arXiv subjects

Jaroslav Trnka

Publications and source records attributed to Jaroslav Trnka.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Simple Recursion Relations for General Field Theories

On-shell methods offer an alternative definition of quantum field theory at tree-level, replacing Feynman diagrams with recursion relations and interaction vertices with a handful of seed scattering amplitudes. In this paper we determine the simplest recursion relations needed to construct a general four-dimensional quantum field theory of massless particles. For this purpose we define a covering space of recursion relations which naturally generalizes all existing constructions, including those of BCFW and Risager. The validity of each recursion relation hinges on the large momentum behavior of an n-point scattering amplitude under an m-line momentum shift, which we determine solely from dimensional analysis, Lorentz invariance, and locality. We show that all amplitudes in a renormalizable theory are 5-line constructible. Amplitudes are 3-line constructible if an external particle carries spin or if the scalars in the theory carry equal charge under a global or gauge symmetry. Remarkably, this implies the 3-line constructibility of all gauge theories with fermions and complex scalars in arbitrary representations, all supersymmetric theories, and the standard model. Moreover, all amplitudes in non-renormalizable theories without derivative interactions are constructible; with derivative interactions, a subset of amplitudes is constructible. We illustrate our results with examples from both renormalizable and non-renormalizable theories. Our study demonstrates both the power and limitations of recursion relations as a self-contained formulation of quantum field theory.

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arXiv2015

On-Shell Recursion Relations for Effective Field Theories

We derive the first ever on-shell recursion relations for amplitudes in effective field theories. Based solely on factorization and the soft behavior of amplitudes, these recursion relations employ a new rescaling momentum shift to construct all tree-level scattering amplitudes in theories like the non- linear sigma model, Dirac-Born-Infeld theory, and the Galileon. Our results prove that all theories with enhanced soft behavior are on-shell constructible.

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arXiv2014

On-Shell Structures of MHV Amplitudes Beyond the Planar Limit

We initiate an exploration of on-shell functions in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM beyond the planar limit by providing compact, combinatorial expressions for all leading singularities of MHV amplitudes and showing that they can always be expressed as a positive sum of differently ordered Parke-Taylor tree amplitudes. This is understood in terms of an extended notion of positivity in $G(2,n)$, the Grassmannian of 2-planes in $n$ dimensions: a single on-shell diagram can be associated with many different "positive" regions, of which the familiar positive region associated with planar diagrams is just one example. The decomposition into Parke-Taylor factors is simply a "triangulation" of these extended positive regions. The $U(1)$ decoupling and Kleiss-Kuijf (KK) relations satisfied by the Parke-Taylor amplitudes also follow naturally from this geometric picture. These results suggest that non-planar MHV amplitudes in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM at all loop orders can be expressed as a sum of polylogarithms weighted by color factors and (unordered) Parke-Taylor amplitudes.

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arXiv2014

Positive Amplitudes In The Amplituhedron

The all-loop integrand for scattering amplitudes in planar N = 4 SYM is determined by an "amplitude form" with logarithmic singularities on the boundary of the amplituhedron. In this note we provide strong evidence for a new striking property of the superamplitude, which we conjecture to be true to all loop orders: the amplitude form is positive when evaluated inside the amplituhedron. The statement is sensibly formulated thanks to the natural "bosonization" of the superamplitude associated with the amplituhedron geometry. However this positivity is not manifest in any of the current approaches to scattering amplitudes, and in particular not in the cellulations of the amplituhedron related to on-shell diagrams and the positive grassmannian. The surprising positivity of the form suggests the existence of a "dual amplituhedron" formulation where this feature would be made obvious. We also suggest that the positivity is associated with an extended picture of amplituhedron geometry, with the amplituhedron sitting inside a co-dimension one surface separating "legal" and "illegal" local singularities of the amplitude. We illustrate this in several simple examples, obtaining new expressions for amplitudes not associated with any triangulations, but following in a more invariant manner from a global view of the positive geometry.

