$$\mathcal{N}$$ = 4 Super-Yang-Mills correlators at strong coupling from string theory and localization
A bstract We compute 1 /λ corrections to the four-point functions of half-BPS operators in SU( N ) $$\mathcal{N}$$ N = 4 super-Yang-Mills theory at large N and large ’t Hooft coupling λ = $${g}_{\mathrm{YM}}^2N$$ g YM 2 N using two methods. Firstly, we relate integrals of these correlators to derivatives of the mass deformed S 4 free energy, which was computed at leading order in large N and to all orders in 1 /λ using supersymmetric localization. Secondly, we use AdS/CFT to relate these 1 /λ corrections to higher derivative corrections to supergravity for scattering amplitudes of Kaluza-Klein scalars in IIB string theory on AdS 5 × S 5 , which in the flat space limit are known from worldsheet calculations. These two methods match at the order corresponding to the tree level R 4 interaction in string theory, which provides a precise check of AdS/CFT beyond supergravity, and allow us to derive the holographic correlators to tree level D 4 R 4 order. Combined with constraints from [1], our results can be used to derive CFT data to one-loop D 4 R 4 order. Finally, we use AdS/CFT to fix these correlators in the more »
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Publication Date:
NSF-PAR ID:
10311703
Journal Name:
Journal of High Energy Physics
Volume:
2019
Issue:
12
ISSN:
1029-8479
1. A bstract We study the four-point function of the lowest-lying half-BPS operators in the $$\mathcal{N}$$ N = 4 SU( N ) super-Yang-Mills theory and its relation to the flat-space four-graviton amplitude in type IIB superstring theory. We work in a large- N expansion in which the complexified Yang-Mills coupling τ is fixed. In this expansion, non-perturbative instanton contributions are present, and the SL(2 , ℤ) duality invariance of correlation functions is manifest. Our results are based on a detailed analysis of the sphere partition function of the mass-deformed SYM theory, which was previously computed using supersymmetric localization. This partition function determines a certain integrated correlator in the undeformed $$\mathcal{N}$$ N = 4 SYM theory, which in turn constrains the four-point correlator at separated points. In a normalization where the two-point functions are proportional to N 2 − 1 and are independent of τ and $$\overline{\tau}$$ τ ¯ , we find that the terms of order $$\sqrt{N}$$ N and $$1/\sqrt{N}$$ 1 / N in the large N expansion of the four-point correlator are proportional to the non-holomorphic Eisenstein series $$E\left(\frac{3}{2},\tau, \overline{\tau}\right)$$ E 3 2 τ τ ¯ and $$more » 2. A bstract In an earlier paper, we constructed the genus-two amplitudes for five external massless states in Type II and Heterotic string theory, and showed that the α ′ expansion of the Type II amplitude reproduces the corresponding supergravity amplitude to leading order. In this paper, we analyze the effective interactions induced by Type IIB superstrings beyond supergravity, both for U(1) R -preserving amplitudes such as for five gravitons, and for U(1) R -violating amplitudes such as for one dilaton and four gravitons. At each order in α ′, the coefficients of the effective interactions are given by integrals over moduli space of genus-two modular graph functions, generalizing those already encountered for four external massless states. To leading and sub-leading orders, the coefficients of the effective interactions D 2 ℛ 5 and D 4 ℛ 5 are found to match those of D 4 ℛ 4 and D 6 ℛ 4 , respectively, as required by non-linear supersymmetry. To the next order, a D 6 ℛ 5 effective interaction arises, which is independent of the supersymmetric completion of D 8 ℛ 4 , and already arose at genus one. A novel identity on genus-two modular graph functions, which we prove,more » 3. A bstract We revisit the problem of matching the strong coupling expansion of the$$ \frac{1}{2} $$1 2 BPS circular Wilson loops in$$ \mathcal{N} $$N = 4 SYM and ABJM gauge theories with their string theory duals in AdS 5 × S 5 and AdS 4 × CP 3 , at the first subleading (one-loop) order of the expansion around the minimal surface. We observe that, including the overall factor 1/ g s of the inverse string coupling constant, as appropriate for the open string partition function with disk topology, and a universal prefactor proportional to the square root of the string tension T , both the SYM and ABJM results precisely match the string theory prediction. We provide an explanation of the origin of the$$ \sqrt{T} $$T prefactor based on special features of the combination of one-loop determinants appearing in the string partition function. The latter also implies a natural generalization Z χ ∼ ($$ \sqrt{T}/{g}_{\mathrm{s}} $$T / g s ) χ to higher genus contributions with the Euler number χ , which is consistent with the structure of the 1/ N corrections found on the gauge theory side. 4. A bstract We study the large charge sector of the defect CFT defined by the half-BPS Wilson loop in planar N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. Specifically, we consider correlation functions of two large charge insertions and several light insertions in the double-scaling limit where the ’t Hooft coupling λ and the large charge J are sent to infinity, with the ratio J/$$ \sqrt{\lambda } $$λ held fixed. They are holographically dual to the expectation values of light vertex operators on a classical string solution with large angular momentum, which we evaluate in the leading large J limit. We also compute the two-point function of large charge insertions by evaluating the on-shell string action, supplemented by the boundary terms that generalize the one introduced by Drukker, Gross and Ooguri for the Wilson loop without insertions. For a special class of correlation functions, we reproduce the string results from field theory by using supersymmetric localization. The results are given by correlation functions in an “emergent” matrix model whose matrix size is proportional to J and whose spectral curve coincides with that of the classical string. Similar matrix models appeared in the study of extremal correlators in rank-1$$ \mathcal{N}more »
5. A bstract The Distance Conjecture holds that any infinite-distance limit in the scalar field moduli space of a consistent theory of quantum gravity must be accompanied by a tower of light particles whose masses scale exponentially with proper field distance ‖ ϕ ‖ as m ~ exp(− λ ‖ ϕ ‖), where λ is order-one in Planck units. While the evidence for this conjecture is formidable, there is at present no consensus on which values of λ are allowed. In this paper, we propose a sharp lower bound for the lightest tower in a given infinite-distance limit in d dimensions: λ ≥ $$1/\sqrt{d-2}$$ 1 / d − 2 . In support of this proposal, we show that (1) it is exactly preserved under dimensional reduction, (2) it is saturated in many examples of string/M-theory compactifications, including maximal supergravity in d = 4 – 10 dimensions, and (3) it is saturated in many examples of minimal supergravity in d = 4 – 10 dimensions, assuming appropriate versions of the Weak Gravity Conjecture. We argue that towers with λ < $$1/\sqrt{d-2}$$ 1 / d − 2 discussed previously in the literature are always accompanied by even lighter towersmore »