We argue that the scattering amplitudes in the maximally supersymmetric N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory possess a new symmetry which extends the previously discovered dual conformal symmetry. To reveal this property we formulate the scattering amplitudes as functions in the appropriate dual superspace. Rewritten in this form, all tree-level MHV and next-to-MHV amplitudes exhibit manifest dual superconformal symmetry. We propose a new, compact and Lorentz covariant formula for the tree-level NMHV amplitudes for arbitrary numbers and types of external particles. The dual conformal symmetry is broken at loop level by infrared divergences. However, we provide evidence that the anomalous contribution to the MHV and NMHV superamplitudes is the same and, therefore, their ratio is a dual conformal invariant function. We identify this function by an explicit calculation of the six-particle amplitudes at one loop. We conjecture that these properties hold for all, MHV and non-MHV, superamplitudes in N=4 SYM both at weak and at strong coupling.
We employ the light-cone superspace formalism to develop an efficient approach to constructing superconformal operators of twist two in Yang-Mills theories with N=1,2,4 supercharges. These operators have an autonomous scale dependence to one-loop order and determine the eigenfunctions of the dilatation operator in the underlying gauge theory. We demonstrate that for arbitrary N the superconformal operators are given by remarkably simple, universal expressions involving the light-cone superfields. When written in components field, they coincide with the known results obtained by conventional te…
We will discuss an integrable structure for weakly coupled superconformal Yang-Mills theories, describe certain equivalences for the Yangian algebra, and fill a technical gap in our previous study of this subject.
We identify the 2d topological theory underlying the N=2 4d superconformal index with an explicit model: q-deformed 2d Yang-Mills. By this route we are able to evaluate the index of some strongly-coupled 4d SCFTs, such as Gaiotto's T_N theories.
The exact prepotential for $N = 2$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory is derived from the superconformal anomalous Ward identity for the gauge group SU(2) and SU(3) which can be generalized to any other rank two gauge group.
Recently a prescription to compute the four-dimensional N = 2 superconformal index in the presence of certain BPS surface defects has been given. These surface defects are labelled by symmetric representations of SU(N). In the present paper we give a prescription to compute the superconformal index in the presence of surface defects labelled by arbitrary representations of SU(N). Furthermore, we extend the dictionary between the N = 2 superconformal Schur-index and correlators of q-deformed Yang-Mills to incorporate such surface defects.
We discuss the spectrum of states of IIB supergravity on $AdS_5\times S^5$ in a manifest $SU(2,2/4)$ invariant setting. The boundary fields are described in terms of N=4 superconformal Yang-Mills theory and the proposed correspondence between supergravity in $AdS_5$ and superconformal invariant singleton theory at the boundary is formulated in an N=4 superfield covariant language.
A reformulation of the superconformal Ward identities that combines all the superconformal currents and the associated parameters in one multiplet is given for theories with rigid N=1 or N=2 supersymmetry. This form of the Ward Identities is applied to spontaneously broken N=2 Yang-Mills theory and used to derive a condition on the low energy effective action. This condition is satisfied by the solution proposed by Seiberg and Witten.
We study the quantum mechanical sigma model arising in the discrete light-cone quantisation of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The target space is a certain torus fibration over a scale-invariant special Kahler manifold. We show that the expected SU(1,1|4) light-cone superconformal invariance of the N=4 theory emerges in a limit where the volume of the fibre goes to zero and give an explicit construction of the generators. The construction given here yields a large new family of superconformal quantum mechanical models with SU(1,1|4) invariance.
