Boosting to BMS

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how BMS symmetries can be obtained from conformal symmetries through infinite boosts or degenerate transformations, revealing a flow from Virasoro to BMS algebra in null string theories.

Contribution

It introduces a novel boost-based method to derive BMS symmetries from conformal algebras, connecting null string worldsheet theories with symmetry transmutation.

Findings

Boosting induces a current-current deformation in the Hamiltonian.

At critical deformation strength, the symmetry algebra transitions from Virasoro to BMS.

Degenerate limits yield chiral theories with asymmetric transformations.

Abstract

Bondi-Metzner-Sachs (BMS) symmetries, or equivalently Conformal Carroll symmetries, are intrinsically associated to null manifolds and in two dimensions can be obtained as an In{\"o}n{\"u}-Wigner contraction of the two-dimensional ($2d$) relativistic conformal algebra. Instead of performing contractions, we demonstrate in this paper how this transmutation of symmetries can be achieved by infinite boosts or degenerate linear transformations on coordinates. Taking explicit cues from the worldsheet theory of null strings, we show boosting the system is equivalent to adding a current-current deformation term to the Hamiltonian. As the strength of this deformation term reaches a critical value, the classical symmetry algebra "flows" from two copies of Virasoro to the BMS algebra. We further explore the situation where the CFT coordinates are asymmetrically transformed, and degenerate limits lead to chiral theories.