arXiv subjects

R. Roiban

Publications and source records attributed to R. Roiban.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

2-loop scattering on superstring and supermembrane in flat space

We consider the S-matrix of transverse scalar excitations on an infinite $D=10$ GS superstring and $D=11$ supermembrane in flat target space. We compute the 4-particle scattering amplitude in the 2-loop approximation and demonstrate that, like in the Nambu string case, the $D=10$ GS string S-matrix does not contain non-trivial 2d UV divergences (UV pole not accompanied by terms with logarithms of momenta is an artifact of dimensional regularization). This is consistent with underlying integrability of this model which is maintaining by adding appropriate local counterterms. In the supermembrane case there are no 1-loop divergences but we find a genuine 2-loop UV pole. This demonstrates non-finiteness of the world-volume S-matrix of the M2 brane theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2017

On four-point interactions in massless higher spin theory in flat space

We consider the minimal interacting theory of a single tower of spin j=0,2,4,... massless Fronsdal fields in flat space for which consistent covariant cubic interaction vertices are known. We address the question of constraints on possible quartic interaction vertices imposed by the condition of on-shell gauge invariance of the tree-level four-point scattering amplitudes involving three spin 0 and one spin j particle. We find that these constraints admit a local solution for quartic 000j interaction term in the action only for j=2 and j=4. We determine the non-local terms in four-vertices required in the case of spin j greater than 4 and show that these non-localities can be interpreted as a result of integrating out a tower of auxiliary ghost-like massless higher spin fields in an extended theory with a local action. We also consider the conformal off-shell extension of the Einstein theory and show that its perturbative expansion is the same as of the the non-local action resulting from integrating out the trace of the graviton field from the Einstein action. Motivated by this example, we conjecture the existence of a similar conformal off-shell extension of a massless higher spin theory that may be related to the above extended theory and may have the same infinite-dimensional symmetry as the conformal higher spin theory and thus may lead to a trivial S matrix.

hep-th↗

arXiv2016

On the U(1) duality anomaly and the S-matrix of N=4 supergravity

N=4 Poincare supergravity has a global SU(1,1) duality symmetry that acts manifestly only on shell as it involves duality rotations of vector fields. A U(1) subgroup of this symmetry is known to be anomalous at the quantum level in the presence of a non-trivial gravitational background. We first derive this anomaly from a novel perspective, by relating it to a similar anomaly in conformal supergravity where SU(1,1) acts off shell, using the fact that N=4 Poincare supergravity has a superconformal formulation. We explicitly construct the corresponding local and nonlocal anomalous terms in the one-loop effective action. We then study how this anomaly is reflected in the supergravity S-matrix. Calculating one-loop N=4 supergravity scattering amplitudes (with and without additional matter multiplets) using color/kinematics duality and the double-copy construction we find that a particular U(1) symmetry which was present in the tree-level amplitudes is broken at the quantum level. This breaking manifests itself in the appearance of new one-loop N=4 supergravity amplitudes that have non-vanishing soft-scalar limits (these amplitudes are absent in N>4 supergravities). We discuss the relation between these symmetry-violating amplitudes and the corresponding U(1) anomalous term in the one-loop supergravity effective action.

hep-th↗

arXiv2016

Supergravity backgrounds for deformations of AdS_n x S^n supercoset string models

We consider type IIB supergravity backgrounds corresponding to the deformed AdS_n x S^n supercoset string models of the type constructed in arXiv:1309.5850 which depend on one deformation parameter \k. In AdS_2 x S^2 case we find that the deformed metric can be extended to a full supergravity solution with non-trivial dilaton, RR scalar and RR 5-form strength. The solution depends on a free parameter (called a) that should be chosen as a particular function of \k to correspond to the deformed supercoset model. In AdS_3 x S^3 case the full solution supported by the dilaton, RR scalar and RR 3-form strength exists only in the two special cases of a=0 and a=1. We conjecture that there may be a more general one-parameter solution supported by several RR fields that for particular a=a(\k) corresponds to the supercoset model. In the most complicated deformed AdS_5 x S^5 case we were able to find only the expressions for the dilaton and the RR scalar. The full solution is likely to be supported by a combination of the 5-form and 3-form RR field strengths. We comment on the singularity structure of the resulting metric and exact dilaton field.