Recently it has been argued that tree-level scattering amplitudes in N=4 Yang-Mills theory are uniquely determined by a careful study of their superconformal and Yangian symmetries. However, at one-loop order these symmetries are known to become anomalous due to infrared divergences. We compute these one-loop anomalies for amplitudes defined through dimensional regularisation by studying the tree-level symmetry transformations of the unitarity branch cuts, keeping track of the crucial collinear terms arising from the holomorphic anomaly. We extract the superconformal anomalies and show that th…
We review recent progress in the understanding of symmetries for scattering amplitudes in N=4 superconformal Yang-Mills theory. It is summarized how the superficial breaking of superconformal symmetry by collinear anomalies and the renormalization process can be cured at tree and loop level. This is achieved by correcting the representation of the superconformal group on amplitudes. Moreover, we comment on the Yangian symmetry of scattering amplitudes and how it inherits these correction terms from the ordinary Lie algebra symmetry. Invariants under this algebra and their relation to the Grass…
Scattering amplitudes in superconformal field theories do not enjoy this symmetry, because the definition of asymptotic states involve a notion of infinity. Concentrating on planar $\mathcal{N}=4$ Yang-Mills, we consider a generalization of scattering amplitudes which depends on twice as many Grassmann variables. We conjecture that it restores at least half of the superconformal symmetries, and all of the dual superconformal symmetries. The object arises naturally as the dual of a null polygonal Wilson loop in an $(x,θ,\barθ)$ superspace. We support the conjecture by using it to obtain the tot…
In spacetime dimension two, pure Yang-Mills possesses no physical degrees of freedom, and consequently it admits a supersymmetric extension to couple to an arbitrary number, N say, of Majorana-Weyl gauginos. This results in (N,0) super Yang-Mills. Further, its dimensional reduction to mechanics doubles the number of supersymmetries, from N to N+N, to include conformal supercharges, and leads to a superconformal Yang-Mills quantum mechanics with symmetry group OSp(N|2,R). We comment on its connection to AdS_2 \times S^{N-1} and reduction to a supersymmetric Calogero model.
We make contact between the infinite-dimensional non-local symmetry of the typeIIB superstring on AdS5xS5 worldsheet theory and a non-abelian infinite-dimensional symmetry algebra for the weakly coupled superconformal gauge theory. We explain why the planar limit of the one-loop dilatation operator is the Hamiltonian of a spin chain, and show that it commutes with the g*2 N = 0 limit of the non-abelian charges.
We apply novel techniques in planar superconformal Yang-Mills theory which stress the role of the Yangian algebra. We compute the first two Casimirs of the Yangian, which are identified with the first two local abelian Hamiltonians with periodic boundary conditions, and show that they annihilate the chiral primary states. We streamline the derivation of the R-matrix in a conventional spin model, and extend this computation to the gauge theory. We comment on higher-loop corrections and higher-loop integrability.
We construct a solution of eleven dimensional supergravity corresponding to a stack of M2 branes localized at the center of a particular eight dimensional hyper-Kaehler manifold constructed by Gauntlett, Gibbons, Papadopoulos, and Townsend, generalizing the earlier construction of Cherkis and Hashimoto. In the decoupling limit, this solution is dual to a Chern-Simons/Yang-Mills/Matter theory in 2+1 dimensions with N=3 supersymmetry, which flows in the infra red to a superconformal Chern-Simons/Matter system preserving N=6,8 supersymmetry, constructed recently by Aharony, Bergman, Jafferis, and…
We study a class of near-BPS operators for a complex 2-parameter family of N=1 superconformal Yang-Mills theories that can be obtained by a Leigh-Strassler deformation of N=4 SYM theory. We identify these operators in the large N and large R-charge limit and compute their exact scaling dimensions using N=1 superspace methods. From these scaling dimensions we attempt to reverse-engineer the light-cone worldsheet theory that describes string propagation on the Penrose limit of the dual geometry.
Tree-level scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory have recently been shown to transform covariantly with respect to a 'dual' superconformal symmetry algebra, thus extending the conventional superconformal symmetry algebra psu(2,2|4) of the theory. In this paper we derive the action of the dual superconformal generators in on-shell superspace and extend the dual generators suitably to leave scattering amplitudes invariant. We then study the algebra of standard and dual symmetry generators and show that the inclusion of the dual superconformal generators lifts the psu(2,2|4) symmet…
We present a supersymmetric recursion relation for tree-level scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills. Using this recursion relation, we prove that the tree-level S-matrix of the maximally supersymmetric theory is covariant under dual superconformal transformations. We further analyse the consequences that the transformation properties of the trees under this symmetry have on those of the loops. In particular, we show that the coefficients of the expansion of generic one-loop amplitudes in a basis of pseudo-conformally invariant scalar box functions transform covariantly under dual super…
In the β-deformed N=4 supersymmetric SU(N) Yang-Mills theory we study the class of operators O_J = Tr(Φ_i^J Φ_k), i\neq k and compute their exact anomalous dimensions for N,J\to\infty. This leads to a prediction for the masses of the corresponding states in the dual string theory sector. We test the exact formula perturbatively up to two loops. The consistency of the perturbative calculation with the exact result indicates that in the planar limit the one--loop condition g^2=h\bar{h} for superconformal invariance is indeed sufficient to insure the {\em exact} superconformal invariance of the t…
We compactify the abelian 6d (1,0) tensor multiplet on a circle bundle, thus reducing the theory down to 5d SYM while keeping all the KK modes. This abelian classical field theory, when interpreted suitably, has a nonlocal superconformal symmetry. Furthermore, a nonabelian generalization, where all the KK modes are kept, is possible for the nonlocal superconformal symmetry, whereas for the local superconformal symmetry we can only realize a subgroup.