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arXiv2014

Effective Field Theories from Soft Limits

We derive scalar effective field theories - Lagrangians, symmetries, and all - from on-shell scattering amplitudes constructed purely from Lorentz invariance, factorization, a fixed power counting order in derivatives, and a fixed order at which amplitudes vanish in the soft limit. These constraints leave free parameters in the amplitude which are the coupling constants of well-known theories: Nambu-Goldstone bosons, Dirac-Born-Infeld scalars, and Galileons. Moreover, soft limits imply conditions on the Noether current which can then be inverted to derive Lagrangians for each theory. We propose a natural classification of all scalar effective field theories according to two numbers which encode the derivative power counting and soft behavior of the corresponding amplitudes. In those cases where there is no consistent amplitude, the corresponding theory does not exist.

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arXiv2014

On the Singularity Structure of Maximally Supersymmetric Scattering Amplitudes

We present evidence that loop amplitudes in maximally supersymmetric $\mathcal{N}=4$ Yang-Mills (SYM) beyond the planar limit share some of the remarkable structures of the planar theory. In particular, we show that through two loops, the four-particle amplitude in full $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM has only logarithmic singularities and is free of any poles at infinity---properties closely related to uniform transcendentality and the UV-finiteness of the theory. We also briefly comment on implications for maximal ($\mathcal{N}=8$) supergravity.

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arXiv2014

Anatomy of the Amplituhedron

We initiate a comprehensive investigation of the geometry of the amplituhedron, a recently found geometric object whose volume calculates the integrand of scattering amplitudes in planar N=4 SYM theory. We do so by introducing and studying its stratification, focusing on four-point amplitudes. The new stratification exhibits interesting combinatorial properties and positivity is neatly captured by permutations. As explicit examples, we find all boundaries for the two and three loop amplitudes and related geometries. We recover the stratifications of some of these geometries from the singularities of the corresponding integrands, providing a non-trivial test of the amplituhedron/scattering amplitude correspondence. We finally introduce a deformation of the stratification with remarkably simple topological properties.

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arXiv2014

Scattering Amplitudes and the Positive Grassmannian

We establish a direct connection between scattering amplitudes in planar four-dimensional theories and a remarkable mathematical structure known as the positive Grassmannian. The central physical idea is to focus on on-shell diagrams as objects of fundamental importance to scattering amplitudes. We show that the all-loop integrand in N=4 SYM is naturally represented in this way. On-shell diagrams in this theory are intimately tied to a variety of mathematical objects, ranging from a new graphical representation of permutations to a beautiful stratification of the Grassmannian G(k,n) which generalizes the notion of a simplex in projective space. All physically important operations involving on-shell diagrams map to canonical operations on permutations; in particular, BCFW deformations correspond to adjacent transpositions. Each cell of the positive Grassmannian is naturally endowed with positive coordinates and an invariant measure which determines the on-shell function associated with the diagram. This understanding allows us to classify and compute all on-shell diagrams, and give a geometric understanding for all the non-trivial relations among them. Yangian invariance of scattering amplitudes is transparently represented by diffeomorphisms of G(k,n) which preserve the positive structure. Scattering amplitudes in (1+1)-dimensional integrable systems and the ABJM theory in (2+1) dimensions can both be understood as special cases of these ideas. On-shell diagrams in theories with less (or no) supersymmetry are associated with exactly the same structures in the Grassmannian, but with a measure deformed by a factor encoding ultraviolet singularities. The Grassmannian representation of on-shell processes also gives a new understanding of the all-loop integrand for scattering amplitudes, presenting all integrands in a novel dLog form which directly reflects the underlying positive structure.

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arXiv2013

Into the Amplituhedron

We initiate an exploration of the physics and geometry of the amplituhedron, starting with the simplest case of the integrand for four-particle scattering in planar N=4 SYM. We show how the textbook structure of the unitarity double-cut follows from the positive geometry. We also use the geometry to expose the behavior of the multicollinear limit, providing a direct motivation for studying the logarithm of the amplitude. In addition to computing the two and three-loop integrands, we explore various lower-dimensional faces of the amplituhedron, thereby computing non-trivial cuts of the integrand to all loop orders.

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arXiv2013

The Amplituhedron

Perturbative scattering amplitudes in gauge theories have remarkable simplicity and hidden infinite dimensional symmetries that are completely obscured in the conventional formulation of field theory using Feynman diagrams. This suggests the existence of a new understanding for scattering amplitudes where locality and unitarity do not play a central role but are derived consequences from a different starting point. In this note we provide such an understanding for N=4 SYM scattering amplitudes in the planar limit, which we identify as ``the volume" of a new mathematical object--the Amplituhedron--generalizing the positive Grassmannian. Locality and unitarity emerge hand-in-hand from positive geometry.

