Double Soft Theorems Research Articles

Soft scalars in effective field theory

We derive a soft theorem for a massless scalar in an effective field theory with generic field content using the geometry of field space. This result extends the geometric soft theorem for scalar effective field theories by allowing the massless scalar to couple to other scalars, fermions, and gauge bosons. The soft theorem keeps its geometric form, but where the field-space geometry now involves the full field content of the theory. As a bonus, we also present novel double soft theorems with fermions, which mimic the geometric structure of the double soft theorem for scalars.

Soft particles and infinite-dimensional geometry

In the sigma model, soft insertions of moduli scalars enact parallel transport of S-matrix elements about the finite-dimensional moduli space of vacua, and the antisymmetric double-soft theorem calculates the curvature of the vacuum manifold. We explore the analogs of these statements in gauge theory and gravity in asymptotically flat spacetimes, where the relevant moduli spaces are infinite-dimensional. These models have spaces of vacua parameterized by (trivial) flat connections on the celestial sphere, and soft insertions of photons, gluons, and gravitons parallel transport S-matrix elements about these infinite-dimensional manifolds. We argue that the antisymmetric double-soft gluon theorem in d + 2 bulk dimensions computes the curvature of a connection on the infinite-dimensional space Map, where G is the global part of the gauge group. The analogous metrics in abelian gauge theory and gravity are flat, as indicated by the vanishing of the antisymmetric double-soft theorems in those models. In other words, Feynman diagram calculations not only know about the vacuum manifold of Yang–Mills theory, they can also be used to compute its curvature. The results have interesting implications for flat space holography.

Soft scalars and the geometry of the space of celestial conformal field theories

Known examples of the holographic dictionary in asymptotically anti--de Sitter spacetimes equate moduli spaces of bulk vacua with conformal manifolds in the dual quantum field theory. We demonstrate that the same identification holds for gravity in asymptotically flat spacetimes in any dimension, in accord with expectations derived from the celestial conformal field theory (CCFT) formalism. Soft limits of moduli scalars described by the sigma model are universal, and relate to parallel transport of $S$-matrix observables over the moduli space of bulk vacua. The leading ``soft moduli operator'' is the shadow transform of a dimension $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}=d$ marginal operator $M(x)$. The universal form of the soft limit guarantees that $M(x)$ acts as a marginal deformation in the ${\mathrm{CCFT}}_{d}$, and coherent states of the soft scalars correspond to finite deformations along the conformal manifold. This manifold typically has curvature, which is captured by the antisymmetric double-soft theorem and which reflects the Berry curvature in ${\mathrm{CCFT}}_{d}$. We also compute the Mellin-transformed four-point function in the sigma model and compare to a formula of Kutasov for the curvature of the conformal manifold.

Exploring the landscape for soft theorems of nonlinear sigma models

We generalize soft theorems of the nonlinear sigma model beyond the mathcal{O} (p2) amplitudes and the coset of SU(N) × SU(N)/SU(N). We first discuss the universal flavor ordering of the amplitudes for the Nambu-Goldstone bosons, so that we can reinterpret the known mathcal{O} (p2) single soft theorem for SU(N) × SU(N)/SU(N) in the context of a general symmetry group representation. We then investigate the special case of the fundamental representation of SO(N), where a special flavor ordering of the “pair basis” is available. We provide novel amplitude relations and a Cachazo-He-Yuan formula for such a basis, and derive the corresponding single soft theorem. Next, we extend the single soft theorem for a general group representation to mathcal{O} (p4), where for at least two specific choices of the mathcal{O} (p4) operators, the leading non-vanishing pieces can be interpreted as new extended theory amplitudes involving bi-adjoint scalars, and the corresponding soft factors are the same as at mathcal{O} (p2). Finally, we compute the general formula for the double soft theorem, valid to all derivative orders, where the leading part in the soft momenta is fixed by the mathcal{O} (p2) Lagrangian, while any possible corrections to the subleading part are determined by the mathcal{O} (p4) Lagrangian alone. Higher order terms in the derivative expansion do not contribute any new corrections to the double soft theorem.

Double soft theorem for generalised biadjoint scalar amplitudes

We study double soft theorem for the generalised biadjoint scalar field theory whose amplitudes are computed in terms of punctures on \mathbb{CP}^{k-1}ℂℙk−1. We find that whenever the double soft limit does not decouple into a product of single soft factors, the leading contributions to the double soft theorems come from the degenerate solutions, otherwise the non-degenerate solutions dominate. Our analysis uses the regular solutions to the scattering equations. Most of the results are presented for k=3k=3 but we show how they generalise to arbitrary kk. We have explicit analytic results, for any kk, in the case when soft external states are adjacent.

Double-soft behavior of massless closed strings interacting with any number of closed string tachyons

We calculate the simultaneous double-soft limit of two massless closed strings scattering with any number of closed string tachyons to the subleading order at the tree level. The limit factorizes the scattering amplitude into a double-soft factor multiplying the pure tachyon subamplitude, suggesting a universal double-soft theorem for the massless closed string. We confirm an existing result for the double-soft graviton in an on-shell equivalent, but different form, while also establishing the double-soft factorization behavior of the string dilaton and of the Kalb-Ramond state, as well as the mixed graviton-dilaton case. We also show that the simultaneous and consecutive double-soft theorems are consistent with each other. We furthermore provide a complete field theory diagrammatic view on our result, which enables us in particular to establish a four-point interaction vertex for two tachyons and two massless closed string states, as well as the missing in field theory of three-point interaction of two massless closed string state and one tachyon.

