematic enumeration of its operator basis. This is achieved both from a direct and a custodial symmetry spurion-based approach; we compare and contrast the two approaches, and our results to those appearing in previous literature.

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arXiv2022

Towards a nonperturbative construction of the $S$-matrix

We present a nonperturbative recipe for directly computing the $S$-matrix in strongly-coupled QFTs. The method makes use of spectral data obtained in a Hamiltonian framework and can be applied to a wide range of theories, including potentially QCD. We demonstrate the utility of this prescription in the specific example of the 2+1d $O(N)$ model at large $N$, using energy eigenstates computed with Hamiltonian truncation to reproduce the full $2 \to 2$ scattering amplitude for arbitrary (complex) center-of-mass energy.

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arXiv2022

Theory Techniques for Precision Physics -- Snowmass 2021 TF06 Topical Group Report

The wealth of experimental data collected at laboratory experiments suggests that there is some scale separation between the Standard Model (SM) and phenomena beyond the SM (BSM). New phenomena can manifest itself as small corrections to SM predictions, or as signals in processes where the SM predictions vanish or are exceedingly small. This makes precise calculations of the SM expectations essential, in order to maximize the sensitivity of current and forthcoming experiments to BSM physics. This topical group report highlights some past and forthcoming theory developments critical for maximizing the sensitivity of the experimental program to understanding Nature at the shortest distances.

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arXiv2022

Muon Collider Physics Summary

The perspective of designing muon colliders with high energy and luminosity, which is being investigated by the International Muon Collider Collaboration, has triggered a growing interest in their physics reach. We present a concise summary of the muon colliders potential to explore new physics, leveraging on the unique possibility of combining high available energy with very precise measurements.

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arXiv2021

Outer Automorphism Anomalies

We discuss anomalies associated with outer automorphisms in gauge theories based on classical groups, namely charge conjugations for $SU(N)$ and parities for $SO(2r)$. We emphasize the inequivalence (yet related by a flavor transformation) between two versions of charge conjugation for $SU(2k)$, $SO(2r)$, and $E_6$ symmetries. The subgroups that commute with the outer automorphisms are identified. Some charge conjugations can lead to a paradox, which is resolved by the observation that they are anomalous and hence not symmetries. We then discuss anomaly matching conditions that involve the charge conjugations or parities. Interesting examples are given where the charge conjugation is spontaneously broken.

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arXiv2021

2, 12, 117, 1959, 45171, 1170086, ...: A Hilbert series for the QCD chiral Lagrangian

We apply Hilbert series techniques to the enumeration of operators in the mesonic QCD chiral Lagrangian. Existing Hilbert series technologies for non-linear realizations are extended to incorporate the external fields. The action of charge conjugation is addressed by folding the $\frak{su}(n)$ Dynkin diagrams, which we detail in an appendix that can be read separately as it has potential broader applications. New results include the enumeration of anomalous operators appearing in the chiral Lagrangian at order $p^8$, as well as enumeration of $CP$-even, $CP$-odd, $C$-odd, and $P$-odd terms beginning from order $p^6$. The method is extendable to very high orders, and we present results up to order $p^{16}$. (The title sequence is the number of independent $C$-even $P$-even operators in the mesonic QCD chiral Lagrangian with three light flavors of quarks, at chiral dimensions $p^2$, $p^4$, $p^6$, ...)

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arXiv2019

Higgs Couplings without the Higgs

The measurement of Higgs couplings constitute an important part of present Standard Model precision tests at colliders. In this article, we show that modifications of Higgs couplings induce energy-growing effects in specific amplitudes involving longitudinally polarized vector bosons, and we initiate a novel program to study these very modifications of Higgs couplings off-shell and at high-energy, rather than on the Higgs resonance. Our analysis suggests that these channels are complementary and, at times, competitive with familiar on-shell measurements; moreover these high-energy probes offer endless opportunities for refinements and improvements.

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arXiv2019

Improved BSM Sensitivity in Diboson Processes

We study $W^+W^-$ and $Zh$ final states at future linear $e^+e^-$ colliders; designing analyses specific to the various final state polarizations allows us to target specific beyond the Standard Model (BSM) effects, parametrized in the form of dimension-6 operators. We find that CLIC can access effects roughly an order of magnitude smaller than HL-LHC or ILC, and two orders of magnitude smaller than LEP. These results are interpreted in the context of well-motivated BSM scenarios---at weak and strong coupling---where we expect correlated effects in Drell-Yann processes. The latter turn out to have better discovery potential, although the diboson processes provide additional discriminating power, potentially furnishing a way to measure the spin and coupling of BSM states.

