We review the emergence of hypergeometric structures (of $F_4$ Appell functions) from the conformal Ward identities (CWIs) in conformal field theories (CFTs) in dimensions $d > 2$. We illustrate the case of scalar 3- and 4-point functions. 3-point functions are associated to hypergeometric systems with 4 independent solutions. For symmetric correlators they can be expressed in terms of a single 3K integral - functions of quadratic ratios of momenta - which is a parametric integral of three modified Bessel $K$ functions. In the case of scalar 4-point functions, by requiring the correlator to be conformal invariant in coordinate space as well as in some dual variables (i.e. dual conformal invariant), its explicit expression is also given by a 3K integral, or as a linear combination of Appell functions which are now quartic ratios of momenta. Similar expressions have been obtained in the past in the computation of an infinite class of planar ladder (Feynman) diagrams in perturbation theory, which, however, do not share the same (dual conformal/conformal) symmetry of our solutions. We then discuss some hypergeometric functions of 3 variables, which define 8 particular solutions of the CWIs and correspond to Lauricella functions. They can also be combined in terms of 4K integral and appear in an asymptotic description of the scalar 4-point function, in special kinematical limits.
We discuss specific hypergeometric solutions of the conformal Ward identities (CWI's) of scalar 4-point functions of primary fields in momentum space, in $d$ spacetime dimensions. We determine such solutions using various dual conformal ansätze (DCA's). We start from a generic dual conformal correlator, and require it to be conformally covariant in coordinate space. The two requirements constrain such solutions to take a unique hypergeometric form. They describe correlators which are at the same time conformal and dual conformal in any dimension. These specific ansätze also show the existence …
The dual relationship between the supergravity in the anti-de Sitter(AdS) space and the superconformal field theory is discussed in the simplest form. We show that a topological Ward identity holds in the three dimensional Chern-Simons gravity. In this simple case the proposed dual relationship can be understood as the topological Ward identity. Extensions to the supersymmetric theories and higher dimensional ones are also briefly discussed.
We discuss the concept of composite fields in flat CFT as well as in the context of AdS/CFT. Furthermore we show how to represent Green functions using generalized hypergeometric functions and apply these techniques to four-point functions. Finally we prove an identity of $U(1)_Y$ symmetry for four-point functions.
S-matrix elements in flat space can be obtained from a large AdS-radius limit of certain CFT correlators. We present a method for constructing CFT operators which create incoming and outgoing scattering states in flat space. This is done by taking the flat limit of bulk operator reconstruction techniques. Using this method, we obtain explicit expressions for incoming and outgoing U(1) gauge fields. Weinberg soft photon theorems then follow from Ward identites of conserved CFT currents. In four bulk dimensions, gauge fields on AdS can be quantized with standard and alternative boundary conditio…
Fields and Strings Laboratory, Institute of Physics Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne（洛桑联邦理工学院物理研究所弦场实验室）；Scuola Normale Superiore and INFN（比萨高等师范学院和意大利国家核物理研究所）
We present a general study of 3-point functions of conformal field theory (CFT) in momentum space, following a reconstruction method for tensor correlators, based on the solution of the conformal Ward identities (CWIs), introduced in recent works. We investigate and detail the structure of the CWIs and their non-perturbative solutions, and compare them to perturbation theory, taking QED and QCD as examples. Exact solutions of CFT's in the flat background limit in momentum space are matched by the perturbative realizations in free field theories, showing that the origin the conformal anomaly is…
We show that time intervals of width $Δτ$ in 3-dimensional conformal field theories (CFT$_3$) on the Lorentzian cylinder admit an infinite dimensional symmetry enhancement in the limit $Δτ\rightarrow 0$. The associated vector fields are approximate solutions to the conformal Killing equations in the strip labelled by a function and a conformal Killing vector on the sphere. An Inonu-Wigner contraction yields a set of symmetry generators obeying the extended BMS$_4$ algebra. We analyze the shadow stress tensor Ward identities in CFT$_d$ on the Lorentzian cylinder with all operator insertions in …
Recently introduced reparametrization mode operators in CFTs have been shown to govern stress tensor interactions $via$ the shadow operator formalism and seem to govern the effective dynamics of chaotic systems. We initiate a study of Ward identities of reparametrization mode operators $i.e.$ how two dimensional CFT Ward identities govern the behaviour of insertions of reparametrization modes $ε$ in correlation functions: $\langleεεϕϕ\rangle$. We find that in the semi-classical limit of large $c$ they dictate the leading $\mathcal{O}(c^{-1})$ behaviour. While for the $4$pt function this reprod…
We develop the holographic formulation of transport in strongly coupled two-layer systems. We identify a dc conductivity, sigma^dc, that is finite even in a translationally invariant setup, and universal for CFTs with a gravity dual. The thermoelectric conductivity and heat conductivity are fully determined by the electrical conductivity matrix, as a consequence of Ward identities. We use the memory-matrix approach for double-layer systems, together with Ward identities, to show that sigma^dc - extended to finite frequency - has no Drude peak and, similarly, that its universal value is unaffec…
In this note we show how Ward identities may be derived for a quantum field theory dual of a string theory using the AdS/CFT correspondence. In particular associated with any gauge symmetry of the bulk supergravity theory there is a corresponding constraint equation. Writing this constraint in Hamilton-Jacobi form gives a generating functional for Ward identities in the dual QFT. We illustrate the method by considering various examples.
