Soft Anomalous Dimension Matrix Research Articles

A new method for calculating the soft anomalous dimension matrix for massive particle scattering

The general structure of infrared divergences in the scattering of massive particles is captured by the soft anomalous dimension matrix. The latter can be computed from a correlation function of multiple Wilson lines. The state-of-the-art two-loop result has a tantalizingly simple structure that is not manifest in the calculations. We argue that the complexity in intermediate steps of the known calculations comes from spurious, regulator-dependent terms. Based on this insight we propose a different infrared regulator that is associated to only one of the Wilson lines. We demonstrate that this streamlines obtaining the two-loop result: computing the required Feynman integrals via the differential equations method, only multiple polylogarithmic functions appear (to all orders in the dimensional regulator), as opposed to elliptic polylogarithms. We show that the new method is promising for higher-loop applications by computing a three-loop diagram of genuine complexity, and provide the answer in terms of multiple polylogarithms. The relatively simple symbol alphabet we obtain may be of interest for bootstrap approaches.

Cwebs beyond three loops in multiparton amplitudes

Correlators of Wilson-line operators in non-abelian gauge theories are known to exponentiate, and their logarithms can be organised in terms of collections of Feynman diagrams called webs. In [1] we introduced the concept of Cweb, or correlator web, which is a set of skeleton diagrams built with connected gluon correlators, and we computed the mixing matrices for all Cwebs connecting four or five Wilson lines at four loops. Here we complete the evaluation of four-loop mixing matrices, presenting the results for all Cwebs connecting two and three Wilson lines. We observe that the conjuctured column sum rule is obeyed by all the mixing matrices that appear at four-loops. We also show how low-dimensional mixing matrices can be uniquely determined from their known combinatorial properties, and provide some all-order results for selected classes of mixing matrices. Our results complete the required colour building blocks for the calculation of the soft anomalous dimension matrix at four-loop order.

Multiparton webs beyond three loops

Correlators of Wilson-line operators are fundamental ingredients for the study of the infrared properties of non-abelian gauge theories. In perturbation theory, they are known to exponentiate, and their logarithm can be organised in terms of collections of Feynman diagrams called webs. We study the classification of webs to high perturbative orders, proposing a set of tools to generate them recursively: in particular, we introduce the concept of Cweb, or correlator web, which is a set of skeleton diagrams built with connected gluon correlators, instead of individual Feynman diagrams. As an application, we enumerate all Cwebs entering the soft anomalous dimension matrix for multi-parton scattering amplitudes at four loops, and we compute the mixing matrices for all Cwebs connecting four or five Wilson lines at that loop order, verifying that they obey sum rules that were derived or conjectured in the literature. Our results provide the colour building blocks for the calculation of the soft anomalous dimension matrix at four-loop order.

Soft anomalous dimensions for single-top production at three loops

I present results for soft anomalous dimensions in single top-quark production processes through three loops. I first discuss the cusp anomalous dimension with one massive and one massless line at three loops. I then calculate the three-loop soft anomalous dimension for $tW$ production and for related processes with new physics such as $tZ$, $t\gamma$, and $tH^-$ production. This is followed by results at two and three loops for the soft anomalous dimension matrix in $s$-channel single-top production and, finally, in $t$-channel single-top production. These new results are needed for soft-gluon resummation at N$^3$LL accuracy and for calculations of soft-gluon corrections at N$^3$LO.

The cross anomalous dimension in maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory

The cross or soft anomalous dimension matrix describes the renormalization of Wilson loops with a self-intersection and is an important object in the study of infrared divergences of scattering amplitudes. In this paper it is studied for the Maldacena-Wilson loop in mathcal{N}=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory and Euclidean kinematics. We consider both the strong-coupling description in terms of minimal surfaces in AdS5 as well as the weak-coupling side up to the two-loop level. In either case, the coefficients of the cross anomalous dimension matrix can be expressed in terms of the cusp anomalous dimension. The strong-coupling description displays a Gross-Ooguri phase transition and we argue that the cross anomalous dimension is an interesting object to study in an integrability-based approach.

Four-Gluon Scattering at Three Loops, Infrared Structure, and the Regge Limit.

We compute the three-loop four-gluon scattering amplitude in maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, including its full color dependence. Our result is the first complete computation of a nonplanar four-particle scattering amplitude to three loops in four-dimensional gauge theory and consequently provides highly nontrivial data for the study of nonplanar scattering amplitudes. We present the amplitude as a Laurent expansion in the dimensional regulator to finite order, with coefficients composed of harmonic polylogarithms of uniform transcendental weight, and simple rational prefactors. Our computation provides an independent check of a recent result for three-loop corrections to the soft anomalous dimension matrix that predicts the general infrared singularity structure of massless gauge theory scattering amplitudes. Taking the Regge limit of our result, we determine the three-loop gluon Regge trajectory. We also find agreement with very recent predictions for subleading logarithms.

Soft-gluon corrections in FCNC top-quark production via anomalous gluon couplings

We present a calculation of soft-gluon corrections in FCNC top-quark production via anomalous $t$-$q$-$g$ couplings. The soft anomalous dimension matrix is explicitly calculated at one-loop accuracy. This calculation allows threshold resummation at next-to-leading-logarithm accuracy. We also derive expressions for the soft-gluon corrections at NLO and at NNLO.