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arXiv2019

2, 84, 30, 993, 560, 15456, 11962, 261485, ...: Higher dimension operators in the SM EFT

In a companion paper, we show that operator bases for general effective field theories are controlled by the conformal algebra. Equations of motion and integration by parts identities can be systematically treated by organizing operators into irreducible representations of the conformal group. In the present work, we use this result to study the standard model effective field theory (SM EFT), determining the content and number of higher dimension operators up to dimension 12, for an arbitrary number of fermion generations. We find additional operators to those that have appeared in the literature at dimension 7 (specifically in the case of more than one fermion generation) and at dimension 8. (The title sequence is the total number of independent operators in the SM EFT with one fermion generation, including hermitian conjugates, ordered in mass dimension, starting at dimension 5.)

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arXiv2019

Conformal-helicity duality & the Hilbert space of free CFTs

We identify a means to explicitly construct primary operators of free conformal field theories (CFTs) in spacetime dimensions $d=2,~3$, and $4$. Working in momentum space with spinors, we find that the $N$-distinguishable-particle Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}_N$ exhibits a $U(N)$ action in $d=4$ ($O(N)$ in $d=2,3$) which dually describes the decomposition of $\mathcal{H}_N$ into irreducible representations of the conformal group. This $U(N)$ is a natural $N$-particle generalization of the single-particle $U(1)$ little group. The spectrum of primary operators is identified with the harmonics of $N$-particle phase space which, specifically, is shown to be the Stiefel manifold $V_2(\mathbb{C}^N) = U(N)/U(N-2)$ (respectively, $V_2(\mathbb{R}^N)$, $V_1(\mathbb{R}^N)$ in $d=3,2$). Lorentz scalar primaries are harmonics on the Grassmannian $G_2(\mathbb{C}^N) \subset V_2(\mathbb{C}^N)$. We provide a recipe to construct these harmonic polynomials using standard $U(N)$ ($O(N)$) representation theory. We touch upon applications to effective field theory and numerical methods in quantum field theory.

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arXiv2019

Constructing effective field theories via their harmonics

We consider the construction of operator bases for massless, relativistic quantum field theories, and show this is equivalent to obtaining the harmonic modes of a physical manifold (the kinematic Grassmannian), upon which observables have support. This enables us to recast the approach of effective field theory (EFT) through the lens of harmonic analysis. We explicitly construct harmonics corresponding to low mass dimension EFT operators.

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arXiv2017

Operator bases, $S$-matrices, and their partition functions

Relativistic quantum systems that admit scattering experiments are quantitatively described by effective field theories, where $S$-matrix kinematics and symmetry considerations are encoded in the operator spectrum of the EFT. In this paper we use the $S$-matrix to derive the structure of the EFT operator basis, providing complementary descriptions in (i) position space utilizing the conformal algebra and cohomology and (ii) momentum space via an algebraic formulation in terms of a ring of momenta with kinematics implemented as an ideal. These frameworks systematically handle redundancies associated with equations of motion (on-shell) and integration by parts (momentum conservation). We introduce a partition function, termed the Hilbert series, to enumerate the operator basis--correspondingly, the $S$-matrix--and derive a matrix integral expression to compute the Hilbert series. The expression is general, easily applied in any spacetime dimension, with arbitrary field content and (linearly realized) symmetries. In addition to counting, we discuss construction of the basis. Simple algorithms follow from the algebraic formulation in momentum space. We explicitly compute the basis for operators involving up to $n=5$ scalar fields. This construction universally applies to fields with spin, since the operator basis for scalars encodes the momentum dependence of $n$-point amplitudes. We discuss in detail the operator basis for non-linearly realized symmetries. In the presence of massless particles, there is freedom to impose additional structure on the $S$-matrix in the form of soft limits. The most naïve implementation for massless scalars leads to the operator basis for pions, which we confirm using the standard CCWZ formulation for non-linear realizations.