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arXiv2013

Tree-level Amplitudes in the Nonlinear Sigma Model

We study in detail the general structure and further properties of the tree-level amplitudes in the SU(N) nonlinear sigma model. We construct the flavor-ordered Feynman rules for various parameterizations of the SU(N) fields U(x), write down the Berends-Giele relations for the semi-on-shell currents and discuss their efficiency for the amplitude calculation in comparison with those of renormalizable theories. We also present an explicit form of the partial amplitudes up to ten external particles. It is well known that the standard BCFW recursive relations cannot be used for reconstruction of the the on-shell amplitudes of effective theories like the SU(N) nonlinear sigma model because of the inappropriate behavior of the deformed on-shell amplitudes at infinity. We discuss possible generalization of the BCFW approach introducing "BCFW formula with subtractions" and with help of Berends-Giele relations we prove particular scaling properties of the semi-on-shell amplitudes of the SU(N) nonlinear sigma model under specific shifts of the external momenta. These results allow us to define alternative deformation of the semi-on-shell amplitudes and derive BCFW-like recursion relations. These provide a systematic and effective tool for calculation of Goldstone bosons scattering amplitudes and it also shows the possible applicability of on-shell methods to effective field theories. We also use these BCFW-like relations for the investigation of the Adler zeroes and double soft limit of the semi-on-shell amplitudes.

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arXiv2013

Dual-Conformal Regularization of Infrared Loop Divergences and the Chiral Box Expansion

We revisit the familiar construction of one-loop scattering amplitudes via generalized unitarity in light of the recently understood properties of loop integrands prior to their integration. We show how in any four-dimensional quantum field theory, the integrand-level factorization of infrared divergences leads to twice as many constraints on integral coefficients than are visible from the integrated expressions. In the case of planar, maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills amplitudes, we demonstrate that these constraints are both sufficient and necessary to imply the finiteness and dual-conformal invariance of the ratios of scattering amplitudes. We present a novel regularization of the scalar box integrals which makes dual-conformal invariance of finite observables manifest term by term, and describe how this procedure can be generalized to higher loop-orders. Finally, we describe how the familiar scalar boxes at one-loop can be upgraded to `chiral boxes' resulting in a manifestly infrared-factorized, box-like expansion for all one-loop integrands in planar, N=4 super Yang-Mills. Accompanying this note is a Mathematica package which implements our results, and allows for the efficient numerical evaluation of any one-loop amplitude or ratio function.

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arXiv2012

Recursion Relations for Tree-level Amplitudes in the SU(N) Non-linear Sigma Model

It is well-known that the standard BCFW construction cannot be used for on-shell amplitudes in effective field theories due to bad behavior for large shifts. We show how to solve this problem in the case of the SU(N) non-linear sigma model, i.e. non-renormalizable model with infinite number of interaction vertices, using scaling properties of the semi-on-shell currents, and we present new on-shell recursion relations for all on-shell tree-level amplitudes in this theory.

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arXiv2011

New differential equations for on-shell loop integrals

We present a novel type of differential equations for on-shell loop integrals. The equations are second-order and importantly, they reduce the loop level by one, so that they can be solved iteratively in the loop order. We present several infinite series of integrals satisfying such iterative differential equations. The differential operators we use are best written using momentum twistor space. The use of the latter was advocated in recent papers discussing loop integrals in N=4 super Yang-Mills. One of our motivations is to provide a tool for deriving analytical results for scattering amplitudes in this theory. We show that the integrals needed for planar MHV amplitudes up to two loops can be thought of as deriving from a single master topology. The master integral satisfies our differential equations, and so do most of the reduced integrals. A consequence of the differential equations is that the integrals we discuss are not arbitrarily complicated transcendental functions. For two specific two-loop integrals we give the full analytic solution. The simplicity of the integrals appearing in the scattering amplitudes in planar N=4 super Yang-Mills is strongly suggestive of a relation to the conjectured underlying integrability of the theory. We expect these differential equations to be relevant for all planar MHV and non-MHV amplitudes. We also discuss possible extensions of our method to more general classes of integrals.

