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Zvi Bern

Publications and source records attributed to Zvi Bern.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2012

D = 5 maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory diverges at six loops

The connection of maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory to the (2,0) theory in six dimensions has raised the possibility that it might be perturbatively ultraviolet finite in five dimensions. We test this hypothesis by computing the coefficient of the first potential ultraviolet divergence of planar (large N_c) maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in D = 5, which occurs at six loops. We show that the coefficient is nonvanishing. Furthermore, the numerical value of the divergence falls very close to an approximate exponential formula based on the coefficients of the divergences through five loops. This formula predicts the approximate values of the ultraviolet divergence at loop orders L > 6 in the critical dimension D = 4 + 6/L. To obtain the six-loop divergence we first construct the planar six-loop four-point amplitude integrand using generalized unitarity. The ultraviolet divergence follows from a set of vacuum integrals, which are obtained by expanding the integrand in the external momenta. The vacuum integrals are integrated via sector decomposition, using a modified version of the FIESTA program.

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arXiv2012

High multiplicity processes at NLO with BlackHat and Sherpa

In this contribution we review recent progress with fixed-order QCD predictions for the production of a vector boson in association with jets at hadron colliders, using the programs BlackHat and SHERPA. We review general features of next-to-leading-order (NLO) predictions for the production of a massive vector boson in association with four jets. We also discuss how precise descriptions of vector-boson production can be applied to the determination of backgrounds to new physics signals. Here we focus on data-driven backgrounds to a missing-energy-plus-jets search performed by CMS. Finally, we review recent progress in developing theoretical tools for high-multiplicity loop-computation within the BlackHat-library. In particular, we discuss methods for handling the color degrees of freedom in multi-jet predictions at NLO.

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arXiv2012

Absence of Three-Loop Four-Point Divergences in N=4 Supergravity

We compute the coefficient of the potential three-loop divergence in pure N=4 supergravity and show that it vanishes, contrary to expectations from symmetry arguments. The recently uncovered duality between color and kinematics is used to greatly streamline the calculation. We comment on all-loop cancellations hinting at further surprises awaiting discovery at higher loops.

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arXiv2011

Amplitudes and Ultraviolet Behavior of N=8 Supergravity

In this contribution we describe computational tools that permit the evaluation of multi-loop scattering amplitudes in N=8 supergravity, in terms of amplitudes in N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory. We also discuss the remarkable ultraviolet behavior of N=8 supergravity, which follows from these amplitudes, and is as good as that of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory through at least four loops.

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arXiv2011

Basics of Generalized Unitarity

We review generalized unitarity as a means for obtaining loop amplitudes from on-shell tree amplitudes. The method is generally applicable to both supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric amplitudes, including non-planar contributions. Here we focus mainly on N=4 Yang-Mills theory, in the context of on-shell superspaces. Given the need for regularization at loop level, we also review a six-dimensional helicity-based superspace formalism and its application to dimensional and massive regularizations. An important feature of the unitarity method is that it offers a means for carrying over any identified tree-level property of on-shell amplitudes to loop level, though sometimes in a modified form. We illustrate this with examples of dual conformal symmetry and a recently discovered duality between color and kinematics.

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arXiv2011

A Color Dual Form for Gauge-Theory Amplitudes

Recently a duality between color and kinematics has been proposed, exposing a new unexpected structure in gauge theory and gravity scattering amplitudes. Here we propose that the relation goes deeper, allowing us to reorganize amplitudes into a form reminiscent of the standard color decomposition in terms of traces over generators, but with the role of color and kinematics swapped. By imposing additional conditions similar to Kleiss-Kuijf relations between partial amplitudes, the relationship between the earlier form satisfying the duality and the current one is invertible. We comment on extensions to loop level.

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arXiv2010

Generalized Unitarity and Six-Dimensional Helicity

We combine the unitarity method with the six-dimensional helicity formalism of Cheung and O'Connell to construct loop-level scattering amplitudes. As a first example, we construct dimensionally regularized QCD one-loop four-point amplitudes. As a nontrivial multiloop example, we confirm that the recently constructed four-loop four-point amplitude of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory, including nonplanar contributions, is valid for dimensions less than or equal to six. We comment on the connection of our approach to the recently discussed Higgs infrared regulator and on dual conformal properties in six dimensions.

