Recursion relations for scattering amplitudes with massive particles

We use the recently developed massive spinor-helicity formalism [1] of Arkani-Hamed et al. to study a new class of recursion relations for tree-level amplitudes in gauge theories. These relations are based on a combined complex deformation of massless as well as massive external momenta. We use these relations to study tree-level amplitudes in scalar QCD as well as amplitudes involving massive vector bosons in the Higgsed phase of Yang-Mills theory. We prove the validity of our proposal by showing that in the limit of infinite momenta of two of the external particles, the amplitude once again is controlled by an enhanced Spin-Lorentz symmetry paralleling the proof of BCFW shift for massless gauge theories. Simple examples illustrate that the proposed shift may lead to an efficient computation of tree-level amplitudes.

Constructing massive on-shell contact terms

The purely on-shell approach to effective field theories requires the construction of independent contact terms. Employing the little-group-covariant massive-spinor formalism, we present the first systematic derivation of independent four-point contact terms involving massive scalars, spin-1/2 fermions, and vectors. Independent three-point amplitudes are also listed for massive particles up to spin-3. We make extensive use of the simple relations between massless and massive amplitudes in this formalism. Our general results are specialized to the (broken-phase) particle content of the electroweak sector of the standard model. The (anti)symmetrization among identical particles is then accounted for. This work opens the way for the on-shell computation of massive four-point amplitudes.

De Sitter scalar–spinor interaction in Minkowski limit

The scalar–spinor interaction Lagrangian is presented by the Yukawa potential. In dS ambient space formalism, the interaction Lagrangian of scalar–spinor fields was obtained from a new transformation which is very similar to the gauge theory. The interaction of massless minimally coupled (mmc) scalar and spinor fields was investigated. The Minkowski limit of the mmc scalar field and massive spinor field interaction in the ambient space formalism of de Sitter spacetime is calculated. The interaction Lagrangian and mmc scalar field in the null curvature limit become zero and the local transformation in the null curvature limit become a constant phase transformation and the interaction in this limit become zero. The covariant derivative reduces to ordinary derivative too. Then, we conclude that this interaction is due to the curvature of spacetime and then the mmc scalar field may be a part of a gravitational field.

Classical and quantum double copy of back-reaction

We consider radiation emitted by colour-charged and massive particles crossing strong plane wave backgrounds in gauge theory and gravity. These backgrounds are treated exactly and non-perturbatively throughout. We compute the back-reaction on these fields from the radiation emitted by the probe particles: classically through background-coupled worldline theories, and at tree-level in the quantum theory through three-point amplitudes. Consistency of these two methods is established explicitly. We show that the gauge theory and gravity amplitudes are related by the double copy for amplitudes on plane wave backgrounds. Finally, we demonstrate that in four-dimensions these calculations can be carried out with a background-dressed version of the massive spinor-helicity formalism.

Renormalized quantum stress–energy tensor for massive spinor fields around global monopoles

The renormalized quantum stress–energy tensor [Formula: see text] for a massive spinor field around global monopoles is constructed within the framework of Schwinger–DeWitt approximation, valid whenever the Compton length of the quantum field is much less than the characteristic radius of the curvature of the background geometry. The results obtained show that the quantum massive spinor field in the global monopole spacetime violates all the pointwise energy conditions.