arXiv subjects

Shai M. Chester

Publications and source records attributed to Shai M. Chester.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Strong coupling spectrum of $\mathrm{AdS}_3\times \mathrm{S}^3$ from string field theory

We consider type IIB string theory on $\mathrm{AdS}_3\times \mathrm{S}^3\times \mathbb{T}^4$ in a large AdS radius expansion at arbitrary values of the relative RR and NS-NS fluxes. We develop a method for computing scaling dimensions in the dual CFT in this limit by combining a string field theory calculation, valid at finite quantized NS-NS flux but perturbative in RR flux, with a finite mixed-flux ansatz, which is constrained by worldsheet parity and motivated by classical string solutions. We apply the method to three families of states. In the pure-RR limit, our results agree both with a family of states computed using the worldsheet bootstrap and with another family computed using integrability.

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arXiv2026

The type IIA Virasoro-Shapiro amplitude in AdS$_4$ $\times$ CP$^3$ from ABJM theory

We consider tree level scattering of gravitons in type IIA string theory on $AdS_4\times \mathbb{CP}^3$ to all orders in $α'$, which is dual to the stress tensor correlator in $U(N)_k\times U(N)_{-k}$ ABJM theory in the planar large $N$ limit and to all orders in large $λ\sim N/k$. The small curvature expansion of this correlator, defined via a Borel transform, is given by the flat space Virasoro-Shapiro amplitude plus AdS curvature corrections. We fix curvature corrections by demanding that their resonances are consistent with the superconformal block expansion of the correlator and with a worldsheet ansatz in terms of single-valued multiple polylogarithms. The first correction is fully fixed in this way, and matches independent results from integrability, as well as the $R^4$ correction at finite AdS curvature that was previously fixed using supersymmetric localization. We are also able to fix the second curvature correction by using a few additional assumptions, and find that it also satisfies various non-trivial consistency checks. We use our results to fix the tree level $D^4R^4$ correction at finite AdS curvature, and to give many predictions for future integrability studies.

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arXiv2026

Symmetry Enhancement, SPT Absorption, and Duality in QED$_3$

Quantum Electrodynamics in 2+1 dimensions (QED$_3$) with two Dirac fermions displays time reversal symmetry, nontrivial SPT phases and anomalies. The fate of this theory in its strongly coupled regime has been debated extensively. Surprisingly, we find that gluing together the phase diagrams of two standard Wilson-Fisher $O(4)$ theories suffices to reproduce all the SPT phases, anomalies, and semi-classical limits. A central mechanism behind it is ``SPT absorption''. The patching of the $O(4)$ transitions makes very concrete predictions for the behavior of the theory in its strongly coupled limits; for instance, the $θ=π$ sigma model with $S^3$ topology appears due to monopole condensation.

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arXiv2026

The AdS Veneziano amplitude at small curvature

We compute the AdS Veneziano amplitude for type IIB gluon scattering in $AdS_5 \times S^3$ to all orders in $α'$ in a small curvature expansion. This is achieved by combining a dispersion relation in the dual $4d$ $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFT with an ansatz for the amplitude as a worldsheet integral in terms of multiple polylogarithms. The first curvature correction is fully fixed in this way and satisfies consistency checks in the high energy limit, the low energy expansion as previously fixed using supersymmetric localisation, and for the energy of massive string operators, which we independently compute using a semiclassical expansion. We also combine localisation with this first curvature correction to fix the unprotected $D^4F^4$ correction to the amplitude at finite curvature.

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arXiv2026

Integral constraints for $\mathcal{N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills from a squashed sphere

Supersymmetric localization and Ward identities have been used in the past several years to derive two integral constraints on the four-point function of the stress-tensor multiplet in $\mathcal{N} = 4$ super-Yang-Mills theory. These constraints are powerful tools for studying the theory, especially when used in tandem with analytic and/or numerical bootstrap techniques. In this paper, we consider three additional integral constraints that can be derived starting from the $\mathcal{N} = 4$ super-Yang-Mills theory placed on a squashed four-sphere. These constraints are technically much more challenging to derive than the ones in the literature, and much of the paper is devoted to developing techniques to make this computation tractable. Our end result is that these three constraints are implied by the two constraints already appearing in the literature.

