On the Positive Geometry of Quartic Interactions III : One Loop Integrands from Polytopes

TL;DR

This paper introduces pseudo-accordiohedra, a new class of polytopes that encode one-loop scattering amplitudes for quartic scalar interactions, extending the positive geometry framework of AHST.

Contribution

It defines pseudo-accordiohedra and explores their geometric realizations, linking them to one-loop integrands and expanding the positive geometry approach for quartic interactions.

Findings

Pseudo-accordiohedra parametrize one-loop integrands.

Restriction of projective forms relates to canonical forms on pseudo-accordiohedra.

Includes all AHST realizations based on pseudo-triangulation models.

Abstract

Building on the seminal work of Arkani-Hamed, He, Salvatori and Thomas (AHST), we explore the positive geometry encoding one loop scattering amplitude for quartic scalar interactions. We define a new class of combinatorial polytopes that we call pseudo-accordiohedra whose poset structures are associated to singularities of the one loop integrand associated to scalar quartic interactions. Pseudo-accordiohedra parametrize a family of projective forms on the abstract kinematic space defined by AHST and restriction of these forms to the type-D associahedra can be associated to one-loop integrands for quartic interactions. The restriction (of the projective form) can also be thought of as a canonical top form on certain geometric realisations of pseudo-accordiohedra. Our work explores a large class of geometric realisations of the type-D associahedra which include all the AHST realisations. These realisations are based on the pseudo-triangulation model for type-D cluster algebras discovered by Ceballos and Pilaud.