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arXiv2010

Perturbative Quantum Gravity as a Double Copy of Gauge Theory

In a previous paper we observed that (classical) tree-level gauge theory amplitudes can be rearranged to display a duality between color and kinematics. Once this is imposed, gravity amplitudes are obtained using two copies of gauge-theory diagram numerators. Here we conjecture that this duality persists to all quantum loop orders and can thus be used to obtain multiloop gravity amplitudes easily from gauge-theory ones. As a nontrivial test, we show that the three-loop four-point amplitude of N = 4 super-Yang-Mills theory can be arranged into a form satisfying the duality, and by taking double copies of the diagram numerators we obtain the corresponding amplitude of N = 8 supergravity. We also remark on a non-supersymmetric two-loop test based on pure Yang-Mills theory resulting in gravity coupled to an anti-symmetric tensor and dilaton.

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arXiv2010

Gravity as the Square of Gauge Theory

We explore consequences of the recently discovered duality between color and kinematics, which states that kinematic numerators in a diagrammatic expansion of gauge-theory amplitudes can be arranged to satisfy Jacobi-like identities in one-to-one correspondence to the associated color factors. Using on-shell recursion relations, we give a field-theory proof showing that the duality implies that diagrammatic numerators in gravity are just the product of two corresponding gauge-theory numerators, as previously conjectured. These squaring relations express gravity amplitudes in terms of gauge-theory ingredients, and are a recasting of the Kawai, Lewellen and Tye relations. Assuming that numerators of loop amplitudes can be arranged to satisfy the duality, our tree-level proof immediately carries over to loop level via the unitarity method. We then present a Yang-Mills Lagrangian whose diagrams through five points manifestly satisfy the duality between color and kinematics. The existence of such Lagrangians suggests that the duality also extends to loop amplitudes, as confirmed at two and three loops in a concurrent paper. By "squaring" the novel Yang-Mills Lagrangian we immediately obtain its gravity counterpart. We outline the general structure of these Lagrangians for higher points. We also write down various new representations of gauge-theory and gravity amplitudes that follow from the duality between color and kinematics.

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arXiv2007

On-Shell Methods in Perturbative QCD

We review on-shell methods for computing multi-parton scattering amplitudes in perturbative QCD, utilizing their unitarity and factorization properties. We focus on aspects which are useful for the construction of one-loop amplitudes needed for phenomenological studies at the Large Hadron Collider.

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arXiv2007

All One-loop Maximally Helicity Violating Gluonic Amplitudes in QCD

We use on-shell recursion relations to compute analytically the one-loop corrections to maximally-helicity-violating n-gluon amplitudes in QCD. The cut-containing parts have been computed previously; our work supplies the remaining rational parts for these amplitudes, which contain two gluons of negative helicity and the rest positive, in an arbitrary color ordering. We also present formulae specific to the six-gluon cases, with helicities (- + - + + +) and (- + + - + +), as well as numerical results for six, seven, and eight gluons. Our construction of the n-gluon amplitudes illustrates the relatively modest growth in complexity of the on-shell-recursive calculation as the number of external legs increases. These amplitudes add to the growing body of one-loop amplitudes known for all n, which are useful for studies of general properties of amplitudes, including their twistor-space structure.

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arXiv2007

The Four-Loop Planar Amplitude and Cusp Anomalous Dimension in Maximally Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory

We present an expression for the leading-color (planar) four-loop four-point amplitude of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in 4-2 e dimensions, in terms of eight separate integrals. The expression is based on consistency of unitarity cuts and infrared divergences. We expand the integrals around e=0, and obtain analytic expressions for the poles from 1/e^8 through 1/e^4. We give numerical results for the coefficients of the 1/e^3 and 1/e^2 poles. These results all match the known exponentiated structure of the infrared divergences, at four separate kinematic points. The value of the 1/e^2 coefficient allows us to test a conjecture of Eden and Staudacher for the four-loop cusp (soft) anomalous dimension. We find that the conjecture is incorrect, although our numerical results suggest that a simple modification of the expression, flipping the sign of the term containing zeta_3^2, may yield the correct answer. Our numerical value can be used, in a scheme proposed by Kotikov, Lipatov and Velizhanin, to estimate the two constants in the strong-coupling expansion of the cusp anomalous dimension that are known from string theory. The estimate works to 2.6% and 5% accuracy, providing non-trivial evidence in support of the AdS/CFT correspondence. We also use the known constants in the strong-coupling expansion as additional input to provide approximations to the cusp anomalous dimension which should be accurate to under one percent for all values of the coupling. When the evaluations of the integrals are completed through the finite terms, it will be possible to test the iterative, exponentiated structure of the finite terms in the four-loop four-point amplitude, which was uncovered earlier at two and three loops.