We derive and study Yangian Ward identities for the infinite class of four-point ladder integrals and their Basso-Dixon generalisations. These symmetry equations follow from interpreting the respective Feynman integrals as correlation functions in the bi-scalar fishnet theory. Alternatively, the presented identities can be understood as anomaly equations for a momentum space conformal symmetry. The Ward identities take the form of inhomogeneous extensions of the partial differential equations defining the Appell hypergeometric functions. We employ a manifestly conformal tensor reduction in ord…
We discuss to what extent the full set of Ward Identities constrain the four-point function of the stress-energy tensors or conserved currents in a conformal field theory. We calculate the number of kinematically unrestricted functional degrees of freedom governing the corresponding correlators and find that it matches the number of functional degrees of freedom governing scattering amplitudes of some "dual" massless particles in the auxiliary Minkowski space. We also formulate the conformal bootstrap constraints for the correlators in question in terms of only unrestricted degrees of freedom.…
In the AdS/CFT correspondence the boundary Ward identities are encoded in the bulk constraints. We study the three-dimensional version of this result using the Chern-Simons formulation of gravity. Due the metric boundary conditions the conformal identities cannot be derived in a straightforward way from the chiral ones. We pay special attention to this case and find the necessary modifications to the chiral currents in order to find the two Virasoro operators. The supersymmetric Ward identities are studied as well.
Chiral gauge theories can be defined in four-dimensional Anti de Sitter space, but AdS boundary conditions explicitly break the chiral symmetry in a specific, well defined manner, which in turns results in an anomalous Ward identity. When the 4D theory admits a dual description in terms of a 3D CFT, the 3D dual of the broken chiral symmetry is a certain double-trace deformation of the CFT, which produces the same anomalous chiral Ward identities that obtains in the 4D bulk theory.
We study the parity-odd sector of 3-point functions comprising of scalar operators and conserved currents in conformal field theories in momentum space. We use momentum space conformal Ward identities as well as spin-raising and weight-shifting operators to fix the form of these correlators. We discuss in detail the regularisation of divergences and their renormalisation using specific counter-terms.
