We derive non-linear recursion equations for the leading infrared logarithms in massless non-renormalizable effective field theories. The derivation is based solely on the requirements of the unitarity, analyticity and crossing symmetry of the amplitudes. That emphasizes the general nature of the corresponding equations. The derived equations allow one to compute leading infrared logarithms to essentially unlimited loop order without performing a loop calculation. For the implementation of the recursion equation one needs to calculate tree diagrams only. The application of the equation is demonstrated on several examples of effective field theories in four and higher space-time dimensions.
We use unitarity and analyticity of scattering amplitudes to constrain fermionic operators in the standard model effective field theory. For four-fermion operators at mass dimension 8, we scatter flavor superpositions in fixed standard model representations and find the Wilson coefficients to be constrained so that their contraction with any pair of pure density matrices is positive. These constraints imply that flavor-violating couplings are upper-bounded by their flavor-conserving cousins. For instance, LEP data already appears to preclude certain operators in upcoming $μ\to 3e$ measurements…
Applying the three axiomatic criteria of Lorentz invariance, analyticity and unitarity to scattering amplitudes involving the Goldstone bosons and the Higgs boson, we derive a general sum rule for the Strongly Interacting Light Higgs Lagrangian. This sum rule connects the IR coefficient $c_H$ to the UV properties of the theory, and can be used, for instance, to capture the role of resonances in processes like $V_{\rm L}V_{\rm L}\to hh$ and $V_{\rm L}V_{\rm L}\to V_{\rm L}V_{\rm L}$, with $V=W^{\pm},Z$.
I try to describe the extremely fruitful interaction I had with Harry Lehmann and the results which came out of the analyticity unitarity programme, especially the proof of the Froissart bound, which, with recent and future measurements of total cross-sections and real parts, remains topical.
We show how the combination of analyticity properties derived from local field theory and the unitarity condition (in particular positivity) leads to non-trivial physical results, including the proof of the "Froissart bound" from first principles and the existence of absolute bounds on the pion-pion scattering amplitude.
We derive rigorous bounds on corrections to Einstein gravity using unitarity and analyticity of graviton scattering amplitudes. In $D\geq 4$ spacetime dimensions, these consistency conditions mandate positive coefficients for certain quartic curvature operators. We systematically enumerate all such positivity bounds in $D=4$ and $D=5$ before extending to $D\geq 6$. Afterwards, we derive positivity bounds for supersymmetric operators and verify that all of our constraints are satisfied by weakly-coupled string theories. Among quadratic curvature operators, we find that the Gauss-Bonnet term in …
We consider the application of the DRA method to the case of several master integrals in a given sector. We establish a connection between the homogeneous part of dimensional recurrence and maximal unitarity cuts of the corresponding integrals: a maximally cut master integral appears to be a solution of the homogeneous part of the dimensional recurrence relation. This observation allows us to make a necessary step of the DRA method, the construction of the general solution of the homogeneous equation, which, in this case, is a coupled system of difference equations.
The experimental data on the processes $ππ\toππ,K\bar{K},ηη,ηη^\prime$ in the $I^GJ^{PC}=0^+0^{++}$ channel have been jointly analyzed to study the status and nature of the $f_0$. The method of analysis is based on analyticity and unitarity and uses an uniformization procedure. Some spectroscopic implications from results of the analysis are discussed.
Using the analytic properties of two-point functions in QCD, as well as unitarity, bounds on the B meson form factor F(q^2) can be derived. Heavy quark spin symmetry, correctly taken into account, is shown to improve these bounds significantly.
These notes are a fuller version of four lectures given at the 2015 International Summer Workshop in Reaction Theory held at Indiana University, Bloomington. The aim is to provide a simple introduction to how the tools of "the S-matrix era" - i.e. the constraints of unitarity, analyticity and crossing symmetry - can be incorporated into analyses of final state interactions in two- and three-hadron systems. The main focus is on corrections to the isobar model in three-hadron final states, which may be relevant once more as much larger data sets become available.
In $1/N_c$ expansion, analyticity and crossing lead to crossing even and odd ($C=\pm 1$) vacuum exchanges at high-energy, the {\em Pomeron} and the {\em Odderon}. We discuss how, using {\em String/Gauge duality}, these can be identified with a reggeized {\em Graviton} and the anti-symmetric {\em Kalb-Ramond fields} in $AdS$ background. With confinement, these Regge singularities interpolate with glueball states. We also discuss unitarization based on eikonal sum in $AdS$.