hep-th↗

arXiv2015

Scale invariance of the eta-deformed AdS5 x S5 superstring, T-duality and modified type II equations

We consider the ABF background underlying the eta-deformed AdS5 x S5 sigma model. This background fails to satisfy the standard IIB supergravity equations which indicates that the corresponding sigma model is not Weyl invariant, i.e. does not define a critical string theory in the usual sense. We argue that the ABF background should still correspond to UV finite theory on a flat 2d world-sheet, implying that the eta-deformed model is scale invariant. This property follows from the formal relation via T-duality between the eta-deformed model and the one defined by an exact type IIB supergravity solution that has 6 isometries albeit broken by a linear dilaton. We find that the ABF background satisfies candidate type IIB scale invariance conditions which for the R-R field strengths are of the second order in derivatives. Surprisingly, we also find that the this background obeys an interesting modification of the standard IIB supergravity equations that are first order in derivatives of R-R fields. These modified equations explicitly depend on Killing vectors of the ABF background and, although not universal, imply the universal scale invariance conditions. Moreover, we show that it is precisely the non-isometric dilaton of the T-dual solution that leads, after the T-duality, to a modification of type II equations from their standard form. We conjecture that the modified equations should follow from kappa-symmetry of the eta-deformed model. All our observations apply also to eta-deformations of AdS3 x S3 and AdS2 x S2 models.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

On deformations of AdS_n x S^n supercosets

We study the deformed AdS_5 x S^5 supercoset model of arXiv:1309.5850 which depends on one parameter kappa and has classical quantum group symmetry. We confirm the conjecture that in the "maximal" deformation limit kappa -> infinity this model is T-dual to "flipped" double Wick rotation of the target space AdS_5 x S^5, i.e. dS_5 x H^5 space supported by an imaginary 5-form flux. In the imaginary deformation limit, kappa -> i, the corresponding target space metric is of a pp-wave type and thus the resulting light-cone gauge S-matrix becomes relativistically invariant. Omitting non-unitary contributions of imaginary WZ terms, we find that this tree-level S-matrix is equivalent to that of the generalized sine-Gordon model representing the Pohlmeyer reduction of the undeformed AdS_5 x S^5 superstring model. We also study in some detail similar deformations of the AdS_3 x S^3 and AdS_2 x S^2 supercosets. The bosonic part of the deformed AdS_3 x S^3 model happens to be equivalent to the symmetric case of the sum of the Fateev integrable deformation of the SL(2) and SU(2) principal chiral models, while in the AdS_2 x S^2 case the role of the Fateev model is played by the 2d "sausage" model. The kappa = i limits are again directly related to the Pohlmeyer reductions of the corresponding AdS_n x S^n supercosets: (2,2) super sine-Gordon model and its complex sine-Gordon analog. We also discuss possible deformations of AdS_3 x S^3 with more than one parameter.

hep-th↗

arXiv2013

The quantum AdS_5 x S^5 superstring at finite coupling

The integrability of string theory in AdS_5 x S^5 and of the dilatation operator of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory has been used to propose an exact solution to the spectral problem in these theories. Weak coupling perturbation theory both in gauge theory and on the worldsheet has been extensively used to verify this solution. We discuss worldsheet methods for finding the spectrum of the AdS_5 x S^5 superstring at finite values of the coupling constant and illustrate them by recovering, within numerical errors, the predictions of the BES equation for the universal scaling function. This is the first finite-coupling calculation in this theory which uses field theory methods.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

The Five-Loop Four-Point Amplitude of N=4 super-Yang-Mills Theory

Using the method of maximal cuts, we construct the complete D-dimensional integrand of the five-loop four-point amplitude of N = 4 super-Yang-Mills theory, including nonplanar contributions. In the critical dimension where this amplitude becomes ultraviolet divergent, we present a compact explicit expression for the nonvanishing ultraviolet divergence in terms of three vacuum integrals. This construction provides a crucial step towards obtaining the corresponding amplitude of N = 8 supergravity useful for resolving the general ultraviolet behavior of supergravity theories.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