We investigate the symmetry constraints on the bispectrum, i.e. the three-point correlation function of primordial density fluctuations, in slow-roll inflation. It follows from the defining property of slow-roll inflation that primordial correlation functions inherit most of their structure from weakly broken de Sitter symmetries. Using holographic techniques borrowed from the AdS/CFT correspondence, the symmetry constraints on the bispectrum can be mapped to a set of stress-tensor Ward identities in a weakly broken 2+1-dimensional Euclidean CFT. We construct the consistency condition from the…
We consider the two-point functions of conserved bulk currents and energy-momentum tensor in a boundary CFT defined on $\mathbb{R}_-^{1,2}$. Starting from the consistent forms of boundary gauge and gravitational anomalies we derive their respective contributions to the correlation functions in the form of anomalous Ward identities. Using the recently developed momentum space formalism we find an anomalous solution to each of these identities depending on a single undetermined form-factor. We study the solution in two different kinematic limits corresponding to small and large momentum $p_n$, p…
We derive non-linear differential equations for correlation functions of U(1) twist fields in the two-dimensional massive Dirac theory. Primary U(1) twist fields correspond to exponential fields in the sine-Gordon model at the free-fermion point, and it is well-known that their vacuum two-point functions are determined by integrable differential equations. We extend part of this result to more general quantum states (pure or mixed) and to certain descendents, showing that some two-point functions are determined by the sinh-Gordon differential equations whenever there is translation and parity …
In the first part of this paper we provide a short introduction to the AdS/CFT correspondence and to holographic renormalization. We discuss how QFT correlation functions, Ward identities and anomalies are encoded in the bulk geometry. In the second part we develop a Hamiltonian approach to the method of holographic renormalization, with the radial coordinate playing the role of time. In this approach regularized correlation functions are related to canonical momenta and the near-boundary expansions of the standard approach are replaced by covariant expansions where the various terms are organ…
We derive and analyze the conformal Ward identities (CWI's) of a tensor 4-point function of a generic CFT in momentum space. The correlator involves the stress-energy tensor $T$ and three scalar operators $O$ ($TOOO$). We extend the reconstruction method for tensor correlators from 3- to 4-point functions, starting from the transverse traceless sector of the $TOOO$. We derive the structure of the corresponding CWI's in two different sets of variables, relevant for the analysis of the 1-to-3 (1 graviton $\to$ 3 scalars) and 2-to-2 (graviton + scalar $\to$ two scalars) scattering processes. The …
We discuss alternative definitions of the semiclassical partition function in two-dimensional CFTs with higher spin symmetry, in the presence of sources for the higher spin currents. Theories of this type can often be described via Hamiltonian reduction of current algebras, and a holographic description in terms of three-dimensional Chern-Simons theory with generalized AdS boundary conditions becomes available. By studying the CFT Ward identities in the presence of non-trivial sources, we determine the appropriate choice of boundary terms and boundary conditions in Chern-Simons theory for the …
Celestial holography proposes a duality between gravitational scattering in asymptotically flat space-time and a conformal field theory living on the celestial sphere. Its dictionary relates the infinite dimensional space-time symmetry group to Ward identities of the CFT. The spontaneous breaking of these asymptotic symmetries governs the dynamics of the soft sector in the CFT. Here we show that this sector encodes non-trivial backreaction effects that exhibit characteristics of maximal quantum chaos. A key element in the derivation is the identification of the Hilbert space of celestial CFT, …
We develop the representation of interacting bulk gauge fields and charged scalar matter in AdS in terms of non-local observables in the dual CFT. We work in holographic gauge in the bulk, A_z = 0. The correct statement of micro-causality in holographic gauge is somewhat subtle, so we first discuss it from the bulk point of view. We then show that in the 1/N expansion CFT correlators can be lifted to obtain bulk correlation functions which satisfy micro-causality. This requires adding an infinite tower of higher-dimension multi-trace operators to the CFT definition of a bulk observable. For co…
We discuss the analytic properties of AdS scalar exchange graphs in the crossed channel. We show that the possible non-analytic terms drop out by virtue of non-trivial properties of generalized hypergeometric functions. The absence of non-analytic terms is a necessary condition for the existence of an operator product expansion for CFT amplitudes obtained from AdS/CFT correspondence.
Basic aspects of the AdS/CFT correspondence are studied in the framework of 3-dimensional gravity with torsion. After choosing a consistent holographic ansatz, we formulate an improved approach to the Noether--Ward identities for the boundary theory. The method is applied first to the topological Mielke--Baekler model, and then to the more interesting (parity-preserving) 3-dimensional gravity with propagating torsion. In both cases, we find the finite holographic energy-momentum and spin currents and obtain the associated (anomalous) Noether--Ward identities.