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arXiv2025

Extremal couplings and gluon scattering in M-theory

We consider M-theory on the backgrounds AdS$_4\times S^7/\mathbb{Z}_{N_f}$ and AdS$_7\times S^4/\mathbb{Z}_2$, which have fixed point locii AdS$_{d+1}\times S^3$ for $d=3,6$. These theories are holographically dual to certain CFTs in $d=3,6$ with eight supercharges. We compute the bulk cubic couplings between graviton KK modes and gluon KK modes living on the fixed points of these theories, which are generically extremal. We use these couplings to compute the graviton exchange term that appears in the strong coupling expansion of holographic correlators of gluon KK modes $\langle 22pp\rangle$ in these theories, and check that it matches the expected flat space limit. We express the answer in terms of a new reduced correlator solution to the superconformal Ward identities, which we derive for all CFTs with eight supercharges in $3\leq d\leq6$.

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arXiv2025

Bootstrapping M-theory Orbifolds

We analyze correlation functions of $SU(k) \times SU(2)_F$ flavor currents in a family of three-dimensional ${\cal N}=4$ superconformal field theories, combining analytic bootstrap methods with input from supersymmetric localization. Via holographic duality, we extract gluon and graviton scattering amplitudes of M-theory on ${\rm AdS}_4\times S^7/\mathbb{Z}_k$ which contains a $\mathbb{C}^2/\mathbb{Z}_{k}$ orbifold singularity. From these results, we derive aspects of the effective description of M-theory on the orbifold singularity beyond its leading low energy limit. We also determine a threshold correction to the holographic correlator, which vanishes due to equal and opposite contributions from the two-loop gluon and the tree-level bulk graviton exchange.

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arXiv2025

Gluon scattering in AdS at finite string coupling from localization

We consider gluons scattering in Type IIB string theory on AdS$_5\times S^5/\mathbb{Z}_2$ in the presence of D7 branes, which is dual to the flavor multiplet correlator in a certain 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ $USp(2N)$ gauge theory with $SO(8)$ flavor symmetry and complexified coupling $τ$. We compute this holographic correlator in the large $N$ and finite $τ$ expansion using constraints from derivatives of the mass deformed sphere free energy, which we compute to all orders in $1/N$ and finite $τ$ using supersymmetric localization. In particular, we fix the $F^4$ higher derivative correction to gluon scattering on AdS at finite string coupling $τ_s=τ$ in terms of Jacobi theta functions, which feature the expected relations between the $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ duality and the $SO(8)$ triality of the CFT, and match it to the known flat space term. We also use the flat space limit to compute $D^2F^4$ corrections of the correlator at finite $τ$ in terms of a non-holomorphic Eisenstein series. At weak string coupling, we find that the AdS correlator takes a form which is remarkably similar to that of the flat space Veneziano amplitude.

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arXiv2025

Towards Bootstrapping F-theory

We consider type IIB string theory with $N$ D3 branes and various configurations of sevenbranes, such that the string coupling $g_s$ is fixed to a constant finite value. These are the simplest realizations of F-theory, and are holographically dual to rank $N$ Argyres-Douglas conformal field theories (CFTs) with $SU(2)$ and $SU(3)$ flavor groups, and Minahan-Nemeschansky CFTs with $E_6, E_7$ and $E_8$ flavor groups. We use the Seiberg-Witten curves of these theories to compute the mass deformed sphere free energy $F(m)$ at large $N$ in terms of novel matrix models with non-polynomial potentials. We show how $F(m)$ can be used along with the analytic bootstrap to fix the large $N$ expansion of flavor multiplet correlators in these CFTs, which are dual to scattering of gluons on $AdS_5\times S^3$, and in the flat space limit determine the effective theory of sevenbranes in F-theory. As a first step in this program, we use the matrix models to compute the $\log N$ term in $F(m)$ and thereby fix the logarithmic threshold in the $AdS_5\times S^3$ holographic correlator, which matches the flat space prediction.