On duality symmetry in perturbative quantum theory

Non-compact symmetries of extended 4d supergravities involve duality rotations of vectors and thus are not manifest off-shell invariances in standard "second-order" formulation. To study how such symmetries are realised in the quantum theory we consider examples in 2 dimensions where vector-vector duality is replaced by scalar-scalar one. Using a "doubled" formulation, where fields and their momenta are treated on an equal footing and the duality becomes a manifest symmetry of the action (at the expense of Lorentz symmetry), we argue that the corresponding on-shell quantum effective action or S-matrix are duality symmetric as well as Lorentz invariant. The simplest case of discrete Z_2 duality corresponds to a symmetry of the S-matrix under flipping the sign of the negative-chirality scalars in 2 dimensions or phase rotations of chiral (definite-helicity) parts of vectors in 4 dimensions. We also briefly discuss some 4d models and comment on implications of our analysis for extended supergravities.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

Simplifying Multiloop Integrands and Ultraviolet Divergences of Gauge Theory and Gravity Amplitudes

We use the duality between color and kinematics to simplify the construction of the complete four-loop four-point amplitude of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory, including the nonplanar contributions. The duality completely determines the amplitude's integrand in terms of just two planar graphs. The existence of a manifestly dual gauge-theory amplitude trivializes the construction of the corresponding N=8 supergravity integrand, whose graph numerators are double copies (squares) of the N=4 super-Yang-Mills numerators. The success of this procedure provides further nontrivial evidence that the duality and double-copy properties hold at loop level. The new form of the four-loop four-point supergravity amplitude makes manifest the same ultraviolet power counting as the corresponding N=4 super-Yang-Mills amplitude. We determine the amplitude's ultraviolet pole in the critical dimension of D=11/2, the same dimension as for N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory. Strikingly, exactly the same combination of vacuum integrals (after simplification) describes the ultraviolet divergence of N=8 supergravity as the subleading-in-1/N_c^2 single-trace divergence in N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

Correlation functions of local composite operators from generalized unitarity

We describe the use of generalized unitarity for the construction of correlation functions of local gauge-invariant operators in general quantum field theories and illustrate this method with several calculations in N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory involving BPS and non-BPS operators. Form factors of gauge-invariant operators and their multi-operator generalization play an important role in our construction. We discuss various symmetries of the momentum space presentation of correlation functions, which is natural in this framework and give examples involving non-BPS and any number of BPS operators. We also discuss the calculation of correlators describing the energy flow in scattering processes as well as the construction of the effective action of a background gravitational field.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

"Short" spinning strings and structure of quantum AdS_5 x S^5 spectrum

Using information from the marginality conditions of vertex operators for the AdS_5 x S^5 superstring, we determine the structure of the dependence of the energy of quantum string states on their conserved charges and the string tension proportional to lambda^(1/2). We consider states on the leading Regge trajectory in the flat space limit which carry one or two (equal) spins in AdS_5 or S^5 and an orbital momentum in S^5, with Konishi multiplet states being particular cases. We argue that the coefficients in the energy may be found by using a semiclassical expansion. By analyzing the examples of folded spinning strings in AdS_5 and S^5 as well as three cases of circular two-spin strings we demonstrate the universality of transcendental (zeta-function) parts of few leading coefficients. We also show the consistency with target space supersymmetry with different states belonging to the same multiplet having the same non-trivial part of the energy. We suggest, in particular, that a rational coefficient (found by Basso for the folded string using Bethe Ansatz considerations and which, in general, is yet to be determined by a direct two-loop string calculation) should, in fact, be universal.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

Dark energy from a renormalization group flow

We present evidence that a special class of gravitationally-coupled hidden sectors, in which conformal invariance is dynamically broken in a controlled way, exhibit the properties of dark energy. Such quantum field theories may appear while embedding the Standard Model in a more fundamental high energy theory. At late times, an effective dark energy field behaves similarly to an exponentially small cosmological constant while at early times its energy density partly tracks that of matter.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

On the non-planar beta-deformed N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory

The beta-deformation is one of the two superconformal deformations of the N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory. At the planar level it shares all of its properties except for supersymmetry, which is broken to the minimal amount. The tree-level amplitudes of this theory exhibit new features which depart from the commonly assumed properties of gauge theories with fields in the adjoint representation. We analyze in detail complete one-loop amplitudes and a nonplanar two-loop amplitude of this theory and show that, despite having only N=1 supersymmetry, two-loop amplitudes have a further-improved ultraviolet behavior. This phenomenon is a counterpart of a similar improvement previously observed in the double-trace amplitude of the N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory at three and four loop order and points to the existence of additional structure in both the deformed and undeformed theories.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

