arXiv subjects

J. M. Henn

Publications and source records attributed to J. M. Henn.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

All master integrals for three-jet production at NNLO

We evaluate analytically all previously unknown nonplanar master integrals for massless five-particle scattering at two loops, using the differential equations method. A canonical form of the differential equations is obtained by identifying integrals with constant leading singularities, in $D$ space-time dimensions. These integrals evaluate to $\mathbb{Q}$-linear combinations of multiple polylogarithms of uniform weight at each order in the expansion in the dimensional regularization parameter, and are in agreement with previous conjectures for nonplanar pentagon functions. Our results provide the complete set of two-loop Feynman integrals for any massless $2\to 3$ scattering process, thereby opening up a new level of precision collider phenomenology.

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arXiv2020

Evaluating two-loop non-planar master integrals for Higgs + jet production with full heavy-quark mass dependence

We present the analytic computation of a family of non-planar master integrals which contribute to the two-loop scattering amplitudes for Higgs plus one jet production, with full heavy-quark mass dependence. These are relevant for the NNLO corrections to inclusive Higgs production and for the NLO corrections to Higgs production in association with a jet, in QCD. The computation of the integrals is performed with the method of differential equations. We provide a choice of basis for the polylogarithmic sectors, that puts the system of differential equations in canonical form. Solutions up to weight 2 are provided in terms of logarithms and dilogarithms, and 1-fold integral solutions are provided at weight 3 and 4. There are two elliptic sectors in the family, which are computed by solving their associated set of differential equations in terms of generalized power series. The resulting series may be truncated to obtain numerical results with high precision. The series solution renders the analytic continuation to the physical region straightforward. Moreover, we show how the series expansion method can be used to obtain accurate numerical results for all the master integrals of the family in all kinematic regions.

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arXiv2020

From correlation functions to event shapes in QCD

We present a method for calculating event shapes in QCD based on correlation functions of conserved currents. The method has been previously applied to the maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, but we demonstrate that supersymmetry is not essential. As a proof of concept, we consider the simplest example of a charge-charge correlation at one loop (leading order). We compute the correlation function of four electromagnetic currents and explain in detail the steps needed to extract the event shape from it. The result is compared to the standard amplitude calculation. The explicit four-point correlation function may also be of interest for the CFT community.

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arXiv2019

Analytic form of the full two-loop five-gluon all-plus helicity amplitude

We compute the full-color two-loop five-gluon amplitude for the all-plus helicity configuration. In order to achieve this, we calculate the required master integrals for all permutations of the external legs, in the physical scattering region. We verify the expected divergence structure of the amplitude, and extract the finite hard function. We further validate our result by checking the factorization properties in the collinear limit. Our result is fully analytic and valid in the physical scattering region. We express it in a compact form containing logarithms, dilogarithms and rational functions.

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arXiv2019

Analytic result for a two-loop five-particle amplitude

We compute the symbol of the full-color two-loop five-particle amplitude in $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills, including all non-planar subleading-color terms. The amplitude is written in terms of permutations of Parke-Taylor tree-level amplitudes and pure functions to all orders in the dimensional regularization parameter, in agreement with previous conjectures. The answer has the correct collinear limits and infrared factorization properties, allowing us to define a finite remainder function. We study the multi-Regge limit of the non-planar terms, analyze its subleading power corrections, and present analytically the leading logarithmic terms.

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arXiv2019

Analytic result for the nonplanar hexa-box integrals

In this paper, we analytically compute all master integrals for one of the two non-planar integral families for five-particle massless scattering at two loops. We first derive an integral basis of 73 integrals with constant leading singularities. We then construct the system of differential equations satisfied by them, and find that it is in canonical form. The solution space is in agreement with a recent conjecture for the non-planar pentagon alphabet. We fix the boundary constants of the differential equations by exploiting constraints from the absence of unphysical singularities. The solution of the differential equations in the Euclidean region is expressed in terms of iterated integrals. We cross-check the latter against previously known results in the literature, as well as with independent Mellin-Barnes calculations.

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arXiv2019

The two-loop five-particle amplitude in $\mathcal{N}=8$ supergravity

We compute for the first time the two-loop five-particle amplitude in $\mathcal{N}=8$ supergravity. Starting from the known integrand, we perform an integration-by-parts reduction and express the answer in terms of uniform weight master integrals. The latter are known to evaluate to non-planar pentagon functions, described by a 31-letter symbol alphabet. We express the final result for the amplitude in terms of uniform weight four symbols, multiplied by a small set of rational factors. The amplitude satisfies the expected factorization properties when one external graviton becomes soft, and when two external gravitons become collinear. We verify that the soft divergences of the amplitude exponentiate, and extract the finite remainder function. The latter depends on fewer rational factors, and is independent of one of the symbol letters. By analyzing identities involving rational factors and symbols we find a remarkably compact representation in terms of a single seed function, summed over all permutations of external particles. Finally, we work out the multi-Regge limit, and present explicitly the leading logarithmic terms in the limit. The full symbol of the IR-subtracted hard function is provided as an ancillary file.

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arXiv2018

Pentagon functions for massless planar scattering amplitudes

Loop amplitudes for massless five particle scattering processes contain Feynman integrals depending on the external momentum invariants: pentagon functions. We perform a detailed study of the analyticity properties and cut structure of these functions up to two loops in the planar case, where we classify and identify the minimal set of basis functions. They are computed from the canonical form of their differential equations and expressed in terms of generalized polylogarithms, or alternatively as one-dimensional integrals. We present analytical expressions and numerical evaluation routines for these pentagon functions, in all kinematical configurations relevant to five-particle scattering processes.