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arXiv2025

Bootstrapping the Simplest Deconfined Quantum Critical Point

We study the $N=3$ case of the $CP^{N-1}$ model, which is a field theory of $N$ complex scalars in $3d$ coupled to an Abelian gauge field with $SU(N) \times U(1)$ global symmetry. Recent evidence suggests the $N=2$ theory is not critical, which makes the $N=3$ theory the simplest possibility of deconfined quantum criticality. We apply the conformal bootstrap to correlators of charge $q=0,1,2$ scalar operators under the $U(1)$ symmetry, which gives us access also to $q=3,4$ operators. After imposing that only the lowest $q=0,1,2$ scalar operators are relevant, we find that the bootstrap bounds are saturated by the large $N$ prediction for $q=1,2,3,4$ scalar monopole operator scaling dimensions, which were shown earlier to be accurate even for small $N$, as well as a lattice prediction for the $q=0$ non-monopole scalar operator. We also predict the scaling dimensions of the lowest spinning monopole operators, which we match to the large charge prediction for spinning operators. This suggests that the critical $CP^{2}$ model is described by this bootstrap bound.

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arXiv2025

Extremal couplings, graviton exchange, and gluon scattering in AdS

Extremal cubic couplings in AdS relate bulk fields such that $Δ_i+Δ_j=Δ_k$. Such couplings lead to divergent 3-point Witten diagrams, and do not occur in theories with maximal supersymmetry. We consider the simplest theories where such coupling are non-zero, which is type IIB string theory with $N$ D3 branes probing various configurations of sevenbranes, which are dual to certain 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFTs. At large $N$, the low energy effective theory is supergravity on $AdS_5\times S^5$ with a singularity, whose fixed point locus is $AdS_5\times S^3$. These theories have infinite towers of graviton modes, as well as gluon modes on the sevenbranes. We compute the nonzero coupling between these modes, which is in general (super)-extremal. We use these couplings to compute the graviton exchange term in the holographic correlator of gluon KK modes $\langle22pp\rangle$, which appears at the same order $1/N^2$ as 1-loop gluon exchange, and receives contributions from a whole tower of graviton modes. We use this graviton exchange term to compute the unmixing of the single trace graviton modes with double traces of gluon modes, which explains the divergent 3-point diagrams. Finally, for $\langle 2222\rangle$ for the simplest 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theory, we use supersymmetric localization and the new graviton exchange term to completely fix the correlator at order $1/N^2$.

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arXiv2025

The AdS$_3\times $S$^3$ Virasoro-Shapiro amplitude with RR flux

We compute the AdS Virasoro-Shapiro amplitude for scattering of dilatons in type IIB string theory with pure RR flux on $AdS_3\times S^3\times M_4$ for $M_4=T^4$ or $K3$, to all orders in $α'$ in a small AdS curvature expansion. This is achieved by comparing the flat space limit of the dual D1D5 CFT correlator to an ansatz for the amplitude as a worldsheet integral in terms of single valued multiple polylogarithms. The first curvature correction is fully fixed in this way, and satisfies consistency checks in the high energy limit, and by comparison of the energy of massive string operators to a semiclassical expansion. Our result gives infinite predictions for CFT data in the planar limit at strong coupling, which can guide future integrability studies.

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arXiv2025

Modular invariant gluon-graviton scattering in AdS at one loop

We consider mixed gluon-graviton scattering in Type IIB string theory on AdS$_5\times S^5/\mathbb{Z}_2$ in the presence of D7 branes, which is dual to a mixed correlator of the $SO(8)$ and $SU(2)_L$ flavor multiplets of a certain 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ $USp(2N)$ gauge theory with complexified coupling $τ$. We compute this holographic correlator in the large $N$ and finite $τ$ expansion using constraints from derivatives of the mass deformed sphere free energy, which we compute using supersymmetric localization at large $N$ and finite $τ$ in terms of modular invariant non-holomorphic Eisenstein series. In particular, we combine this constraint with the known flat space limit to fix the $R^2F^2$ higher derivative correction to the correlator in terms of the weight one non-holomorphic Eisenstein series, and also to fix the logarithmic threshold. We also compute the one-loop correction to the correlator, and match it to the expected flat space limit result.

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arXiv2024

Higher-derivative corrections in M-theory from precision numerical bootstrap

We study higher-derivative corrections to the graviton scattering amplitude in M-theory, via the stress tensor correlator of 3d $\mathcal{N} =8$ $\text{U}(N)_k\times \text{U}(N)_{-k}$ ABJM theory (dual to graviton scattering in M-theory on $\text{AdS}_4\times S^7/\mathbb{Z}_k$). We use the conformal bootstrap combined with an integral constraint derived from supersymmetric localization in order to constrain semishort OPE coefficients appearing in the stress tensor correlator. We obtain islands that are significantly more precise than those in previous studies that did not use the integral constraint. Using these islands, we can estimate the powers and coefficients in a large central charge expansion. This allows us to accurately read off the N$^3$LO contribution, from the protected $D^6 R^4$ correction, and also estimate the N$^4$LO contribution, from the unprotected $D^8 R^4$ correction.

