Engineering topics

Mitra, Prahar

Publications and source records attributed to Mitra, Prahar.

13 records

DOE OSTI2024

Diamond of infrared equivalences in abelian gauge theories

We demonstrate a tree-level equivalence between four distinct infrared objects in (d+2)-dimensional Abelian gauge theories. These are (i) the large gauge charge Q ϵ where the function ϵ on the sphere parametrizing large gauge transformations is identified with the Goldstone mode θ of spontaneously broken large gauge symmetry; (ii) the soft effective action that captures the dynamics of the soft and Goldstone modes; (iii) the edge mode action with Neumann boundary conditions; and (iv) the Wilson line dressing of a scattering amplitude, including a novel dressing for soft photons, which have local charge distributions despite having vanishing global charge. The promotion of the large gauge parameter to the dynamical Goldstone and the novel dressing of soft gauge particles give rise to intriguing possibilities for the future study of infrared dynamics of gauge theories and gravity.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2024

On-shell derivation of the soft effective action in Abelian gauge theories

We derive the soft effective action in (d+2)-dimensional Abelian gauge theories from the on-shell action obeying Neumann boundary conditions at timelike and null infinity and Dirichlet boundary conditions at spatial infinity. This allows us to identify the on-shell degrees of freedom on the boundary with the soft modes living on the celestial sphere. Following the work of Donnelly and Wall, this suggests that we can interpret soft modes as entanglement edge modes on the celestial sphere and study entanglement properties of soft modes in Abelian gauge theories.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2024

Asymptotic structure of higher dimensional Yang-Mills theory

Using the covariant phase space formalism, we construct the phase space for non-Abelian gauge theories in (d+2)-dimensional Minkowski spacetime for any d ≥ 2, including the edge modes that symplectically pair to the low energy degrees of freedom of the gauge field. Despite the fact that the symplectic form in odd and even-dimensional spacetimes appear ostensibly different, we demonstrate that both cases can be treated in a unified manner by utilizing the shadow transform. Upon quantization, we recover the algebra of the vacuum sector of the Hilbert space and derive a Ward identity that implies the leading soft gluon theorem in (d+2)-dimensional spacetime.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2021

Infinite-dimensional fermionic symmetry in supersymmetric gauge theories

We establish the existence of an infinite-dimensional fermionic symmetry in four-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories by analyzing semiclassical photino dynamics in abelian $\mathscr{N}$ = 1 theories with charged matter. The symmetry is parametrized by a spinor-valued function on an asymptotic S2 at null infinity. It is not manifest at the level of the Lagrangian, but acts non-trivially on physical states, and its Ward identity is the soft photino theorem. The infinite-dimensional fermionic symmetry resides in the same $\mathscr{N}$ = 1 supermultiplet as the physically non-trivial large gauge symmetries associated with the soft photon theorem.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2021

Covariant phase space and soft factorization in non-Abelian gauge theories

We perform a careful study of the infrared sector of massless non-abelian gauge theories in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime using the covariant phase space formalism, taking into account the boundary contributions arising from the gauge sector of the theory. Upon quantization, we show that the boundary contributions lead to an infinite degeneracy of the vacua. The Hilbert space of the vacuum sector is not only shown to be remarkably simple, but also universal. We derive a Ward identity that relates the n-point amplitude between two generic in- and out-vacuum states to the one computed in standard QFT. In addition, we demonstrate that the familiar single soft gluon theorem and multiple consecutive soft gluon theorem are consequences of the Ward identity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2021

New magnetic symmetries in (d + 2)-dimensional QED

Previous analyses of asymptotic symmetries in QED have shown that the subleading soft photon theorem implies a Ward identity corresponding to a charge generating divergent large gauge transformations on the asymptotic states at null infinity. In this work, we demonstrate that the subleading soft photon theorem is equivalent to a more general Ward identity. The charge corresponding to this Ward identity can be decomposed into an electric piece and a magnetic piece. The electric piece generates the Ward identity that was previously studied, but the magnetic piece is novel, and implies the existence of an additional asymptotic “magnetic” symmetry in QED.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Asymptotic symmetries in (d + 2)-dimensional gauge theories

We show that the subleading soft photon theorem in a $(d+2)$-dimensional massless abelian gauge theory gives rise to a Ward identity corresponding to divergent large gauge transformations acting on the celestial sphere at null infinity. We further generalize our analysis to $(d+2)$-dimensional non-abelian gauge theories and show that the leading and subleading soft gluon theorem give rise to Ward identities corresponding to asymptotic symmetries of the theory.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Asymptotic symmetries and Weinberg’s soft photon theorem in Mink d+2