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arXiv2006

Is N = 8 Supergravity Ultraviolet Finite?

Conventional wisdom holds that no four-dimensional gravity field theory can be ultraviolet finite. This understanding is based mainly on power counting. Recent studies confirm that one-loop N = 8 supergravity amplitudes satisfy the so-called `no-triangle hypothesis', which states that triangle and bubble integrals cancel from these amplitudes. A consequence of this hypothesis is that for any number of external legs, at one loop N = 8 supergravity and N = 4 super-Yang-Mills have identical superficial degrees of ultraviolet behavior in D dimensions. We describe how the unitarity method allows us to promote these one-loop cancellations to higher loops, suggesting that previous power counts were too conservative. We discuss higher-loop evidence suggesting that N = 8 supergravity has the same degree of divergence as N = 4 super-Yang-Mills theory and is ultraviolet finite in four dimensions. We comment on calculations needed to reinforce this proposal, which are feasible using the unitarity method.

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arXiv2006

On-Shell Unitarity Bootstrap for QCD Amplitudes

We describe the recently developed on-shell bootstrap for computing one-loop amplitudes in non-supersymmetric theories such as QCD. The method combines the unitarity method with loop-level on-shell recursion. The unitarity method is used to compute cut-containing parts of amplitudes, and on-shell recursion is used for the remaining rational terms.

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arXiv2006

Bootstrapping One-Loop QCD Amplitudes with General Helicities

The recently developed on-shell bootstrap for computing one-loop amplitudes in non-supersymmetric theories such as QCD combines the unitarity method with loop-level on-shell recursion. For generic helicity configurations, the recursion relations may involve undetermined contributions from non-standard complex singularities or from large values of the shift parameter. Here we develop a strategy for sidestepping difficulties through use of pairs of recursion relations. To illustrate the strategy, we present sets of recursion relations needed for obtaining n-gluon amplitudes in QCD. We give a recursive solution for the one-loop n-gluon QCD amplitudes with three or four color-adjacent gluons of negative helicity and the remaining ones of positive helicity. We provide an explicit analytic formula for the QCD amplitude A_{6;1}(1^-,2^-,3^-,4^+,5^+,6^+), as well as numerical results for A_{7;1}(1^-,2^-,3^-,4^+,5^+,6^+,7^+), A_{8;1}(1^-,2^-,3^-,4^+,5^+,6^+,7^+,8^+), and A_{8;1}(1^-,2^-,3^-,4^-,5^+,6^+,7^+,8^+). We expect the on-shell bootstrap approach to have widespread applications to phenomenological studies at colliders.

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arXiv2006

The Last of the Finite Loop Amplitudes in QCD

We use on-shell recursion relations to determine the one-loop QCD scattering amplitudes with a massless external quark pair and an arbitrary number (n-2) of positive-helicity gluons. These amplitudes are the last of the unknown infrared- and ultraviolet-finite loop amplitudes of QCD. The recursion relations are similar to ones applied at tree level, but contain new non-trivial features corresponding to poles present for complex momentum arguments but absent for real momenta. We present the relations and the compact solutions to them, valid for all n. We also present compact forms for the previously-computed one-loop n-gluon amplitudes with a single negative helicity and the rest positive helicity.

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arXiv2006

Bootstrapping Multi-Parton Loop Amplitudes in QCD

We present a new method for computing complete one-loop amplitudes, including their rational parts, in non-supersymmetric gauge theory. This method merges the unitarity method with on-shell recursion relations. It systematizes a unitarity-factorization bootstrap approach previously applied by the authors to the one-loop amplitudes required for next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the processes e^+e^- -> Z,γ^* -> 4 jets and pp -> W + 2 jets. We illustrate the method by reproducing the one-loop color-ordered five-gluon helicity amplitudes in QCD that interfere with the tree amplitude, namely A_{5;1}(1^-,2^-,3^+,4^+,5^+) and A_{5;1}(1^-,2^+,3^-,4^+,5^+). Then we describe the construction of the six- and seven-gluon amplitudes with two adjacent negative-helicity gluons, A_{6;1}(1^-,2^-,3^+,4^+,5^+,6^+) and A_{7;1}(1^-,2^-,3^+,4^+,5^+,6^+,7^+), which uses the previously-computed logarithmic parts of the amplitudes as input. We present a compact expression for the six-gluon amplitude. No loop integrals are required to obtain the rational parts.

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