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arXiv2018

Four-loop results for the cusp anomalous dimension

We review the current status of calculations of the HQET field anomalous dimension and the cusp anomalous dimension. In particular, we give the results at 4 loops for the quartic Casimir contribution, and for the full QED case, up to $φ^6$ in the small angle expansion. Furthermore, we discuss the leading terms in the anti-parallel lines limit at four loops.

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arXiv2016

Analytic form of the two-loop planar five-gluon all-plus-helicity amplitude in QCD

Virtual two-loop corrections to scattering amplitudes are a key ingredient to precision physics at collider experiments. We compute the full set of planar master integrals relevant to five-point functions in massless QCD, and use these to derive an analytical expression for the two-loop five-gluon all-plus-helicity amplitude. After subtracting terms that are related to the universal infrared and ultraviolet pole structure, we obtain a remarkably simple and compact finite remainder function, consisting only of dilogarithms.

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arXiv2015

Next-to-Leading Order QCD Corrections to the Decay Width $H \to Z γ$

We present the analytic calculation of the two-loop QCD corrections to the decay width of a Higgs boson into a photon and a $Z$ boson. The calculation is carried out using integration-by-parts identities for the reduction to master integrals of the scalar integrals, in terms of which we express the amplitude. The calculation of the master integrals is performed using differential equations applied to a set of functions suitably chosen to be of uniform weight. The final result is expressed in terms of logarithms and polylogarithmic functions $\text{Li}_2$, $\text{Li}_3$, $\text{Li}_4$ and $\text{Li}_{2,2}$.

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arXiv2012

Systematics of the cusp anomalous dimension

We study the velocity-dependent cusp anomalous dimension in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. In a paper by Correa, Maldacena, Sever, and one of the present authors, a scaling limit was identified in which the ladder diagrams are dominant and are mapped onto a Schrodinger problem. We show how to solve the latter in perturbation theory and provide an algorithm to compute the solution at any loop order. The answer is written in terms of harmonic polylogarithms. Moreover, we give evidence for two curious properties of the result. Firstly, we observe that the result can be written using a subset of harmonic polylogarithms only, at least up to six loops. Secondly, we show that in a light-like limit, only single zeta values appear in the asymptotic expansion, again up to six loops. We then extend the analysis of the scaling limit to systematically include subleading terms. This leads to a Schrodinger-type equation, but with an inhomogeneous term. We show how its solution can be computed in perturbation theory, in a way similar to the leading order case. Finally, we analyze the strong coupling limit of these subleading contributions and compare them to the string theory answer. We find agreement between the two calculations.

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arXiv2010

Simple loop integrals and amplitudes in N=4 SYM

We use momentum twistors to evaluate planar loop integrals. Infrared divergences are regulated by the recently proposed AdS-inspired mass regulator. We show that two-loop amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills can be expanded in terms of basis integrals having twistor numerators. We argue that these integrals are considerably simpler compared to the ones conventionally used. Our case in point is the two-loop six-point MHV amplitude. We present analytical results for the remainder function in a kinematical limit, and find agreement with a recent Wilson loop computation. We also provide two-loop evidence that the logarithm of MHV amplitudes can be written in terms of simple twistor space integrals.

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arXiv2009

Yangian symmetry of scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory

Tree-level scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory have recently been shown to transform covariantly with respect to a 'dual' superconformal symmetry algebra, thus extending the conventional superconformal symmetry algebra psu(2,2|4) of the theory. In this paper we derive the action of the dual superconformal generators in on-shell superspace and extend the dual generators suitably to leave scattering amplitudes invariant. We then study the algebra of standard and dual symmetry generators and show that the inclusion of the dual superconformal generators lifts the psu(2,2|4) symmetry algebra to a Yangian. The non-local Yangian generators acting on amplitudes turn out to be cyclically invariant due to special properties of psu(2,2|4). The representation of the Yangian generators takes the same form as in the case of local operators, suggesting that the Yangian symmetry is an intrinsic property of planar N=4 super Yang-Mills, at least at tree level.

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arXiv2009

All tree-level amplitudes in N=4 SYM

We give an explicit formula for all tree amplitudes in N=4 SYM, derived by solving the recently presented supersymmetric tree-level recursion relations. The result is given in a compact, manifestly supersymmetric form and we show how to extract from it all possible component amplitudes for an arbitrary number of external particles and any arrangement of external particles and helicities. We focus particularly on extracting gluon amplitudes which are valid for any gauge theory. The formula for all tree-level amplitudes is given in terms of nested sums of dual superconformal invariants and it therefore manifestly respects both conventional and dual superconformal symmetry.

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arXiv2009

Duality between Wilson loops and gluon amplitudes

An intriguing new duality between planar MHV gluon amplitudes and light-like Wilson loops in N=4 super Yang-Mills is investigated. We extend previous checks of the duality by performing a two-loop calculation of the rectangular and pentagonal Wilson loop. Furthermore, we derive an all-order broken conformal Ward identity for the Wilson loops and analyse its consequences. Starting from six points, the Ward identity allows for an arbitrary function of conformal invariants to appear in the expression for the Wilson loop. We compute this function at six points and two loops and discuss its implications for the corresponding gluon amplitude. It is found that the duality disagrees with a conjecture for the gluon amplitudes by Bern et al. A recent calculation by Bern et al indeed shows that the latter conjecture breaks down at six gluons and at two loops. By doing a numerical comparison with their results we find that the duality between gluon amplitudes and Wilson loops is preserved. This review is based on the author's PhD thesis and includes developments until May 2008.

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