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Chris D. White

Publications and source records attributed to Chris D. White.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

A tale of two exponentiations in ${\cal N}=8$ supergravity at subleading level

High-energy massless gravitational scattering in ${\cal N}=8$ supergravity was recently analyzed at leading level in the deflection angle, uncovering an interesting connection between exponentiation of infrared divergences in momentum space and the eikonal exponentiation in impact parameter space. Here we extend that analysis to the first non trivial sub-leading level in the deflection angle which, for massless external particles, implies going to two loops, i.e. to third post-Minkowskian (3PM) order. As in the case of the leading eikonal, we see that the factorisation of the momentum space amplitude into the exponential of the one-loop result times a finite remainder hides some basic simplicity of the impact parameter formulation. For the conservative part of the process, the explicit outcome is infrared (IR) finite, shows no logarithmic enhancement, and agrees with an old claim in pure Einstein gravity, while the dissipative part is IR divergent and should be regularized, as usual, by including soft gravitational bremsstrahlung. Finally, using recent three-loop results, we test the expectation that eikonal formulation accounts for the exponentiation of the lower-loop results in the momentum space amplitude. This passes a number of highly non-trivial tests, but appears to fail for the dissipative part of the process at all loop orders and sufficiently subleading order in $ε$, hinting at some lack of commutativity of the relevant infrared limits for each exponentiation.

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Effective field theory and scalar extensions of the top quark sector

Effective field theory (EFT) approaches are widely used at the LHC, such that it is important to study their validity, and ease of matching to specific new physics models. In this paper, we consider an extension of the SM in which a top quark couples to a new heavy scalar. We find the dimension six operators generated by this theory at low energy, and match the EFT to the full theory up to NLO precision in the simplified model coupling. We then examine the range of validity of the EFT description in top pair production, finding excellent validity even if the scalar mass is only slightly above LHC energies, provided NLO corrections are included. In the absence of the latter, the LO EFT overestimates kinematic distributions, such that over-optimistic constraints on BSM contributions are obtained. We next examine the constraints on the EFT and full models that are expected to be obtained from both top pair and four top production at the LHC, finding for low scalar masses that both processes show similar exclusion power. However, for larger masses, estimated LHC uncertainties push constraints into the non-perturbative regime, where the full model is difficult to analyse, and thus not perturbatively matchable to the EFT. This highlights the necessity to improve uncertainties of SM hypotheses in top final states.

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Monopoles, shockwaves and the classical double copy

The classical double copy relates exact solutions in biadjoint scalar, gauge and gravity theories. Recently, nonperturbative solutions have been found in biadjoint theory, which have been speculated to be related to the Wu-Yang monopole in gauge theory. We show that this seems not to be the case, by considering monopole solutions in the infinitely boosted (shockwave) limit. Furthermore, we show that the Wu-Yang monopole is instead related to the Taub-NUT solution, whose previously noted single copy is that of an abelian-like (Dirac) monopole. Our results demonstrate how abelian and non-abelian gauge theory objects can be associated with the same gravity object, and clarify a number of open questions concerning the scope of the classical double copy.

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Aspects of High Energy Scattering

Scattering amplitudes in quantum field theories are of widespread interest, due to a large number of theoretical and phenomenological applications. Much is known about the possible behaviour of amplitudes, that is independent of the details of the underlying theory. This knowledge is often neglected in modern QFT courses, and the aim of these notes - aimed at graduate students - is to redress this. We review the possible singularities that amplitudes can have, before examining the generic behaviour that can arise in the high-energy limit. Finally, we illustrate the results using examples from QCD and gravity.

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A tale of two exponentiations in ${\cal N}=8$ supergravity

The structure of scattering amplitudes in supergravity theories continues to be of interest. Recently, the amplitude for $2\rightarrow 2$ scattering in ${\cal N}=8$ supergravity was presented at three-loop order for the first time. The result can be written in terms of an exponentiated one-loop contribution, modulo a remainder function which is free of infrared singularities, but contains leading terms in the high energy Regge limit. We explain the origin of these terms from a well-known, unitarity-restoring exponentiation of the high-energy gravitational $S$-matrix in impact-parameter space. Furthermore, we predict the existence of similar terms in the remainder function at all higher loop orders. Our results provide a non-trivial cross-check of the recent three-loop calculation, and a necessary consistency constraint for any future calculation at higher loops.

