Two-loop polygon Wilson loops in Script N = 4 SYM

Anastasiou, Charalampos; Brandhuber, Andreas; Heslop, Paul; Khoze, Valentin V.; Spence, Bill; Travaglini, G.

Abstract

We compute for the first time the two-loop corrections to arbitrary n-gon lightlike Wilson loops in Script N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, using efficient numerical methods. The calculation is motivated by the remarkable agreement between the finite part of planar six-point MHV amplitudes and hexagon Wilson loops which has been observed at two loops. At n = 6 we confirm that the ABDK/BDS ansatz must be corrected by adding a remainder function, which depends only on conformally invariant ratios of kinematic variables. We numerically compute remainder functions for n = 7,8 and verify dual conformal invariance. Furthermore, we study simple and multiple collinear limits of the Wilson loop remainder functions and demonstrate that they have precisely the form required by the collinear factorisation of the corresponding two-loop n-point amplitudes. The number of distinct diagram topologies contributing to the n-gon Wilson loops does not increase with n, and there is a fixed number of ``master integrals", which we have computed. Thus we have essentially computed general polygon Wilson loops, and if the correspondence with amplitudes continues to hold, all planar n-point two-loop MHV amplitudes in the Script N = 4 theory.

Citation

Anastasiou, C., Brandhuber, A., Heslop, P., Khoze, V. V., Spence, B., & Travaglini, G. (2009). Two-loop polygon Wilson loops in Script N = 4 SYM. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2009(05), Article 115

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 7, 2009
• Online Publication Date: May 27, 2009
• Publication Date: 2009
• Deposit Date: Jan 30, 2012
• Journal: Journal of High Energy Physics
• Print ISSN: 1126-6708
• Electronic ISSN: 1029-8479
• Publisher: Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2009
• Issue: 05
• Article Number: 115
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1511612
• Publisher URL: http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1126-6708/2009/05/115/meta