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arXiv2010

The All-Loop Integrand For Scattering Amplitudes in Planar N=4 SYM

We give an explicit recursive formula for the all L-loop integrand for scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM in the planar limit, manifesting the full Yangian symmetry of the theory. This generalizes the BCFW recursion relation for tree amplitudes to all loop orders, and extends the Grassmannian duality for leading singularities to the full amplitude. It also provides a new physical picture for the meaning of loops, associated with canonical operations for removing particles in a Yangian-invariant way. Loop amplitudes arise from the "entangled" removal of pairs of particles, and are naturally presented as an integral over lines in momentum-twistor space. As expected from manifest Yangian-invariance, the integrand is given as a sum over non-local terms, rather than the familiar decomposition in terms of local scalar integrals with rational coefficients. Knowing the integrands explicitly, it is straightforward to express them in local forms if desired; this turns out to be done most naturally using a novel basis of chiral, tensor integrals written in momentum-twistor space, each of which has unit leading singularities. As simple illustrative examples, we present a number of new multi-loop results written in local form, including the 6- and 7-point 2-loop NMHV amplitudes. Very concise expressions are presented for all 2-loop MHV amplitudes, as well as the 5-point 3-loop MHV amplitude. The structure of the loop integrand strongly suggests that the integrals yielding the physical amplitudes are "simple", and determined by IR-anomalies. We briefly comment on extending these ideas to more general planar theories.

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arXiv2010

Unification of Residues and Grassmannian Dualities

The conjectured duality relating all-loop leading singularities of n-particle N^(k-2)MHV scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM to a simple contour integral over the Grassmannian G(k,n) makes all the symmetries of the theory manifest. Every residue is individually Yangian invariant, but does not have a local space-time interpretation--only a special sum over residues gives physical amplitudes. In this paper we show that the sum over residues giving tree amplitudes can be unified into a single algebraic variety, which we explicitly construct for all NMHV and N^2MHV amplitudes. Remarkably, this allows the contour integral to have a "particle interpretation" in the Grassmannian, where higher-point amplitudes can be constructed from lower-point ones by adding one particle at a time, with soft limits manifest. We move on to show that the connected prescription for tree amplitudes in Witten's twistor string theory also admits a Grassmannian particle interpretation, where the integral over the Grassmannian localizes over the Veronese map from G(2,n) to G(k,n). These apparently very different theories are related by a natural deformation with a parameter t that smoothly interpolates between them. For NMHV amplitudes, we use a simple residue theorem to prove t-independence of the result, thus establishing a novel kind of duality between these theories.

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arXiv2010

Local Spacetime Physics from the Grassmannian

A duality has recently been conjectured between all leading singularities of n-particle N^(k-2)MHV scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM and the residues of a contour integral with a natural measure over the Grassmannian G(k,n). In this note we show that a simple contour deformation converts the sum of Grassmannian residues associated with the BCFW expansion of NMHV tree amplitudes to the CSW expansion of the same amplitude. We propose that for general k the same deformation yields the (k-2) parameter Risager expansion. We establish this equivalence for all MHV-bar amplitudes and show that the Risager degrees of freedom are non-trivially determined by the GL(k-2) "gauge" degrees of freedom in the Grassmannian. The Risager expansion is known to recursively construct the CSW expansion for all tree amplitudes, and given that the CSW expansion follows directly from the (super) Yang-Mills Lagrangian in light-cone gauge, this contour deformation allows us to directly see the emergence of local space-time physics from the Grassmannian.

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arXiv2010

A Note on Polytopes for Scattering Amplitudes

In this note we continue the exploration of the polytope picture for scattering amplitudes, where amplitudes are associated with the volumes of polytopes in generalized momentum-twistor spaces. After a quick warm-up example illustrating the essential ideas with the elementary geometry of polygons in CP^2, we interpret the 1-loop MHV integrand as the volume of a polytope in CP^3x CP^3, which can be thought of as the space obtained by taking the geometric dual of the Wilson loop in each CP^3 of the product. We then review the polytope picture for the NMHV tree amplitude and give it a more direct and intrinsic definition as the geometric dual of a canonical "square" of the Wilson-Loop polygon, living in a certain extension of momentum-twistor space into CP^4. In both cases, one natural class of triangulations of the polytope produces the BCFW/CSW representations of the amplitudes; another class of triangulations leads to a striking new form, which is both remarkably simple as well as manifestly cyclic and local.

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