We illustrate the power and efficiency of a recently uncovered Mellin-space approach to AdS/CFT correlation functions by providing a universal formula for the 4-scalar graviton-exchange Witten diagram, for arbitrary CFT-dual scaling dimensions. Our result keeps the space-time dimension generic as well, and is expressed as a combination of just 11 hypergeometric functions. Such hypergeometric functions are related to scalar-exchange diagrams. In particular, if reverse-engineered in terms of D-functions, this might be viewed as a first-step towards proving a long-standing conjecture by Dolan, Ni…
We consider Lorentzian CFT Wightman functions in momentum space. In particular, we derive a set of reference formulas for computing two- and three-point functions, restricting our attention to three-point functions where the middle operator (corresponding to a Hamiltonian density) carries zero spatial momentum, but otherwise allowing operators to have arbitrary spin. A direct application of our formulas is the computation of Hamiltonian matrix elements within the framework of conformal truncation, a recently proposed method for numerically studying strongly-coupled QFTs in real time and infini…
We investigate the use of the embedding formalism and the Mellin transform in the calculation of tree-level conformal correlation functions in $AdS$/CFT. We evaluate 5- and 6-point Mellin amplitudes in $ϕ^3$ theory and even a 12-pt diagram in $ϕ^4$ theory, enabling us to conjecture a set of Feynman rules for scalar Mellin amplitudes. The general vertices are given in terms of Lauricella generalized hypergeometric functions. We also show how to use the same combination of Mellin transform and embedding formalism for amplitudes involving fields with spin. The complicated tensor structures which …
We extend the method of calculation of propagators in maximally symmetric spaces (Minkowski, dS, AdS and their Euclidean versions) in terms of intrinsic geometric objects to the case of massive spin 3/2 field. We obtain the propagator for arbitrary space-time dimension and mass in terms of Heun's function, which is a generalization of the hypergeometric function appearing in the case of other spins. As an application of this result we calculate the conformal dimension of the dual operator in the recently proposed dS/CFT correspondence both for spin 3/2 and for spin 1/2. We find that, in agreem…
We derive parametric integral representations for the general $n$-point function of scalar operators in momentum-space conformal field theory. Recently, this was shown to be expressible as a generalised Feynman integral with the topology of an $(n-1)$-simplex, featuring an arbitrary function of momentum-space cross ratios. Here, we show all graph polynomials for this integral can be expressed in terms of the first and second minors of the Laplacian matrix for the simplex. Computing the effective resistance between nodes of the corresponding electrical network, an inverse parametrisation is fou…
A discussion of the AdS/CFT correspondence in IIB is given in a superspace context. The main emphasis is on the properties of SCFT correlators on the boundary which are studied using harmonic superspace techniques. These techniques provide the easiest way of implementing the superconformal Ward identities. The Ward identities, together with analyticity, can be used to give a compelling argument in support of the non-renormalisation theorems for two- and three-point functions, and to establish the triviality of extremal and next-to-extremal correlation functions. The OPE in is also briefly disc…
General properties of coordinate-space holographic projections of fields in AdS/CFT correspondence, which respect the Ward identity, are investigated. To show the usefulness of this methodology it is applied to the computation of correlators of massive gauge fields.
We present a comprehensive discussion of renormalisation of 3-point functions of scalar operators in conformal field theories in general dimension. We have previously shown that conformal symmetry uniquely determines the momentum-space 3-point functions in terms of certain integrals involving a product of three Bessel functions (triple-K integrals). The triple-K integrals diverge when the dimensions of operators satisfy certain relations and we discuss how to obtain renormalised 3-point functions in all cases. There are three different types of divergences: ultralocal, semilocal and nonlocal, …
We formulate and solve the analog of the universal Conformal Ward Identity for the stress-energy tensor on a compact Riemann surface of genus $g>1$, and present a rigorous invariant formulation of the chiral sector in the induced two-dimensional gravity on higher genus Riemann surfaces. Our construction of the action functional uses various double complexes naturally associated with a Riemann surface, with computations that are quite similar to descent calculations in BRST cohomology theory. We also provide an interpretation for the action functional in terms of the geometry of different fiber…
We construct new gravity backgrounds holographic dual to neutral plasma with U(1) global symmetry in the presence of constant electric field, considering its full back-reactions to the metric. As the electric field and the induced current cause a net energy in-flow to the system, the plasma is continually heated up and the corresponding gravity solution has an expanding horizon. After proposing a consistent late-time expansion scheme, we present analytic solutions in the scheme up to next-leading order, and our solutions are new time-dependent solutions of 5D asymptotic AdS Einstein-Maxwell(-C…