We present a three-loop O(g^6) calculation of the difference between the expectation values of Wilson loops evaluated in N=4 and superconformal N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with gauge group SU(N) using dimensional reduction. We find a massive reduction of required Feynman diagrams, leaving only certain two-matter-loop corrections to the gauge field and associated scalar propagator. This "diagrammatic difference" leaves a finite result proportional to the bare propagators and allows the recovery of the zeta(3) term coming from the matrix model for the 1/2 BPS circular Wilson loop in the…
In $D=4$, $\cal{N}=1$ conformal superspace, the Yang-Mills matter coupled supergravity system is constructed where the Yang-Mills gauge interaction is introduced by extending the superconformal group to include the Kähler isometry group of chiral matter fields. There are two gauge-fixing procedures to get to the component Poincaré supergravity: one via the superconformal component formalism and the other via the Poincaré superspace formalism. These two types of superconformal gauge-fixing conditions are analyzed in detail and their correspondence is clarified.
The supersymmetry invariant integrable structure of two-dimensional superconformal field theory is considered. The classical limit of the corresponding infinite family of integrals of motion (IM) coincide with the family of IM of SUSY N=1 KdV hierarchy. The quantum version of the monodromy matrix, generating quantum IM, associated with the SUSY N=1 KdV is constructed via vertex operator representation of the quantum R-matrix. The possible applications to the perturbed superconformal models are discussed.
We propose an alternative method to study the saddle point equation in the strong coupling limit for the Wilson loop in $\mathcal{N}=2$ D=4 super Yang-Mills with an SU(N) gauge group and 2N hypermultiplets. This method is based on an approximation of the integral equation kernel which allows to solve the simplified problem exactly. To determine the accuracy of this approximation, we compare our results to those obtained recently by Passerini and Zarembo. Although less precise, this simpler approach provides an explicit expression for the density of eigenvalues that is used to derive the planar…
The superconformal properties of N=4 Yang-Mills theory are most naturally studied using the formalism of harmonic superspace. Superconformal invariance is shown to imply that the Green's functions of analytic operators are invariant holomorphic sections of a line bundle on a product of certain harmonic superspaces and it is argued that the theory is soluble for a class of such operators.
We study the superconformal index of the N=4 super-Yang-Milles theory on S^3 X S^1 with the half BPS superconformal surface operator (defect) inserted at the great circle of S^3. The half BPS superconformal surface operators preserve the same supersymmetry as well as the symmetry of the chemical potential used in the definition of the superconformal index, so the structure and the parameterization of the superconformal index remain unaffected by the presence of the surface operator. On the surface defect, a two-dimensional (4,4) superconformal field theory resides, and the four-dimensional sup…
Quantum gravity in AdS$_7 \times$S$^4$ is dual to a 6d superconformal field theory, known as the 6d $(2,0)$ theory, which is very challenging to describe because it lacks a conventional Lagrangian description. On the other hand, certain null reductions of the 6d $(2,0)$ theory give rise to 5d Lagrangian theories with $SU(1,3)$ spacetime symmetry, $SO(5)$ R-symmetry, and 24 supercharges. This appears to be closely related to the superconformal group of a 3d superconformal Chern-Simons theory known as the ABJM theory, which is believed to be integrable in the planar limit, if one exchanges the r…
We apply the effective action scheme to the leading parton interactions in ${\cal N} = 1$ supersymmetric gauge theory. The effective interaction in the Bjorken asymptotics at one loop is written in terms of parton superfield vertices explicitely symmetric with respect to superconformal transformations.
