Classical worldlines from scattering amplitudes

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Capatti, Zeno, Zeng, Mao
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866913918226530304
author Capatti, Zeno
Zeng, Mao
author_facet Capatti, Zeno
Zeng, Mao
contents We present a systematic diagrammatic investigation of the classical limit of observables computed from scattering amplitudes in quantum field theory through the Kosower-Maybee-O'Connell (KMOC) formalism, motivated by the study of gravitational waves from black hole binaries. We achieve the manifest cancellation of divergences in the $\hbar \to 0$ limit at the integrand level beyond one loop by employing the Schwinger parametrisation to rewrite both cut and uncut propagators in a worldline-like representation before they are combined. The resulting finite classical integrand takes the same form as the counterpart in the worldline formalisms such as post-Minkowskian effective field theory (PMEFT) and worldline quantum field theory (WQFT), and in fact exactly coincides with the latter in various examples, showing explicitly the equivalence between scattering amplitude and worldline formalisms. The classical causality flow, as expressed by the retarded propagator prescription, appears as an emergent feature. Examples are presented for impulse observables in electrodynamics and a scalar model at two loops, as well as certain subclasses of diagrams to higher orders and all orders.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_10864
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Classical worldlines from scattering amplitudes
Capatti, Zeno
Zeng, Mao
High Energy Physics - Theory
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
We present a systematic diagrammatic investigation of the classical limit of observables computed from scattering amplitudes in quantum field theory through the Kosower-Maybee-O'Connell (KMOC) formalism, motivated by the study of gravitational waves from black hole binaries. We achieve the manifest cancellation of divergences in the $\hbar \to 0$ limit at the integrand level beyond one loop by employing the Schwinger parametrisation to rewrite both cut and uncut propagators in a worldline-like representation before they are combined. The resulting finite classical integrand takes the same form as the counterpart in the worldline formalisms such as post-Minkowskian effective field theory (PMEFT) and worldline quantum field theory (WQFT), and in fact exactly coincides with the latter in various examples, showing explicitly the equivalence between scattering amplitude and worldline formalisms. The classical causality flow, as expressed by the retarded propagator prescription, appears as an emergent feature. Examples are presented for impulse observables in electrodynamics and a scalar model at two loops, as well as certain subclasses of diagrams to higher orders and all orders.
title Classical worldlines from scattering amplitudes
topic High Energy Physics - Theory
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.10864