We study multipoint correlators of protected scalars on the Maldacena-Wilson line in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM. Working at weak coupling in the planar limit, we derive an explicit recursion relation that captures next-to-leading order correlators with an arbitrary number of insertions of the fundamental scalar field. By pinching fundamental scalars together, we can build composite protected operators with higher values of the R-charge. Our result then encompasses arbitrary $n$-point correlators of protected operators with arbitrary weight. As a demonstration of our method, we give explicit formulae …
We review the relation between four-dimensional global conformal blocks and field propagation in ${\rm AdS_5}$. Following the standard argument that marginal perturbations should backreact in the geometry, we turn to the study of scalar fields in the generic Kerr-${\rm AdS_5}$ geometry. On one hand, the result for scattering coefficients can be obtained exactly using the isomonodromy technique, giving exact expressions in terms of $c=1$ chiral conformal blocks. On the other hand, one can use the analogy between the scalar field equations to the Level 2 null field Ward identity in two dimension…
We study two-dimensional celestial conformal field theory describing four-dimensional ${\cal N}=1$ supergravity/Yang-Mills systems and show that the underlying symmetry is a supersymmetric generalization of BMS symmetry. We construct fermionic conformal primary wave functions and show how they are related via supersymmetry to their bosonic partners. We use soft and collinear theorems of supersymmetric Einstein-Yang-Mills theory to derive the OPEs of the operators associated to massless particles. The bosonic and fermionic soft theorems are shown to form a sequence under supersymmetric Ward ide…
We reformulate the scattering amplitudes of 4D flat space gauge theory and gravity in the language of a 2D CFT on the celestial sphere. The resulting CFT structure exhibits an OPE constructed from 4D collinear singularities, as well as infinite-dimensional Kac-Moody and Virasoro algebras encoding the asymptotic symmetries of 4D flat space. We derive these results by recasting 4D dynamics in terms of a convenient foliation of flat space into 3D Euclidean AdS and Lorentzian dS geometries. Tree-level scattering amplitudes take the form of Witten diagrams for a continuum of (A)dS modes, which are …
Conformal techniques are applied to the calculation of integrals on AdS(d+1) space which define correlators of composite operators in the superconformal field theory on the d-dimensional boundary. The 3-point amplitudes for scalar fields of arbitrary mass and gauge fields in the AdS supergravity are calculated explicitly. For 3 gauge fields we compare in detail with the known conformal structure of the SU(4) flavor current correlator <J_i^a J_j^b J_k^c> of the N=4, d=4 SU(N) SYM theory. Results agree with the free field approximation as would be expected from superconformal non-renormalization…
Stress-energy correlation functions in a general Conformal Field Theory (CFT) in four dimensions are described in a fully covariant approach, as metric variations of the quantum effective action in an arbitrary curved space background field. All Conservation, Trace and Conformal Ward Identities (CWIs), including contact terms, are completely fixed in this covariant approach. The Trace and CWIs are anomalous. Their anomalous contributions may be computed unambiguously by metric variation of the exact 1PI quantum effective action determined by the conformal anomaly of $\left\langle T^{μν}\right\…
We present a constructive derivation of holographic four-point correlators of arbitrary half-BPS operators for all maximally supersymmetric conformal field theories in $d>2$. This includes holographic correlators in 3d ${\cal N}=8$ ABJM theories, 4d ${\cal N}=4$ SYM theory and the 6d ${\cal N}=(2,0)$ theory, dual to tree-level amplitudes in 11D supergravity on $AdS_4 \times S^7$, 10D supergravity on $AdS_5 \times S^5$ and 11D supergravity on $AdS_7 \times S^4$, respectively. We introduce the concept of Maximally R-symmetry Violating (MRV) amplitude, which corresponds to a special configuration…
The Ward identities for conformal symmetries in single field models of inflation are studied in more detail in momentum space. For a class of generalized single field models, where the inflaton action contains arbitrary powers of the scalar and its first derivative, we find that the Ward identities are valid. We also study a one-parameter family of vacua, called $α$-vacua, which preserve conformal invariance in de Sitter space. We find that the Ward identities, upto contact terms, are met for the three point function of a scalar field in the probe approximation in these vacua. Interestingly, t…
We consider the dimensional reduction of a CFT, breaking multiplets of the d-dimensional conformal group SO(d+1,1) up into multiplets of SO(d,1). This leads to an expansion of d-dimensional conformal blocks in terms of blocks in d-1 dimensions. In particular, we obtain a formula for 3d conformal blocks as an infinite sum over 2F1 hypergeometric functions with closed-form coefficients.