We argue the equivalence between the infrared conformal field theory of the 3d $\mathcal{N}=8$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories of ABCD ($U(N), SO(2N+1), Sp(2N), O(2N)$) gauge groups and the ABJ(M) theories of $U(N)_k\times U(\tilde N)_{-k}$ for $k=1,2$. We support this duality by comparing the superconformal index of the IR limit of these super Yang-Mills theories and that of those ABJ(M) models. Especially we find the match between two indices of (mirror dual of) the $\mathcal{N}=8$ U(N) SYM and of $U(N)_1\times U(N)_{-1}$ ABJM model. Also we take large $N$ limit of ABCD super Yang-Mills t…
This review covers a number of applications of conformal field theory methods for perturbative calculations in N=4 Super Yang-Mills and ABJM theory. After motivating the role of superconformal symmetry for elementary particle physics research, we review some basic facts about conformal symmetry and conformal transformations of fields in a pedagogical manner. The implications for perturbative quantum field theory calculations are discussed in terms of Ward identities. Recent developments and relations between amplitudes, correlators and Wilson loops are reviewed for N=4 Super Yang-Mills as well…
Scattering amplitudes in planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory reveal a remarkable symmetry structure. In addition to the superconformal symmetry of the Lagrangian of the theory, the planar amplitudes exhibit a dual superconformal symmetry. The presence of this additional symmetry imposes strong restrictions on the amplitudes and is connected to a duality relating scattering amplitudes to Wilson loops defined on polygonal light-like contours. The combination of the superconformal and dual superconformal symmetries gives rise to a Yangian, an algebraic structure which is known to be related to the…
We analyse Feynman diagram calculational issues related to the quantum breaking of supercurrent conservation in a supersymmetric non-abelian Yang-Mills theory. For the sake of simplicity, we take a zero mass gauge field multiplet interacting with a massless Majorana spin-$1/2$ field in the adjoint representation of $SU(2)$. We shed light on a long-standing controversy regarding the perturbative evaluation of the supercurrent anomaly in connection with gauge and superconformal symmetry in different frameworks. We find that only superconformal symmetry is unambiguously broken using an invariant …
The superfield light cone gauge formulation of $\mathcal{N} =4$ SYM in plane wave background is developed. We find a realization of superconformal symmetries in terms of a light cone superfield. An oscillator realization of superconformal symmetries is also obtained.
We study soft theorems at one loop in planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory through finite order in the infrared regulator and to subleading order in the soft parameter δ. In particular, we derive a universal constraint from dual superconformal symmetry, which we use to bootstrap subleading log δ behaviour. Moreover, we determine the complete infrared-finite subleading soft contribution of n-point MHV amplitudes using momentum twistors. Finally, we compute the subleading log δ behaviour of one-loop NMHV ratio functions at six and seven points, finding that universality holds within but not betwee…
It is argued that N=6 supergravity on $AdS_5$, with gauge group $SU(3)\times U(1)$ corresponds, at the classical level, to a subsector of the ``chiral'' primary operators of N=4 Yang-Mills theories. This projection involves a ``duality transformation'' of N=4 Yang-Mills theory and therefore can be valid if the coupling is at a self-dual point, or for those amplitudes that do not depend on the coupling constant.
In this paper we review recent results on symmetries in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. Symmetries are of invaluable help in studying and constraining the scattering amplitudes, and there has been a lot of progress in recent years concerning this topic. It has been realised that the ordinary superconformal symmetry is not the full symmetry of this theory. There is indeed a dual superconformal symmetry, and together they form a Yangian structure, pointing to the underlying integrability of the theory. Here we give an overview of the Yangian algebra and of its action on the scattering amplitudes, a…
Superconformal index for $\mathcal{N} = 4$ Super Yang-Mills and Elliptic Macdonald Polynomials
Interdisciplinary Center for Theoretical Study, University of Science and Technology of China（中国科学技术大学理论物理交叉中心）；Peng Huanwu Center for Fundamental Theory（彭桓武基础理论研究中心）
Tree level scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory are almost, but not exactly invariant under the free action of the N=4 superconformal algebra. What causes the non-invariance is the holomorphic anomaly at poles where external particles become collinear. In this paper we propose a deformation of the free superconformal representation by contributions which change the number of external legs. This modified classical representation not only makes tree amplitudes fully invariant, but it also leads to additional constraints from symmetry alone mediating between hitherto unrelated amp…
We investigate the Yangian symmetry of scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory and show that its formulations in twistor and momentum twistor space can be interchanged. In particular we show that the full symmetry can be thought of as the Yangian of the dual superconformal algebra, annihilating the amplitude with the MHV part factored out. The equivalence of this picture with the one where the ordinary superconformal symmetry is thought of as fundamental is an algebraic expression of T-duality. Motivated by this, we analyse some recently proposed formulas, which reproduce differen…
The operator, O_τ, that generates infinitesimal changes of the coupling constant in N=4 Yang-Mills sits in the same supermultiplet as the superconformal currents. We show how superconformal current Ward identities determine a class of terms in the operator product expansion of O_τwith any other operator. In certain cases, this leads to constraints on the coupling dependence of correlation functions in N=4 Yang-Mills. As an application, we demonstrate the exact non-renormalization of two and certain three-point correlation functions of BPS operators.
