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Harald Dorn

Publications and source records attributed to Harald Dorn.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Conformal invariants of curves via those for inscribed polygons with circular edges

The conformal nature of smooth curves in $\mathbb{R}^3$ is characterised by conformal length, curvature and torsion. We present a derivation of these conformal parameters via a limiting process using inscribed polygons with circular edges . The procedure is based on elementary geometry in $\mathbb{R}^3$ only and similar to the rectification of curves in the metrical case. It seems to be not available in the literature so far.

math.DG

Remarks on conformal invariants for piecewise smooth curves and Wilson loops

This short note is some obvious mathematical addendum to our papers on Wilson loops on polygon-like contours with circular edges \cite{Dorn:2020meb,Dorn:2020vzj}. Using the technique of osculating spheres and circles we identify the conformal invariants characterising the kinks (cusps) of generic piecewise smooth curves in 3-dimensional space.

hep-th

Wilson loops for triangular contours with circular edges

We calculate Wilson loops in lowest order of perturbation theory for triangular contours whose edges are circular arcs. Based on a suitable disentanglement of the relations between metrical and conformal parameters of the contours, the result fits perfectly in the structure predicted by the anomalous conformal Ward identity. The conformal remainder function depends in the generic 4D case on three cusp and on three torsion angles. The restrictions on these angles imposed by the closing of the contour are discussed in detail and also for cases in 3D and 2D.

hep-th

On anomalous conformal Ward identities for Wilson loops on polygon-like contours with circular edges

We derive the anomalous conformal Ward identities for ${\cal N}=4$ SYM Wilson loops on polygon-like contours with edges formed by circular arcs. With a suitable choice of parameterisation they are very similarly to those for local correlation functions. Their solutions have a conformally covariant factor depending on the distances of the corners times a conformally invariant remainder factor depending, besides on cross ratios of the corners, on the cusp angles and angles parameterising the torsion of the contours.

hep-th

More on Wilson loops for two touching circles

We calculate both at leading weak and strong coupling the renormalised Maldacena-Wilson loop for contours formed by consecutive passage of two touching circles. At the touching point both circles should have the same normal direction but form cusps of non-zero opening angle $α$. Particular emphasis is put on the behaviour in the limit $α\rightarrow 0$ and its comparison with the spiky situation studied in a previous paper, where $α$ was set to zero before renormalisation.

hep-th

On Wilson loops for two touching circles with opposite orientation

We study the Wilson loops for contours formed by a consecutive passage of two touching circles with a common tangent, but opposite orientation. The calculations are performed in lowest nontrivial order for ${\cal N}=4$ SYM at weak and strong coupling and for QCD at weak coupling. After subtracting the standard linear divergence proportional to the length, as well the recently analysed spike divergence, we get for the renormalised Wilson loops $\mbox{log}~W_{\mbox{\scriptsize ren}}=0$. The result holds for circles with different radii and arbitrary angle between the discs spanned by them.

hep-th

On a new type of divergence for spiky Wilson loops and related entanglement entropies

We study the divergences of Wilson loops for a contour with a cusp of zero opening angle, combined with a nonzero discontinuity of its curvature. The analysis is performed in lowest order, both for weak and strong coupling. Such a spike contributes a leading divergent term proportional to the inverse of the square root of the cutoff times the jump of the curvature. As nextleading term appears a logarithmic one in the supersymmetric case, but it is absent in QCD. The strong coupling result, obtained from minimal surfaces in AdS via holography, can be used also for applications to entanglement entropy in (2+1)-dimensional CFT's.

hep-th

On the logarithmic divergent part of entanglement entropy, smooth versus singular regions

The entanglement entropy for smooth regions $\cal A$ has a logarithmic divergent contribution with a shape dependent coefficient and that for regions with conical singularities an additional $\log ^2$ term. Comparing the coefficient of this extra term, obtained by direct holographic calculation for an infinite cone, with the corresponding limiting case for the shape dependent coefficient for a regularised cone, a mismatch by a factor two has been observed in the literature. We discuss several aspects of this issue. In particular a regularisation of $\cal A$, intrinsically delivered by the holographic picture, is proposed and applied to an example of a compact region with two conical singularities. Finally, the mismatch is removed in all studied regularisations of $\cal A$, if equal scale ratios are chosen for the limiting procedure.

hep-th

Holographic entanglement entropy for hollow cones and banana shaped regions

We consider banana shaped regions as examples of compact regions, whose boundary has two conical singularities. Their regularised holographic entropy is calculated with all divergent as well as finite terms. The coefficient of the squared logarithmic divergence, also in such a case with internally curved boundary, agrees with that calculated in the literature for infinite circular cones with their internally flat boundary. For the otherwise conformally invariant coefficient of the ordinary logarithmic divergence an anomaly under exceptional conformal transformations is observed. The construction of minimal submanifolds, needed for the entanglement entropy of cones, requires fine-tuning of Cauchy data. Perturbations of such fine-tuning leads to solutions relevant for hollow cones. The divergent parts for the entanglement entropy of hollow cones are calculated. Increasing the difference between the opening angles of their outer and inner boundary, one finds a transition between connected solutions for small differences to disconnected solutions for larger ones.