We investigate the scalar K pi form factor at low energies by the method of unitarity bounds adapted so as to include information on the phase and modulus along the elastic region of the unitarity cut. Using at input the values of the form factor at t=0 and the Callan-Treiman point, we obtain stringent constraints on the slope and curvature parameters of the Taylor expansion at the origin. Also, we predict a quite narrow range for the higher order ChPT corrections at the second Callan-Treiman point.
A method of deriving bounds on the weak meson form factors, based on perturbative QCD, analyticity and unitarity, is generalized in order to fully exploit heavy quark spin symmetry in the ground state $(L=0)$ doublet of pseudoscalar $(B)$ and vector $(B^*)$ mesons. All the relevant form factors of these mesons are taken into account in the unitarity sum. They are treated as independent functions along the timelike axis, being related by spin symmetry only near the zero recoil point. Heavy quark vacuum polarisation up to three loops in perturbative QCD and the experimental cross sections $σ(e^+…
We study the shape parameters of the $Dπ$ scalar and vector form factors using as input dispersion relations and unitarity for the moments of suitable heavy-light correlators evaluated with Operator Product Expansions, including $O(α_s^2)$ terms in perturbative QCD. For the scalar form factor, a low energy theorem and phase information on the unitarity cut are implemented to further constrain the shape parameters. We finally determine points on the real axis and isolate regions in the complex energy plane where zeros of the form factors are excluded.
We compute spin-flip cross section for graviton photoproduction on a spin-1/2 target of finite mass. Using this tree-level result, we find one-loop graviton correction to the spin-flip low-energy forward Compton scattering amplitude by using Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule. We show that this result agrees with the corresponding perturbative computations, implying the validity of the sum rule at one-loop level, contrary to the previous claims. We discuss possible effects from the black hole production and string Regge trajectory exchange at very high energies. These effects seem to soften the UV…
We study a model-independent parameterization of the vector pion form factor that arises from the constraints of analyticity and unitarity. Our description should be suitable up to sqrt(s) ~ 1.2 GeV and allows a model-independent determination of the mass of the rho(770) resonance, M(rho) = (775.1 +- 0.5) MeV. We analyse the experimental data on tau(-) -> pion(-) pion(0) neutrino(tau), in this framework, and its consequences on the low-energy observables worked out by chiral perturbation theory. An evaluation of the two-pion contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, a_muon, an…
Analyticity and unitarity techniques are employed to obtain bounds on the shape parameters of the scalar and vector form factors of semileptonic $K_{l3}$ decays. For this purpose we use vector and scalar correlators evaluated in pQCD, a low energy theorem for scalar form factor, lattice results for the ratio of kaon and pion decay constants, chiral perturbation theory calculations for the scalar form factor at the Callan-Treiman point and experimental information on the phase and modulus of $Kπ$ form factors up to an energy $\tin=1 {\rm GeV}^2$. We further derive regions on the real axis and i…
We consider the vector and scalar form factors of the charm-changing current responsible for the semileptonic decay D\rightarrow πl ν. Using as input dispersion relations and unitarity for the moments of suitable heavy-light correlators evaluated with Operator Product Expansions, including O(α_s^2) terms in perturbative QCD, we constrain the shape parameters of the form factors and find exclusion regions for zeros on the real axis and in the complex plane. For the scalar form factor, a low energy theorem and phase information on the unitarity cut are also implemented to further constrain the s…
Motivated by the discrepancies noted recently between the theoretical calculations of the electromagnetic $ωπ$ form factor and certain experimental data, we investigate this form factor using analyticity and unitarity in a framework known as the method of unitarity bounds.We use a QCD correlator computed on the spacelike axis by operator product expansion and perturbative QCD as input, and exploit unitarity and the positivity of its spectral function, including the two-pion contribution that can be reliably calculated using high-precision data on the pion form factor. From this information, we…
The shape of the vector and scalar K_{l3} form factors is investigated by exploiting analyticity and unitarity in a model-independent formalism. The method uses as input dispersion relations for certain correlators computed in perturbative QCD in the deep Euclidean region, soft-meson theorems, and experimental information on the phase and modulus of the form factors along the elastic part of the unitarity cut. We derive constraints on the coefficients of the parameterizations valid in the semileptonic range and on the truncation error. The method also predicts low-energy domains in the complex…