We find new, local, non-supersymmetric conformal field theories obtained by relevant deformations of the N=4 super Yang Mills theory in the large $N$ limit. We contruct interpolating supergravity solutions that naturally represent the flow from the N=4 super Yang Mills UV theory to these non-supersymmetric IR fixed points. We also study the linearization around the N=4 superconformal point of N=1 supersymmetric, marginal deformations. We show that they give rise to N=1 superconformal fixed points, as expected from field-theoretical arguments.
We construct, in the framework of the N=4 SYM theory, a supermultiplet of twist-two conformal operators and study their renormalization properties. The components of the supermultiplet have the same anomalous dimension and enter as building blocks into multi-particle quasipartonic operators. The latter are determined by the condition that their twist equals the number of elementary constituent fields from which they are built. A unique feature of the N=4 SYM is that all quasipartonic operators with different SU(4) quantum numbers fall into a single supermultiplet. Among them there is a subsect…
We uncover a general principle, dubbed c-extremization, which determines the exact R-symmetry of a two-dimensional unitary superconformal field theory with N=(0,2) supersymmetry. To illustrate its utility, we study superconformal theories obtained by twisted compactifications of four-dimensional N=4 super-Yang-Mills on Riemann surfaces, and construct their gravity duals.
The superconformal invariants in analytic superspace are found. Superconformal invariance is shown to imply that the Green's functions of analytic operators are invariant holomorphic sections of a line bundle on a product of certain harmonic superspaces. It is argued that the correlation functions for a class of sufficiently low dimension gauge invariant operators in N=2 and N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory can be evaluated up to constants.
5d Yang-Mills theory with an Sp(N) gauge group admits a discrete analog of the theta parameter. We describe the origin of this parameter in N=1 theories from Type I' string theory, and study its effect on the 5d superconformal fixed point theories with an Sp(1)=SU(2) gauge group by computing the superconformal index. Our result confirms the lack of global symmetry enhancement in the so-called \tilde{E}_1 theory.
It is pointed out that the Parke-Taylor or maximally helicity violating amplitudes in the pure Yang-Mills can, after some specifications, be interpreted as amplitudes of scattering of massive vector bosons in the Higgs-Yang-Mills system.
Superconformal indices of 3d N=2 supersymmetric field theories are investigated from the Yang-Baxter equation point of view. Solutions of the star-triangle relation, vertex and IRF Yang-Baxter equations are expressed in terms of the q-special functions associated with these 3d indices. For a two-dimensional monopole-spin system on the square lattice a free energy per spin is explicitly determined. Similar to the partition functions, superconformal indices of 3d theories with the chiral symmetry breaking reduce to Dirac delta functions with the support on chemical potentials of the preserved fl…
We review earlier proposals for $E_8$ family unification, and discuss why recent work of Kovner and Shifman on condensates in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories suggests the reconsideration of $E_8$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills as a family unification theory.
I discuss various situations in which perturbative expansions are used in Yang-Mills theories with asymptotic freedom and establish the limits of its applicability.
Constraints of the osp(6|4) symmetry on tree-level scattering amplitudes in N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory are derived. Supplemented by Feynman diagram calculations, solutions to these constraints, namely the four- and six-point superamplitudes, are presented and shown to be invariant under Yangian symmetry. This introduces integrability into the amplitude sector of the theory.
We demonstrate that the four and six-point tree-level amplitudes of N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory (ABJM) enjoy OSp(6|4) dual superconformal symmetry if one enlarges the dual superspace to include three additional Grassmann-even coordinates which correspond to an abelian isometry of CP3. The inclusion of these coordinates enables us to match the nontrivial dual superconformal generators with level-one Yangian generators when acting on on-shell amplitudes. We also discuss some implications of dual conformal symmetry for loop-level amplitudes.
We construct a superpropagator in maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory which is invariant off-shell under a chiral half of supersymmetries. Motivated by the duality with scattering amplitudes in this theory, we apply this superpropagator to supersymmeytric Wilson loop on polygonal contours. By performing explicit one-loop calculations we confirm the absence of anomalies and verify the duality between the object under study and NMHV amplitudes.
Celestial and momentum space amplitudes for massless particles are related to each other by a change of basis provided by the Mellin transform. Therefore properties of celestial amplitudes have counterparts in momentum space amplitudes and vice versa. In this paper, we study the celestial avatar of dual superconformal symmetry of $\mathcal{N}=4$ Yang-Mills theory. We also analyze various differential equations known to be satisfied by celestial $n$-point tree-level MHV amplitudes and identify their momentum space origins.