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Next-to-leading power threshold effects for inclusive and exclusive processes with final state jets

It is well known that cross-sections in perturbative QCD receive large corrections from soft and collinear radiation, whose properties must be resummed to all orders in the coupling. Whether or not the universal properties of this radiation can be extended to next-to-leading power (NLP) in the threshold expansion has been the subject of much recent study. In this paper, we consider two types of NLP effects: the interplay of next-to-soft and collinear radiation in processes with final state jets and the NLP contributions stemming from soft quarks. We derive an NLP amplitude for soft gluons and quarks, valid for an arbitrary number of coloured or colourless massless final state particles. We show explicitly that this framework can be used to correctly obtain the dominant NLP effects in three different types of processes at next-to-leading order: deep-inelastic scattering, hadroproduction via electron-positron annihilation and prompt photon production. Our results provide an important ingredient for developing a universal resummation formalism for NLP effects.

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The classical double copy in three spacetime dimensions

The double copy relates scattering amplitudes in gauge and gravity theories, and has also been extended to classical solutions. In this paper, we study solutions in three spacetime dimensions, where the double copy may be expected to be problematic due to the absence of propagating degrees of freedom for the graviton, and the lack of a Newtonian limit. In particular, we examine the double copy of a gauge theory point charge. This is a vacuum solution in gauge theory, but leads to a non-vacuum solution in gravity, which we show is consistent with previously derived constraints. Furthermore, we successfully interpret the non-trivial stress-energy tensor on the gravity side as arising from a dilaton profile, and the Newtonian description of a point charge emerges as expected in the appropriate limit. Thus, our results provide a non-trivial cross-check of the classical Kerr-Schild double copy.

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Effective Field Theory in the top sector: do multijets help?

Many studies of possible new physics employ effective field theory (EFT), whereby corrections to the Standard Model take the form of higher-dimensional operators, suppressed by a large energy scale. Fits of such a theory to data typically use parton level observables, which limits the datasets one can use. In order to theoretically model search channels involving many additional jets, it is important to include tree-level matrix elements matched to a parton shower algorithm, and a suitable matching procedure to remove the double counting of additional radiation. There are then two potential problems: (i) EFT corrections are absent in the shower, leading to an extra source of discontinuities in the matching procedure; (ii) the uncertainty in the matching procedure may be such that no additional constraints are obtained from observables sensitive to radiation. In this paper, we review why the first of these is not a problem in practice, and perform a detailed study of the second. In particular, we quantify the additional constraints on EFT expected from top pair plus multijet events, relative to inclusive top pair production alone.

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Biadjoint wires

Biadjoint scalar field theory has been the subject of much recent study, due to a number of applications in field and string theory. The catalogue of exact non-linear solutions of this theory is relatively unexplored, despite having a role to play in extending known relationships between gauge and gravity theories, such as the double copy. In this paper, we present new solutions of biadjoint scalar theory, corresponding to singular line configurations in four spacetime dimensions, with a power-law dependence on the cylindrical radius. For a certain choice of common gauge group (SU(2)), a family of infinitely degenerate solutions is found, whose existence can be traced to the global symmetry of the theory. We also present extended solutions, in which the pure power-law divergence is partially screened by a form factor.

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The self-dual classical double copy, and the Eguchi-Hanson instanton

The double copy is a map from non-abelian gauge theories to gravity, that has been demonstrated both for scattering amplitudes and exact classical solutions. In this study, we reconsider the double copy for exact solutions that are self-dual in either the gauge or gravity theory. In this case, one may formulate a general double copy in terms of a certain differential operator, which generates the gauge and gravity solutions from a harmonic function residing in a biadjoint scalar theory. As an illustration, we examine the single copy of the well-known Eguchi-Hanson instanton in gravity. The gauge field thus obtained represents an abelian-like object whose field is dipole-like at large distances, and which has no magnetic or electric charge.

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On next-to-leading power threshold corrections in Drell-Yan production at N$^3$LO

The cross-section for Drell-Yan production of a vector boson has been previously calculated at next-to-next-to-leading order, supplemented by enhanced logarithmic terms associated with the threshold region. In this paper, we calculate a large set of enhanced terms associated with the colour structure $C_F^3$ at N$^3$LO, for the double real emission contribution in the quark-antiquark channel, as an expansion around the threshold region up to and including the first subleading power. We perform our calculation using the method of regions, which systematically characterises all contributions according to whether the virtual gluon is (next-to) soft, collinear or hard in nature. Our results will prove useful for developing general formalisms for classifying next-to-leading power (NLP) threshold effects. They are also interesting in their own right, given that they constitute a previously unknown contribution to the Drell-Yan cross-section at ${\cal O}(α_s^3)$.