We perform a dispersive analysis of the $ωπ$ electromagnetic transition form factor, using as input the discontinuity provided by unitarity below the $ωπ$ threshold and including for the first time experimental data on the modulus measured from $e^+e^-\toωπ^0$ at higher energies. The input leads to stringent parameterization-free constraints on the modulus of the form factor below the $ωπ$ threshold, which are in disagreement with some experimental values measured from $ω\to π^0γ^*$ decay. We discuss the dependence on the input parameters in the unitarity relation, using for illustration an $N…
We use the recently measured accurate BaBaR data on the modulus of the pion electromagnetic form factor, $F_π(t)$, up to an energy of 3 GeV, the I=1 $P$-wave phase of the $ππ$ scattering amplitude up to the $ω-π$ threshold, the pion charge radius known from Chiral Perturbation Theory, and the recently measured JLAB value of $F_π$ in the spacelike region at $t=-2.45 {\rm GeV}^2$ as inputs in a formalism that leads to bounds on $F_π$ in the intermediate spacelike region. We compare our constraints with experimental data and with perturbative QCD along with the results of several theoretical mode…
Bounds on the shape parameters of K_{l3} form factors are investigated in a general model independent framework. Using the method of unitarity bounds for correlators evaluated in pQCD, chiral symmetry and experimental information on the phase and modulus of πK form factors up to an energy t_{in}=1 GeV^2, we constrain the shape parameters of the scalar and vector form factors, the value of the scalar form factor at t=M_π^2-M_K^2, and exclude regions where zeros can exist on the real energy line and in the complex energy plane.
Leading (large) logarithms in non-renormalizable theories have been investigated in the recent past. Besides some general considerations, explicit results for the expansion coefficients (in terms of leading logarithms) of partial wave amplitudes and of scalar and vector form factors have been given. Analyticity and unitarity constraints haven been used to obtain the expansion coefficients of partial waves in massless theories, yielding form factors and the scalar two-point function to five-loop order in the O(4)/O(3) model. Later, the all order solutions for the partial waves in any O(N+1)/O(N…
High-statistics data on the $e^+e^-\to π^+π^-$ cross section and the pion vector form factor have been obtained recently by several collaborations. Unfortunately, there are some tensions between different datasets, especially the most precise ones, which have not been resolved so far. Additional independent constraints on the data are therefore of interest. We consider a parametrization-free method of analytic extrapolation proposed recently, which is based on a mixed phase and modulus extremal problem and combines rigorous upper and lower bounds with numerical simulations to account for the s…
The two-pion contribution from low energies to the muon magnetic moment anomaly, although small, has a large relative uncertainty since in this region the experimental data on the cross sections are neither sufficient nor precise enough. It is therefore of interest to see whether the precision can be improved by means of additional theoretical information on the pion electromagnetic form factor, which controls the leading order contribution. In the present paper we address this problem by exploiting analyticity and unitarity of the form factor in a parametrization-free approach that uses the p…
The two-pion low-energy contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, $a_μ\equiv(g-2)_μ/2$, expres sed as an integral over the modulus squared of the pion electromagnetic form fac tor, brings a relatively large contribution to the theoretical error, since the low accuracy of experimental measurements in this region is amplified by the drastic increase of the integration kernel. We derive stringent constraints on the two-pion contribution by exploiting analyticity and unitarity of the pion electromagnetic form factor. To avoid the poor knowledge of the modulus of this function, we …
If the Electroweak Symmetry Breaking Sector turns out to be strongly interacting, the actively investigated effective theory for longitudinal gauge bosons plus Higgs can be efficiently extended to cover the regime of saturation of unitarity (where the perturbative expansion breaks down). This is achieved by dispersion relations, whose subtraction constants and left cut contribution can be approximately obtained in different ways giving rise to different unitarization procedures. We illustrate the ideas with the Inverse Amplitude Method, one version of the N/D method and another improved versio…