hep-th

Wilson loops at strong coupling for curved contours with cusps

We construct the minimal surface in AdS, relevant for the strong coupling behaviour of local supersymmetric Wilson loops in N=4 SYM for a closed contour formed out of segments of two intersecting circles. Its regularised area is calculated including all divergent parts and the finite renormalised term. Furthermore we prove, that for generic planar curved contours with cusps the cusp anomalous dimensions are functions of the respective cusp angles alone. They do not depend on other local data of the cusps.

hep-th

Exceptional conformal anomaly of null polygonal Wilson loops

We analyse the breaking of conformal invariance for null polygonal Wilson loops in ${\cal N}=4$ SYM beyond that induced by the UV divergences due to the cusps. It only shows up in exceptional configurations, where the polygon intersects the critical light cone of an inversion or a special conformal transformation. In comparison with the related study for the Euclidean version by Drukker and Gross, we find different leading terms both for weak as well as for strong coupling. Hence the conformal anomaly due to intersections of a null polygon with a critical light cone defines a new universal function of the coupling constant.

hep-th

Conformal geometry of null hexagons for Wilson loops and scattering amplitudes

The cross-ratios do not uniquely fix the class of conformally equivalent configurations of null polygons. In view of applications to Wilson loops and scattering amplitudes we characterise all conformal classes of null hexagon configurations belonging to given points in cross-ratio space. At first this is done for the ordered set of vertices. Including the edges, we then investigate the equivalence classes under conformal transformations for null hexagons. This is done both for the set of null hexagons closed in finite domains of Minkowski space as well as for the set including those closed via infinity.

hep-th

Hexagon remainder function in the limit of self-crossing up to three loops

We consider Wilson loops in planar N=4 SYM for null polygons in the limit of two crossing edges. The analysis is based on a renormalisation group technique. We show that the previously obtained result for the leading and next-leading divergent term of the two loop hexagon remainder is in full agreement with the appropriate continuation of the exact analytic formula for this quantity. Furthermore, we determine the coefficients of the leading and next-leading singularity for the three loop remainder function for null n-gons with n >= 6.

hep-th

Wilson loop remainder function for null polygons in the limit of self-crossing

The remainder function of Wilson loops for null polygons becomes divergent if two vertices approach each other. We apply RG techniques to the limiting configuration of a contour with self-intersection. As a result for the two loop remainder we find a quadratic divergence in the logarithm of the distance between the two approaching vertices. The divergence is multiplied by a factor, which is given by a pure number plus the product of two logarithms of cross-ratios characterising the conformal geometry of the self-crossing.

hep-th

Coordinate representation of particle dynamics in AdS and in generic static spacetimes

We discuss the quantum dynamics of a particle in static curved spacetimes in a coordinate representation. The scheme is based on the analysis of the squared energy operator E^2, which is quadratic in momenta and contains a scalar curvature term. Our main emphasis is on AdS spaces, where this term is fixed by the isometry group. As a byproduct the isometry generators are constructed and the energy spectrum is reproduced. In the massless case the conformal symmetry is realized as well. We show the equivalence between this quantization and the covariant quantization, based on the Klein-Gordon type equation in AdS. We further demonstrate that the two quantization methods in an arbitrary (N+1)-dimensional static spacetime are equivalent to each other if the scalar curvature terms both in the operator E^2 and in the Klein-Gordon type equation have the same coefficient equal to (N-1)/(4N).

hep-th

On spacelike and timelike minimal surfaces in $AdS_n$

We discuss timelike and spacelike minimal surfaces in $AdS_n$ using a Pohlmeyer type reduction. The differential equations for the reduced system are derived in a parallel treatment of both type of surfaces, with emphasis on their characteristic differences. In the timelike case we find a formulation corresponding to a complete gauge fixing of the torsion. In the spacelike case we derive three sets of equations, related to different parameterizations enforced by the Lorentzian signature of the metric in normal space. On the basis of these equations, we prove that there are no flat spacelike minimal surfaces in $AdS_n, n\geq 4$ beyond the four cusp surfaces used in the Alday-Maldacena conjecture. Furthermore, we give a parameterization of flat timelike minimal surfaces in $AdS_5$ in terms of two chiral fields.

hep-th

Space-like minimal surfaces in AdS x S

We present a four parameter family of classical string solutions in AdS_3 x S^3, which end along a light-like tetragon at the boundary of AdS_3 and carry angular momentum along two cycles on the sphere. The string surfaces are space-like and their projections on AdS_3 and on S^3 have constant mean curvature. The construction is based on the Pohlmeyer reduction of the related sigma model. After embedding in AdS_5 x S^5, we calculate the regularized area and analyze conserved charges. Comments on possible relations to scattering amplitudes are presented. We also sketch time-like versions of our solutions.

hep-th

Vacuum type space-like string surfaces in AdS_3 x S^3

We construct and classify all space-like minimal surfaces in AdS_3 x S^3 which globally admit coordinates with constant induced metric on both factors. Up to O(2,2) x O(4) transformations all these surfaces, except one class, are parameterized by four real parameters. The classes of surfaces correspond to different regions in this parameter space and show quite different boundary behavior. Our analysis uses a direct construction of the string coordinates via a group theoretical treatment based on the map of AdS_3 x S^3 to SL(2,R) x SU(2). This is complemented by a cross check via standard Pohlmeyer reduction. After embedding in AdS_5 x S^5 we calculate the regularized area for solutions with a boundary spanned by a four point scattering s-channel momenta configuration.

hep-th