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Constraining top quark effective theory in the LHC Run II era

We perform an up-to-date global fit of top quark effective theory to experimental data from the Tevatron, and from LHC Runs I and II. Experimental data includes total cross-sections up to 13 TeV, as well as differential distributions, for both single top and pair production. We also include the top quark width, charge asymmetries, and polarisation information from top decay products. We present bounds on the coefficients of dimension six operators, and examine the interplay between inclusive and differential measurements, and Tevatron / LHC data. All results are currently in good agreement with the Standard Model.

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Inelastic Black Hole Scattering from Charged Scalar Amplitudes

We explain how the lowest-order classical gravitational radiation produced during the inelastic scattering of two Schwarzschild black holes in General Relativity can be obtained from a tree scattering amplitude in gauge theory coupled to scalar fields. The gauge calculation is related to gravity through the double copy. We remove unwanted scalar forces which can occur in the double copy by introducing a massless scalar in the gauge theory, which is treated as a ghost in the link to gravity. We hope these methods are a step towards a direct application of the double copy at higher orders in classical perturbation theory, with the potential to greatly streamline gravity calculations for phenomenological applications.

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The Kerr-Schild double copy in curved spacetime

The double copy is a much-studied relationship between scattering amplitudes in gauge and gravity theories, that has subsequently been extended to classical field solutions. In nearly all previous examples, the graviton field is defined around Minkowski space. Recently, it has been suggested that one may set up a double copy for gravitons defined around a non-trivial background. We investigate this idea from the point of view of the classical double copy. First, we use Kerr-Schild spacetimes to construct graviton solutions in curved space, as double copies of gauge fields on non-zero gauge backgrounds. Next, we find that we can reinterpret such cases in terms of a graviton on a non-Minkowski background, whose single copy is a gauge field in the same background spacetime. The latter type of double copy persists even when the background is not of Kerr-Schild form, and we provide examples involving conformally flat metrics. Our results will be useful in extending the remit of the double copy, including to possible cosmological applications.

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The double copy: gravity from gluons

Three of the four fundamental forces in nature are described by so-called gauge theories, which include the effects of both relativity and quantum mechanics. Gravity, on the other hand, is described by General Relativity, and the lack of a well-behaved quantum theory - believed to be relevant at the centre of black holes, and at the Big Bang itself - remains a notorious unsolved problem. Recently a new correspondence, the double copy, has been discovered between scattering amplitudes (quantities related to the probability for particles to interact) in gravity, and their gauge theory counterparts. This has subsequently been extended to other quantities, providing gauge theory analogues of e.g. black holes. We here review current research on the double copy, and describe some possible applications.

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Extended solutions for the biadjoint scalar field

Biadjoint scalar field theories are increasingly important in the study of scattering amplitudes in various string and field theories. Recently, some first exact nonperturbative solutions of biadjoint scalar theory were presented, with a pure power-like form corresponding to isolated monopole-like objects located at the origin of space. In this paper, we find a novel family of extended solutions, involving non-trivial form factors that partially screen the divergent field at the origin. All previous solutions emerge as special cases.

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Bootstrapping the QCD soft anomalous dimension

The soft anomalous dimension governs the infrared singularities of scattering amplitudes to all orders in perturbative quantum field theory, and is a crucial ingredient in both formal and phenomenological applications of non-abelian gauge theories. It has recently been computed at three-loop order for massless partons by explicit evaluation of all relevant Feynman diagrams. In this paper, we show how the same result can be obtained, up to an overall numerical factor, using a bootstrap procedure. We first give a geometrical argument for the fact that the result can be expressed in terms of single-valued harmonic polylogarithms. We then use symmetry considerations as well as known properties of scattering amplitudes in collinear and high-energy (Regge) limits to constrain an ansatz of basis functions. This is a highly non-trivial cross-check of the result, and our methods pave the way for greatly simplified higher-order calculations.

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Results from TopFitter

We discuss a global fit of top quark BSM couplings, phrased in the model-independent language of higher-dimensional effective operators, to the currently available data from the LHC and Tevatron. We examine the interplay between inclusive and differential measurements, and the complementarity of LHC and Tevatron results. We conclude with a discussion of projections for improvement over LHC Run II.

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