We show that Weinberg's leading soft photon theorem in massless abelian gauge theories implies the existence of an infinite-dimensional large gauge symmetry which acts non-trivially on the null boundaries ${\mathscr I}^\pm$ of $(d+2)$-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. These symmetries are parameterized by an arbitrary function $\varepsilon(x)$ of the $d$-dimensional celestial sphere living at ${\mathscr I}^\pm$. This extends the previously established equivalence between Weinberg's leading soft theorem and asymptotic symmetries from four and higher even dimensions to all higher dimensions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Cooling arbitrary near-critical systems using hyperbolic quenches

We describe a quench protocol that allows the rapid preparation of ground states of arbitrary interacting conformal field theories in 1+1 dimensions. We start from the ground state of a related gapped relativistic quantum field theory and consider sudden quenches along the spacelike trajectories t 2 – x 2 = $T$ $^{2}_{0}$ (parameterized by T 0 ) to a conformal field theory. Using only arguments of symmetry and conformal invariance, we show that the post-quench stress-energy tensor of the conformal field theory is uniquely constrained up to an overall scaling factor. Crucially, the geometry of the quench necessitates that the system approach the vacuum energy density over all space except the singular lines x = ±t. Here, the above arguments are verified using an exact treatment of the quench for the Gaussian scalar field theory (equivalently the Luttinger liquid), and numerically for the quantum O(N) model in the large-N limit. Additionally, for the Gaussian theory, we find in fact that even when starting from certain excited states, the quench conserves entropy, and is thus also suitable for rapidly preparing excited states. Our methods serve as a fast, alternative route to reservoir-based cooling to prepare quantum states of interest.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2018

A d-dimensional stress tensor for Mink d+2 gravity

We consider the tree-level scattering of massless particles in (d+2)-dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes. The $S$ -matrix elements are recast as correlation functions of local operators living on a space-like cut $M$ d of the null momentum cone. The Lorentz group SO(d + 1, 1) is nonlinearly realized as the Euclidean conformal group on $M$ d . Operators of non-trivial spin arise from massless particles transforming in non-trivial representations of the little group SO(d), and distinguished operators arise from the soft-insertions of gauge bosons and gravitons. The leading soft-photon operator is the shadow transform of a conserved spin-one primary operator J a , and the subleading soft-graviton operator is the shadow transform of a conserved spin-two symmetric traceless primary operator T ab . The universal form of the soft-limits ensures that J a and T ab obey the Ward identities expected of a conserved current and energy momentum tensor in a Euclidean CFT d , respectively.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Asymptotic symmetries and subleading soft photon theorem in effective field theories

In [1, 2] it was shown that the subleading soft photon theorem in tree level amplitudes in massless QED is equivalent to a new class of symmetries of the theory parameterized by a vector field on the celestial sphere. In this paper, we extend these results to the subleading soft photon theorem in any Effective Field Theory containing photons and an arbitrary spectrum of massless particles. We show that the charges associated to the above class of symmetries are sensitive to certain three point functions of the theory and are corrected by irrelevant operators of specific dimensions. Our analysis shows that the subleading soft photon theorem in any tree level scattering amplitude is a statement about asymptotic symmetries of the S-matrix.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2017

2D Stress Tensor for 4D Gravity

Here, we use the subleading soft-graviton theorem to construct an operator T z z whose insertion in the four-dimensional tree-level quantum gravity S matrix obeys the Virasoro-Ward identities of the energy momentum tensor of a two-dimensional conformal field theory ( CFT 2 ). Furthermore, the celestial sphere at Minkowskian null infinity plays the role of the Euclidean sphere of the CFT 2 , with the Lorentz group acting as the unbroken S L ( 2 , C ) subgroup.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2016

2D Kac-Moody symmetry of 4D Yang-Mills theory

Scattering amplitudes of any four-dimensional theory with nonabelian gauge group G may be recast as two-dimensional correlation functions on the asymptotic twosphere at null in nity. The soft gluon theorem is shown, for massless theories at the semiclassical level, to be the Ward identity of a holomorphic two-dimensional G-Kac-Moody symmetry acting on these correlation functions. Holomorphic Kac-Moody current insertions are positive helicity soft gluon insertions. Furthermore, the Kac-Moody transformations are a CPT invariant subgroup of gauge transformations which act nontrivially at null in nity and comprise the four-dimensional asymptotic symmetry group.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