Celestial operator product expansions and w_1+∞ symmetry for all spins

Journal Article · 16 January 2022 · Journal of High Energy Physics (Online)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep01(2022)080 · OSTI ID:1976430

Himwich, E. ^[1]; Pate, M.  ^[2]; Singh, K. ^[3]

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1. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States); Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
2. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States)
3. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

The operator product expansion of massless celestial primary operators of arbitrary spin is investigated. Poincaré symmetry is found to imply a set of recursion relations on the operator product expansion coefficients of the leading singular terms at tree-level in a holomorphic limit. The symmetry constraints are solved by an Euler beta function with arguments that depend simply on the right-moving conformal weights of the operators in the product. These symmetry-derived coefficients are shown not only to match precisely those arising from momentum-space tree-level collinear limits, but also to obey an infinite number of additional symmetry transformations that respect the algebra of w_1+∞. In tree-level minimally-coupled gravitational theories, celestial currents are constructed from light transforms of conformally soft gravitons and found to generate the action of w_1+∞ on arbitrary massless celestial primaries. Results include operator product expansion coefficients for fermions as well as those arising from higher-derivative non-minimal couplings of gluons and gravitons.

• Research Organization: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Harvard Society of Fellows; John Templeton Foundation; USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0007870
• OSTI ID: 1976430
• Journal Information: Journal of High Energy Physics (Online), Journal Name: Journal of High Energy Physics (Online) Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 2022; ISSN 1029-8479
• Publisher: Springer NatureCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English