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arXiv2024

Bootstrapping Deconfined Quantum Tricriticality

The paradigmatic example of deconfined quantum criticality is the Neel-VBS phase transition. The continuum description of this transition is the $N=2$ case of the $CP^{N-1}$ model, which is a field theory of $N$ complex scalars in 3d coupled to an Abelian gauge field with $SU(N)\times U(1)$ global symmetry. Lattice studies and duality arguments suggest the global symmetry of the $CP^1$ model is enhanced to $SO(5)$. We perform a conformal bootstrap study of $SO(5)$ invariant fixed points with one relevant $SO(5)$ singlet operator, which would correspond to two relevant $SU(2)\times U(1)$ singlets, i.e. a tricritical point. We find that the bootstrap bounds are saturated by four different predictions from the large $N$ computation of monopole operator scaling dimensions, which were recently shown to be very accurate even for small $N$. This suggests that the Neel-VBS phase transition is described by this bootstrap bound, which predicts that the second relevant singlet has dimension $\approx 2.36$.

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arXiv2023

Level Repulsion in $\mathcal{N} = 4$ super-Yang-Mills via Integrability, Holography, and the Bootstrap

We combine supersymmetric localization with the numerical conformal bootstrap to bound the scaling dimension and OPE coefficient of the lowest-dimension operator in $\mathcal{N} = 4$ $\text{SU}(N)$ super-Yang-Mills theory for a wide range of $N$ and Yang-Mills couplings $g_\text{YM}$. We find that our bounds are approximately saturated by weak coupling results at small $g_\text{YM}$. Furthermore, at large $N$ our bounds interpolate between integrability results for the Konishi operator at small $g_\text{YM}$ and strong-coupling results, including the first few stringy corrections, for the lowest-dimension double-trace operator at large $g_\text{YM}$. In particular, our scaling dimension bounds describe the level splitting between the single- and double-trace operators at intermediate coupling.

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arXiv2023

Relations between integrated correlators in $\mathcal{N}=4$ Supersymmetric Yang--Mills Theory

Integrated correlation functions in $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang--Mills theory with gauge group $SU(N)$ can be expressed in terms of the localised $S^4$ partition function, $Z_N$, deformed by a mass $m$. Two such cases are $\mathcal{C}_N=(\text{Im} τ)^2 \partial_τ\partial_{\barτ} \partial_m^2\log Z_N\vert_{m=0}$ and $\mathcal{H}_N=\partial_m^4\log Z_N\vert_{m=0}$, which are modular invariant functions of the complex coupling $τ$. While $\mathcal{C}_N$ was recently written in terms of a two-dimensional lattice sum for any $N$ and $τ$, $\mathcal{H}_N$ has only been evaluated up to order $1/N^3$ in a large-$N$ expansion in terms of modular invariant functions with no known lattice sum realisation. Here we develop methods for evaluating $\mathcal{H}_N$ to any desired order in $1/N$ and finite $τ$. We use this new data to constrain higher loop corrections to the stress tensor correlator, and give evidence for several intriguing relations between $\mathcal{H}_N$ and $\mathcal{C}_N$ to all orders in $1/N$. We also give evidence that the coefficients of the $1/N$ expansion of $\mathcal{H}_N$ can be written as lattice sums to all orders. Lastly, these large $N$ and finite $τ$ results are used to accurately estimate the integrated correlators at finite $N$ and finite $τ$.

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arXiv2023

Bootstrapping 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories: the case of SQCD

We derive exact relations between certain integrals of the conserved flavor current four point function in 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ conformal field theories (CFTs) and derivatives of the mass deformed sphere free energy, which can be computed exactly for gauge theories using supersymmetric localization. For conformal gauge theories with flavor groups of rank greater than one, there are at least two such integrated constraints, which can then be combined with the numerical conformal bootstrap to bound CFT data as a function of the complexified gauge coupling $τ$. We apply this strategy to the case of $SU(2)$ conformal SQCD with flavor group $SO(8)$, where we compute bounds on unprotected scaling dimensions as a function of $τ$ that match the free theory limit, and exhibit the expected mixing between the action of the $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ duality group and $SO(8)$ triality.

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