Scattering into the fifth dimension of N=4 super Yang-Mills

TL;DR

This paper explores a novel regularization method for planar scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory using Higgs-induced masses, revealing an exact dual conformal symmetry in an effective five-dimensional space.

Contribution

It introduces a Higgs-based regularization approach that preserves dual conformal symmetry and simplifies amplitude exponentiation analysis in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory.

Findings

Infrared divergences are regulated by Higgs masses in four dimensions.

Exact dual conformal symmetry acts in a five-dimensional space including Higgs masses.

Exponentiation of four-point amplitudes is demonstrated at two loops.

Abstract

We study an alternative to dimensional regularisation of planar scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory by going to the Coulomb phase of the theory. The infrared divergences are regulated by masses obtained from a Higgs mechanism, allowing us to work in four dimensions. The corresponding string theory set-up suggests that the amplitudes have an exact dual conformal symmetry. The latter acts on the kinematical variables of the amplitudes as well as on the Higgs masses in an effectively five dimensional space. We confirm this expectation by an explicit calculation in the gauge theory. A consequence of this exact dual conformal symmetry is a significantly reduced set of scalar basis integrals that are allowed to appear in an amplitude. For example, triangle sub-graphs are ruled out. We argue that the study of exponentiation of amplitudes is simpler in the Higgsed theory because evanescent terms in the mass regulator can be consistently dropped. We illustrate this by showing the exponentiation of a four-point amplitude to two loops. Finally, we also analytically compute the small mass expansion of a two-loop master integral with an internal mass.