Matter couplings and equivalence principles for soft scalars

Scalar effective field theories with enhanced soft limits behave in many ways like gauge theories and gravity. In particular, symmetries fix the structure of interactions and the tree-level S-matrix in both types of theories. We explore how this analogy persists in the presence of matter by considering theories with additional fields coupled to the Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) scalar or the special galileon in a way that is consistent with their symmetries. Using purely on-shell arguments, we show that these theories obey analogues of the S-matrix equivalence principle whereby all matter fields must couple to the DBI scalar or the special galileon through a particular quartic vertex with a universal coupling. These equivalence principles imply the universality of the leading double soft theorems in these theories, which are scalar analogues of Weinberg’s gravitational soft theorem, and can be used to rule out interactions with massless higher-spin fields when combined with analogues of the generalized Weinberg-Witten theorem. We verify in several examples that amplitudes with external matter fields nontrivially exhibit enhanced single soft limits and we show that such amplitudes can be constructed using soft recursion relations when they have sufficiently many external DBI or special galileon legs, including amplitudes with massive higher-spin fields. As part of our analysis we construct a recently conjectured special galileon-vector effective field theory.

On the symmetry foundation of double soft theorems

Double-soft theorems, like its single-soft counterparts, arises from the underlying symmetry principles that constrain the interactions of massless particles. While single soft theorems can be derived in a non-perturbative fashion by employing current algebras, recent attempts of extending such an approach to known double soft theorems has been met with difficulties. In this work, we have traced the difficulty to two inequivalent expansion schemes, depending on whether the soft limit is taken asymmetrically or symmetrically, which we denote as type A and B respectively. The soft-behaviour for type A scheme can simply be derived from single soft theorems, and are thus non-perturbatively protected. For type B, the information of the four-point vertex is required to determine the corresponding soft theorems, and thus are in general not protected. This argument can be readily extended to general multi-soft theorems. We also ask whether unitarity can be emergent from locality together with the two kinds of soft theorems, which has not been fully investigated before.

Double-soft behavior of the dilaton of spontaneously broken conformal invariance

The Ward identities involving the currents associated to the spontaneously broken scale and special conformal transformations are derived and used to determine, through linear order in the two soft-dilaton momenta, the double-soft behavior of scattering amplitudes involving two soft dilatons and any number of other particles. It turns out that the double-soft behavior is equivalent to performing two single-soft limits one after the other. We confirm the new double-soft theorem perturbatively at tree-level in a D-dimensional conformal field theory model, as well as nonperturbatively by using the “gravity dual” of mathcal{N}=4 super Yang-Mills on the Coulomb branch; i.e. the Dirac-Born-Infeld action on AdS5 × S5.

Double soft theorem for perturbative gravity

Following up on the recent work of Cachazo, He and Yuan \cite{arXiv:1503.04816 [hep-th]}, we derive the double soft graviton theorem in perturbative gravity. We show that the double soft theorem derived using CHY formula precisely matches with the perturbative computation involving Feynman diagrams. In particular, we find how certain delicate limits of Feynman diagrams play an important role in obtaining this equivalence.

Scattering equations, twistor-string formulas and double-soft limits in four dimensions

We study scattering equations and formulas for tree amplitudes of various theories in four dimensions, in terms of spinor helicity variables and on-shell superspace for supersymmetric theories. As originally obtained in Witten's twistor string theory and other twistor-string models, the equations can take either polynomial or rational forms, and we clarify the simple relation between them. We present new, four-dimensional formulas for all tree amplitudes in the non-linear sigma model, a special Galileon theory and the maximally supersymmetric completion of the Dirac-Born-Infeld theory. Furthermore, we apply the formulas to study various double-soft theorems in these theories, including the emissions of a pair of soft photons, fermions and scalars for super-amplitudes in super-DBI theory.

Double soft theorems and shift symmetry in nonlinear sigma models

We show both the leading and subleading double soft theorems of the nonlinear sigma model follow from a shift symmetry enforcing Adler's zero condition in the presence of an unbroken global symmetry. They do not depend on the underlying coset G/H and are universal infrared behaviors of Nambu-Goldstone bosons. Although nonlinear sigma models contain an infinite number of interaction vertices, the double soft limit is determined entirely by a single four-point interaction, together with the existence of Adler's zeros.

Soft theorems from anomalous symmetries

We discuss constraints imposed by soft limits for effective field theories arising from symmetry breaking. In particular, we consider those associated with anomalous conformal symmetry as well as duality symmetries in supergravity. We verify these soft theorems for the dilaton effective action relevant for the a-theorem, as well as the one-loop effective action for N=4 supergravity. Using the universality of leading transcendental coefficients in the alpha' expansion of string theory amplitudes, we study the matrix elements of operator R^4 with half maximal supersymmetry. We construct the non-linear completion of R^4 that satisfies both single and double soft theorems up to seven points. This supports the existence of duality invariant completion of R^4.

Double soft theorems in gauge and string theories

We investigate the tree-level S-matrix in gauge theories and open superstring theory with several soft particles. We show that scattering amplitudes with two or three soft gluons of non-identical helicities behave universally in the limit, with multi-soft factors which are not the product of individual soft gluon factors. The results are obtained from the BCFW recursion relations in four dimensions, and further extended to arbitrary dimensions using the CHY formula. We also find new soft theorems for double soft limits of scalars and fermions in $$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$ and pure $$ \mathcal{N}=2 $$ SYM. Finally, we show that the double-soft-scalar theorems can be extended to open superstring theory without receiving any α′ corrections.