We consider the evaluation of the $ηπ$ isospin-violating vector and scalar form factors relying on a systematic application of analyticity and unitarity, combined with chiral expansion results. It is argued that the usual analyticity properties do hold (i.e. no anomalous thresholds are present) in spite of the instability of the $η$ meson in QCD. Unitarity relates the vector form factor to the $ηπ\to ππ$ amplitude: we exploit progress in formulating and solving the Khuri-Treiman equations for $η\to 3π$ and in experimental measurements of the Dalitz plot parameters to evaluate the shape of the …
We present a general formalism for deriving bounds on the shape parameters of the weak and electromagnetic form factors using as input correlators calculated from perturbative QCD, and exploiting analyticity and unitarity. The values resulting from the symmetries of QCD at low energies or from lattice calculations at special points inside the analyticity domain can beincluded in an exact way. We write down the general solution of the corresponding Meiman problem for an arbitrary number of interior constraints and the integral equations that allow one to include the phase of the form factor alo…
The analyticity of response functions and scattering amplitudes implies powerful relations between low-energy observables and the underlying short-distance dynamics. These 'IR/UV' relations are rooted in basic physical principles, such as causality and unitarity. In this paper, we seek similar connections in inflation, relating cosmological observations to the physics responsible for the accelerated expansion. We assume that the inflationary theory is Lorentz invariant at short distances, but allow for non-relativistic interactions and a non-trivial speed of propagation at low energies. Focusi…
Starting from hyperbolic dispersion relations, we derive a closed system of Roy-Steiner equations for pion-nucleon scattering that respects analyticity, unitarity, and crossing symmetry. We work out analytically all kernel functions and unitarity relations required for the lowest partial waves. In order to suppress the dependence on the high-energy regime we also consider once- and twice-subtracted versions of the equations, where we identify the subtraction constants with subthreshold parameters. Assuming Mandelstam analyticity we determine the maximal range of validity of these equations. As…
We present and numerically implement a computational method to construct relativistic scattering amplitudes that obey analyticity, crossing, elastic and inelastic unitarity in three and four spacetime dimensions. The algorithm is based on the Mandelstam representation of the amplitude and iterations of unitarity. The input for the iterative procedure is given by the multi-particle double spectral density, the S-wave inelasticity, and the value of the amplitude at the crossing-symmetric point. The output, obtained at the fixed point of the iteration of unitarity, is a nonperturbative scattering…
Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. The Early Years. 2.1 Living Without Field Theory. 2.2 Initial Postulates. 2.3 Further Postulates. 2.4 QCD and a Final Postulate. 2.5 Analyticity in Field Theory. 3. Axiomatic S-Matrix Theory. 3.1 Unitarity, Bubble Diagrams and Landau Diagrams. 3.2 The Landau Equations and the ``$+~ α$'' Condition. 3.3 Macrocausality and Essential Support. 3.4 The Structure Theorem. 3.5 Local Discontinuity Formulae. 3.6 Good and Bad Functions and the Steinmann Relations. 3.7 Global Discontinuity Formulae. 3.8 CPT, Hermitian Analyticity, etc. 3.9 Holonomy. 4. Asymptotic S-Matrix The…
We derive the scale of unitarity violation from the geometry of Effective Field Theory (EFT) extensions of the Standard Model Higgs sector. The high-energy behavior of amplitudes with more than four scalar legs depends on derivatives of geometric invariants with respect to the physical Higgs field $h$, such that higher-point amplitudes begin to reconstruct the scalar manifold away from our vacuum. In theories whose low-energy limit can be described by the Higgs EFT (HEFT) but not the Standard Model EFT (SMEFT), non-analyticities in the vicinity of our vacuum limit the radius of convergence of …
It is shown that the fundamental properties of gauge-independence, gauge-invariance, unitarity, and analyticity of the $S$-matrix lead to the unambiguous generalization of the pinch technique algorithm to two loops.
The problem of $γπ\to ππ$ is studied using the axial anomaly, elastic unitarity, analyticity and crossing symmetry. The solution of the integral equation for this amplitude is given by an iteration procedure.The final solution disagrees with vector meson dominance models.
The problem of Gamma + Pi --> Pi + Pi is studied using the axial anomaly, elastic unitarity, analyticity and crossing symmetry. Single variable dispersion relation is assumed. Using elastic unitarity relation, an integral equation equation for the lowest partial wave amplitude is obtained. The solution for this integral equation is obtained by an iteration procedure corresponding to that obtained from the vector meson dominance model but with multiple scattering effects taken into account.
