On the contour prescriptions in string-inspired nonlocal field theories

TL;DR

This paper examines the effectiveness of different contour prescriptions for loop integrals in nonlocal quantum field theories, especially string-inspired models, highlighting their equivalences and differences compared to local theories.

Contribution

It analyzes and compares multiple contour prescriptions in nonlocal theories, establishing their (non)equivalence and providing explicit calculations in a string-inspired model.

Findings

All prescriptions are equivalent in local theories.

In nonlocal theories, prescriptions differ and require Euclidean initial definitions.

Explicit one-loop calculations in a string-inspired model support the theoretical analysis.

Abstract

In quantum field theory, a consistent prescription to define and deform integration contours in the complex energy plane is needed to evaluate loop integrals and compute scattering amplitudes. In some nonlocal field theories, including string field theory, interaction vertices contain transcendental functions of momenta that can diverge along certain complex directions, thus making it impossible to use standard techniques, such as Wick rotation, to perform loop integrals. The aim of this paper is to investigate the viability of several contour prescriptions in the presence of nonlocal vertices. We consider three ``different'' prescriptions, and establish their (in)equivalence in local and nonlocal theories. In particular, we prove that all these prescriptions turn out to be equivalent in standard local theories, while this is not the case for nonlocal theories where amplitudes must be defined first in Euclidean space, and then analytically continued to Minkowski. We work at one-loop level and focus on the bubble diagram. In addition to proving general results for a large class of nonlocal theories, we show explicit calculations in a string inspired nonlocal scalar model.