The Ultraviolet Behavior of N=8 Supergravity at Four Loops

We describe the construction of the complete four-loop four-particle amplitude of N=8 supergravity. The amplitude is ultraviolet finite, not only in four dimensions, but in five dimensions as well. The observed extra cancellations provide additional non-trivial evidence that N=8 supergravity in four dimensions may be ultraviolet finite to all orders of perturbation theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2011

Semiclassical string computation of strong-coupling corrections to dimensions of operators in Konishi multiplet

Following our earlier work in arXiv:0906.4294 we show how to use semiclassical string quantization approach to compute the leading corrections to the energy of AdS_5 x S^5 string states on the first excited string level that should correspond to operators in the Konishi multiplet of N=4 SYM theory. Compared to examples in our previous paper the string solutions we consider here carry an extra component of S^5 angular momentum J. This facilitates their identification with operators in the Konishi multiplet. We show that for such string states with J=2 the coefficient of the subleading lambda^(-1/4) term in the large string tension expansion of the energy is twice the one found in arXiv:0906.4294. The resulting value matches the one found for the Konishi state in the sl(2) sector from the Y-system/TBA approach, resolving an apparent disagreement claimed earlier.

hep-th↗

arXiv2011

Quantum strings in AdS_5 x S^5: strong-coupling corrections to dimension of Konishi operator

We consider leading strong coupling corrections to the energy of the lightest massive string modes in AdS_5 x S^5, which should be dual to members of the Konishi operator multiplet in N=4 SYM theory. This determines the general structure of the strong-coupling expansion of the anomalous dimension of the Konishi operator. We use 1-loop results for several semiclassical string states to extract information about the leading coefficients in this expansion. Our prediction is Delta= 2 lambda^{1/4} + b_0 + b_1 lambda^{-1/4} + b_3 lambda^{-3/4} +..., where b_0 and b_1 are rational while b_3 is transcendental containing zeta(3). Explicitly, we argue that b_0= Delta_0 - 4 (where Delta_0 is the canonical dimension of the corresponding gauge-theory operator in the Konishi multiplet) and b_1=1. Our conclusions are sensitive to few assumptions, implied by a correspondence with flat-space expressions, on how to translate semiclassical quantization results into predictions for the exact quantum string spectrum.

hep-th↗

arXiv2011

Two-loop corrections to partition function of Pohlmeyer-reduced theory for AdS_5 x S^5 superstring

Pohlmeyer reduction of AdS_5 x S^5 superstring leads to a set of equations of motion following from an action containing a bosonic Sp(2,2) x Sp(4)/[SU(2)]^4 gauged WZW term, an integrable potential and a fermionic part coupling bosons from the two factors. The original superstring and the reduced model are in direct correspondence at the classical level but their relation at the quantum level remains an open question. As was found earlier, the one-loop partition functions of the two theories computed on the respective classical backgrounds match; here we explore the fate of this relation at the two-loop level. We consider the example of the reduced theory solution corresponding to the long folded spinning string in AdS. The logarithm of the AdS_5 x S^5 superstring partition function computed on the spinning string background is known to be proportional to the universal scaling function which depends on the string tension ~ ł^{1/2} where ł=λis `t Hooft coupling. Its "quantum" part is f(ł) = a1 + ł^{-1/2} a2 + ... where the one-loop term is a1 = - 3 \ln 2 and the two-loop term is minus the Catalan's constant, a2=-K. We find that the counterpart of f(ł) in the reduced theory is f'(k) =a1' + 2 k^{-1} a2' + ..., where k is the coupling of the reduced theory. Here the one-loop coefficient is the same as in the string theory, a1'= a1, while the two-loop one is a2' =a2 - 1/4 (a1)^2. Remarkably, the first Catalan's constant term here matches the string theory result if we identify the two couplings as k= 2ł^{1/2}. Nevertheless, the presence of the additional (a1)^2 ~ (\ln 2)^2 term implies that a relation between the two quantum partition functions (if any) is not a simple equality. Similar results are found in the case of AdS_3 x S^3 superstring theory where a1= - 2 \ln 2 and a2=0, while in the corresponding reduced theory a1'=a1, a2'= a2- 1/4 (a1)^2.

hep-th↗