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arXiv2016

One-loop Matching and Running with Covariant Derivative Expansion

We develop tools for performing effective field theory (EFT) calculations in a manifestly gauge-covariant fashion. We clarify how functional methods account for one-loop diagrams resulting from the exchange of both heavy and light fields, as some confusion has recently arisen in the literature. To efficiently evaluate functional traces containing these "mixed" one-loop terms, we develop a new covariant derivative expansion (CDE) technique that is capable of evaluating a much wider class of traces than previous methods. The technique is detailed in an appendix, so that it can be read independently from the rest of this work. We review the well-known matching procedure to one-loop order with functional methods. What we add to this story is showing how to isolate one-loop terms coming from diagrams involving only heavy propagators from diagrams with mixed heavy and light propagators. This is done using a non-local effective action, which physically connects to the notion of "integrating out" heavy fields. Lastly, we show how to use a CDE to do running analyses in EFTs, \textit{i.e.} to obtain the anomalous dimension matrix. We demonstrate the methodologies by several explicit example calculations.

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arXiv2015

Hilbert series and operator bases with derivatives in effective field theories

We introduce a systematic framework for counting and finding independent operators in effective field theories, taking into account the redundancies associated with use of the classical equations of motion and integration by parts. By working in momentum space, we show that the enumeration problem can be mapped onto that of understanding a polynomial ring in the field momenta. All-order information about the number of independent operators in an effective field theory is encoded in a geometrical object of the ring known as the Hilbert series. We obtain the Hilbert series for the theory of N real scalar fields in (0+1) dimensions--an example, free of space-time and internal symmetries, where aspects of our framework are most transparent. Although this is as simple a theory involving derivatives as one could imagine, it provides fruitful lessons to be carried into studies of more complicated theories: we find surprising and rich structure from an interplay between integration by parts and equations of motion and a connection with SL(2,C) representation theory which controls the structure of the operator basis.

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arXiv2015

How to use the Standard Model effective field theory

We present a practical three-step procedure of using the Standard Model effective field theory (SM EFT) to connect ultraviolet (UV) models of new physics with weak scale precision observables. With this procedure, one can interpret precision measurements as constraints on a given UV model. We give a detailed explanation for calculating the effective action up to one-loop order in a manifestly gauge covariant fashion. This covariant derivative expansion method dramatically simplifies the process of matching a UV model with the SM EFT, and also makes available a universal formalism that is easy to use for a variety of UV models. A few general aspects of RG running effects and choosing operator bases are discussed. Finally, we provide mapping results between the bosonic sector of the SM EFT and a complete set of precision electroweak and Higgs observables to which present and near future experiments are sensitive. Many results and tools which should prove useful to those wishing to use the SM EFT are detailed in several appendices.

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arXiv2015

A keV String Axion from High Scale Supersymmetry

Various theoretical and experimental considerations motivate models with high scale supersymmetry breaking. While such models may be difficult to test in colliders, we propose looking for signatures at much lower energies. We show that a keV line in the X-ray spectrum of galaxy clusters (such as the recently disputed 3.5 keV observation) can have its origin in a universal string axion coupled to a hidden supersymmetry breaking sector. A linear combination of the string axion and an additional axion in the hidden sector remains light, obtaining a mass of order 10 keV through supersymmetry breaking dynamics. In order to explain the X-ray line, the scale of supersymmetry breaking must be about $10^{11-12}$ GeV. This motivates high scale supersymmetry as in pure gravity mediation or minimal split supersymmetry and is consistent with all current limits. Since the axion mass is controlled by a dynamical mass scale, this mass can be much higher during inflation, avoiding isocurvature (and domain wall) problems associated with high scale inflation. In an appendix we present a mechanism for dilaton stabilization that additionally leads to $\mathcal{O}(1)$ modifications of the gaugino mass from anomaly mediation.

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arXiv2014

What do precision Higgs measurements buy us?

We study the sensitivities of future precision Higgs measurements and electroweak observables in probing physics beyond the Standard Model. Using effective field theory--appropriate since precision measurements are indirect probes of new physics--we examine two well-motivated test cases. One is a tree-level example due to a singlet scalar field that enables the first-order electroweak phase transition for baryogenesis. The other is a one-loop example due to scalar top in the MSSM. We find both Higgs and electroweak measurements are sensitive probes of these cases.

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