The chiral Lagrangian for Goldstone boson scattering is a power series expansion in numbers of derivatives. Each successive term is suppressed by powers of a scale, $Λ_χ$, which must be less than of order $4πf/\sqrt{N}$ where $f$ is the Goldstone boson decay constant and $N$ is the number of flavors. The chiral expansion therefore breaks down at or below $4 πf/\sqrt{N}$. We argue that the breakdown of the chiral expansion is associated with the appearance of physical states other than Goldstone bosons. Because of crossing symmetry, some ``isospin'' channels will deviate from their low energy b…
In the approach, based on analyticity and unitarity and assuming an influence of coupled channels, experimental data on the isovector P-wave of pion-pion scattering have been analyzed to study rho-like mesons below 1.9 GeV.
We investigate two specific Green functions in the framework of chiral perturbation theory. We show that, using analyticity and unitarity, their leading logarithmic singularities can be evaluated in the chiral limit to any desired order in the chiral expansion, with a modest calculational cost. The claim is illustrated with an evaluation of the leading logarithm for the scalar two-point function to five-loop order.
From the properties of analyticity and unitarity it has been recently obtained an exponentiated expression for the pion form factor. In this work I show the validity of this expression comparing its order p^6 term with the one exactly calculated in ChPT.
We regularize QCD using the combination of higher covariant derivatives and Pauli-Villars determinants proposed by Slavnov. It is known that for pure Yang-Mills theory the Pauli-Villars determinants generate unphysical logarithmic radiative corrections at one loop that modify the beta function. Here we prove that when the gauge fields are coupled to fermions so that one has QCD, these unphysical corrections translate into a violation of unitarity. We provide an understanding of this by seeing that Slavnov's choice for the Pauli-Villars determinants introduces extra propagating degrees of freed…
In this work we discuss in detail the non-perturbative determination of the momentum dependence of the form factors entering in semileptonic decays using unitarity and analyticity constraints. The method contains several new elements with respect to previous proposals and allows to extract, using suitable two-point functions computed non-perturbatively, the form factors at low momentum transfer $q^2$ from those computed explicitly on the lattice at large $q^2$, without any assumption about their $q^2$-dependence. The approach will be very useful for exclusive semileptonic $B$-meson decays, whe…
The removal of unphysical singularities in the perturbatively calculable part of the pion form factor--a classic example of a three-point function in QCD--is discussed. Different ``analytization'' procedures in the sense of Shirkov and Solovtsov re examined in comparison with standard QCD perturbation theory. We show that demanding the analyticity of the partonic amplitude as a \emph{whole}, as proposed before by Karanikas and Stefanis, one can make infrared finite not only the strong running coupling and its powers, but also cure potentially large logarithms (that first appear at next-to-lead…
Using our present knowledge on effective hadronic theories, short-distance QCD information, the $1/N_C$ expansion, analyticity and unitarity, we derive an expression for the pion form factor, in terms of $m_π, m_K, M_ρ$ and $f_π$. This parameter-free prediction provides a surprisingly good description of the experimental data up to energies of the order of 1 GeV.
We show that models of chaotic inflation based on the phi^p potential and a linear non-minimal coupling to gravity, fR=1+cR phi, can be done consistent with data in the context of Supergravity, retaining the perturbative unitarity up to the Planck scale, if we employ logarithmic Kahler potentials with prefactors -p(1+n) or -p(n+1)-1, where -0.035<= n<=0.007 for p=2 or -0.0145<= n<=0.006 for p=4. Focusing, moreover, on a model employing a gauge non-singlet inflaton, we show that a solution to the mu problem of MSSM and baryogenesis via non-thermal leptogensesis can be also accommodated.
Leading logarithms (LLs) in massless non-renormalizable effective field theories (EFTs) can be computed with the help of non-linear recurrence relations. These recurrence relations follow from the fundamental requirements of unitarity, analyticity and crossing symmetry of scattering amplitudes and generalize the renormalization group technique for the case of non-renormalizable EFTs. We review the existing exact solutions of non-linear recurrence relations relevant for field theoretical applications. We introduce the new class of quantum field theories (quasi-renormalizable field theories) in …