Computation of the soft anomalous dimension matrix in coordinate space

We complete the coordinate space calculation of the three-parton correlation in the two-loop massive soft anomalous dimension matrix. The full answer agrees with the result found previously by a different approach. The coordinate space treatment of renormalized two-loop gluon exchange diagrams exhibits their color symmetries in a transparent fashion. We compare coordinate space calculations of the soft anomalous dimension matrix with massive and massless eikonal lines and examine its nonuniform limit at absolute threshold.

On soft singularities at three loops and beyond

We report on further progress in understanding soft singularities of massless gauge theory scattering amplitudes. Recently, a set of equations was derived based on Sudakov factorization, constraining the soft anomalous dimension matrix of multi-leg scattering amplitudes to any loop order, and relating it to the cusp anomalous dimension. The minimal solution to these equations was shown to be a sum over color dipoles. Here we explore potential contributions to the soft anomalous dimension that go beyond the sum-over-dipoles formula. Such contributions are constrained by factorization and invariance under rescaling of parton momenta to be functions of conformally invariant cross ratios. Therefore, they must correlate the color and kinematic degrees of freedom of at least four hard partons, corresponding to gluon webs that connect four eikonal lines, which first appear at three loops. We analyze potential contributions, combining all available constraints, including Bose symmetry, the expected degree of transcendentality, and the singularity structure in the limit where two hard partons become collinear. We find that if the kinematic dependence is solely through products of logarithms of cross ratios, then at three loops there is a unique function that is consistent with all available constraints. If polylogarithms are allowed to appear as well, then at least two additional structures are consistent with the available constraints.

Probing the gauge content of heavy resonances with soft radiation

The use of energy flow is investigated as a diagnostic tool for determining the color SU(3) representation of new resonances. It is found that the pattern of soft gluon radiation into a rapidity gap depends on color flow in the hard scattering, and reflects the gauge content of new physics. The massive soft anomalous dimension matrix for rapidity gap events is introduced for describing soft gluon emission analytically in heavy quark pair production. A gap fraction is used for quantifying the amount of soft radiation into the gap region. In general, the results illustrate that radiation is greater for a singlet resonance than for an octet. Especially, it is found that the quantitative difference is quite distinguishable for spin-1 resonances, depending on the gauge content in the new sector.

Two-Loop Divergences of QCD Scattering Amplitudes with Massive Partons

We provide a complete description of the two-loop infrared singularities of scattering amplitudes with an arbitrary number of massive and massless partons in non-Abelian gauge theories. To this end, we calculate the two universal functions that completely specify the structure of three-parton correlations in the soft anomalous-dimension matrix at two-loop order in closed analytic form. Both functions are found to be suppressed like O(m(4)/s(2)) in the limit of small parton masses, in accordance with mass factorization theorems. On the other hand, they are unsuppressed near the threshold for pair production of two heavy particles. As an application, we calculate the two-loop anomalous-dimension matrix for qq --> tt near threshold and show that it is not diagonal in the s-channel singlet-octet basis.

IR divergences and Regge limits of subleading-color contributions to the four-gluon amplitude in 𝒩 = 4 SYM theory

We derive a compact all-loop-order expression for the IR-divergent part of the N=4 SYM four-gluon amplitude, which includes both planar and all subleading-color contributions, based on the assumption that the higher-loop soft anomalous dimension matrices are proportional to the one-loop soft anomalous dimension matrix, as has been recently conjectured. We also consider the Regge limit of the four-gluon amplitude, and we present evidence that the leading logarithmic growth of the subleading-color amplitudes is less severe than that of the planar amplitudes. We examine possible 1/N^2 corrections to the gluon Regge trajectory, previously obtained in the planar limit from the BDS ansatz. The double-trace amplitudes have Regge behavior as well, with a nonsense-choosing Regge trajectory and a Regge cut which first emerges at three loops.

Color structure for soft gluon resummation — a general recipe

A strategy for calculating the color structure needed for soft gluon resummation for processes with any number of colored partons is introduced using a N_c --> infinity inspired basis. In this basis a general formalism can be found at the same time as the calculations are simplified. The advantages are illustrated by recalculating the soft anomalous dimension matrix for the processes gg --> gg, q\qbar --> q \qbar g and q\qbar --> ggg.

The massive soft anomalous dimension matrix at two loops

We study two-loop anomalous dimension matrices in QCD and related gauge theories for products of Wilson lines coupled at a point. We verify by an analysis in Euclidean space that the contributions to these matrices from diagrams that link three massive Wilson lines do not vanish in general. We show, however, that for two-to-two processes the two-loop anomalous dimension matrix is diagonal in the same color-exchange basis as the one-loop matrix for arbitrary masses at absolute threshold and for scattering at 90 degrees in the center of mass. This result is important for applications of threshold resummation in heavy quark production.

Two-loop soft anomalous dimension matrix and resummation at next-to-next-to-leading poles

We extend the resummation of dimensionally-regulated amplitudes to next-to-next-to-leading poles. This requires the calculation of two-loop anomalous dimension matrices for color mixing through soft gluon exchange. Remarkably, we find that they are proportional to the corresponding one-loop matrices. Using the color generator notation, we reproduce the two-loop single-pole quantities H^(2) introduced by Catani for quark and gluon elastic scattering. Our results also make possible threshold and a variety of other resummations at next-to-next-to leading logarithm. All of these considerations apply to 2 to n processes with massless external lines.

The colour evolution of the processqq→qqg

We calculate the soft anomalous dimension matrix for a five-parton process, qq -> qqg. Considering different bases we unveil some interesting properties of this matrix.