Tree-level Amplitudes in the Nonlinear Sigma Model

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the structure of tree-level amplitudes in the SU(N) nonlinear sigma model, introduces new recursive methods for calculating scattering amplitudes, and explores their properties and limits.

Contribution

It develops BCFW-like recursion relations for effective theories, specifically the nonlinear sigma model, and demonstrates their utility in calculating Goldstone boson amplitudes.

Findings

Explicit partial amplitudes up to ten particles

Generalized BCFW recursion relations for the nonlinear sigma model

Insights into Adler zeroes and double soft limits

Abstract

We study in detail the general structure and further properties of the tree-level amplitudes in the SU(N) nonlinear sigma model. We construct the flavor-ordered Feynman rules for various parameterizations of the SU(N) fields U(x), write down the Berends-Giele relations for the semi-on-shell currents and discuss their efficiency for the amplitude calculation in comparison with those of renormalizable theories. We also present an explicit form of the partial amplitudes up to ten external particles. It is well known that the standard BCFW recursive relations cannot be used for reconstruction of the the on-shell amplitudes of effective theories like the SU(N) nonlinear sigma model because of the inappropriate behavior of the deformed on-shell amplitudes at infinity. We discuss possible generalization of the BCFW approach introducing "BCFW formula with subtractions" and with help of Berends-Giele relations we prove particular scaling properties of the semi-on-shell amplitudes of the SU(N) nonlinear sigma model under specific shifts of the external momenta. These results allow us to define alternative deformation of the semi-on-shell amplitudes and derive BCFW-like recursion relations. These provide a systematic and effective tool for calculation of Goldstone bosons scattering amplitudes and it also shows the possible applicability of on-shell methods to effective field theories. We also use these BCFW-like relations for the investigation of the Adler zeroes and double soft limit of the semi-on-shell amplitudes.