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We investigate the presence of logarithmic CFT doublets in the soft sector of celestial CFT related with supertranslations. We show that the quantum operator associated with a $\log u$ late-time behavior for the asymptotic gravitational shear forms a logarithmic CFT pair of conformal dimension $\Delta=1$ with an IR-regulated supertranslation Goldstone current. We discuss this result in connection with previous encounters of log CFT structures in the IR-finite part of celestial OPEs., Comment: 28 pages + appendices

In this paper we revisit a generalised crossing equation that follows from harmonic analysis on the conformal group, and is of particular interest for the cosmological bootstrap programme. We present an exact solution to this equation, for dimensions two or higher, in terms of 6j symbols of the Euclidean conformal group, and discuss its relevance. In the process we provide a detailed derivation of the analogue of the Biedenharn-Elliot identity for said 6j symbols., Comment: 37 pages, acknowledgements updated

We consider a crossing symmetric dispersion relation (CSDR) for CFT four point correlation with identical scalar operators, which is manifestly symmetric under the cross-ratios $u,v$ interchange. This representation has several features in common with the CSDR for quantum field theories. It enables a study of the expansion of the correlation function around $u=v=1/4$, which is used in the numerical conformal bootstrap program. We elucidate several remarkable features of the dispersive representation using the four point correlation function of $\Phi_{1,2}$ operators in 2d minimal models as a test-bed. When the dimension of the external scalar operator ($\Delta_\sigma$) is less than $\frac{1}{2}$, the CSDR gets contribution from only a single tower of global primary operators with the second tower being projected out. We find that there is a notion of low twist dominance (LTD) which, as a function of $\Delta_\sigma$, is maximized near the 2d Ising model as well as the non-unitary Yang-Lee model. The CSDR and LTD further explain positivity of the Taylor expansion coefficients of the correlation function around the crossing symmetric point and lead to universal predictions for specific ratios of these coefficients. These results carry over to the epsilon expansion in $4-\epsilon$ dimensions. We also conduct a preliminary investigation of geometric function theory ideas, namely the Bieberbach-Rogosinski bounds., Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures, v3: clarifications regarding LTD added

We study four-point functions of spinning operators in the flavor current multiplet in four dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFTs, using superspace techniques. In particular we explicitly construct the differential operators relating the different components of the super-correlator. As a byproduct of our analysis, we report the computation of the four-point amplitudes of gluons in bosonic Yang-Mills theories on $\mathrm{AdS}_5$ and we give evidence of an AdS double copy relation between the gluon amplitude and its gravitational counterpart., Comment: 53 pages

We study a class of two-point functions in a conformal field theory near a wedge. This is a set-up with two boundaries intersecting at an angle $\theta$. We compute it as a solution to the Dyson-Schwinger equation of motion for a quartic interaction in the $d=4-\epsilon$ bulk and in the $d=3-\epsilon$ boundary, up to order $\mathcal{O}(\epsilon)$. We have extracted the anomalous dimensions from such correlators and we have complemented them with Feynman diagrams computations., Comment: 34 pages, modified section 3.2.1, reference added

This review aims to offer a pedagogical introduction to the analytic conformal bootstrap program via a journey through selected topics. We review analytic methods which include the large spin perturbation theory, Mellin space methods and the Lorentzian inversion formula. These techniques are applied to a variety of topics ranging from large-N theories, to the epsilon expansion and holographic superconformal correlators, and are demonstrated in a large number of explicit examples., Comment: Invited review for Physics Reports, 150 pages, 29 figures; v2: discussions improved, references added, to appear on Physics Reports

The calculation of physical quantities in certain quantum field theories such as those of the Argyres-Douglas type is notoriously hard, due to the lack of a Lagrangian description. Here we tackle this problem following two alternative approaches. On the one hand, we use localization on the four-sphere to compute two-correlators and OPE coefficients in Argyres-Douglas superconformal theories. On the other hand, we use the conformal bootstrap machinery to put stringent bounds on such coefficients, only relying on the knowledge of central charge and conformal dimension of the operators. We compare the results obtained with these two methods and find good agreement for all rank-one cases and for the rank-two Argyres-Douglas theories (A_1,A_4) and (A_1,A_5), in the moduli space of pure SU(5) and SU(6) super Yang-Mills. We also apply our results from localization to obtain bounds on the dimensions of the lightest neutral unprotected operators of the CFTs., Comment: Corrected typos and added references

We start a systematic study of quarter-BPS operators in four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ Super Yang-Mills with gauge group $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ making use of recently developed tools in conformal field theory. We adapt the technology of embedding space tensor structures in four dimensions to the problem of computing R-symmetry tensor structures and we use the underlying chiral algebra to obtain the superconformal Ward identities. This allows us to fix the protected part of the four-point correlators, up to few ambiguities. As applications, we use the Lorentzian inversion formula to study the leading order OPE data in the large~$N$ supergravity limit and we make contact with the OPE limit of the five-point function of half-BPS operators., Comment: 65 pages

We initiate the study of one-loop gluon amplitudes in AdS space. These amplitudes were recently computed at tree level for a variety of backgrounds of the form $AdS_{d+1} \times S^3$. For concreteness, we compute the one-loop correction to the massless gluon amplitude on $AdS_5\times S^3$, which corresponds to the four-point correlator of the flavor current multiplet in the dual 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFT. This requires solving a mixing problem that involves tree-level amplitudes of arbitrarily massive Kaluza-Klein modes. The final answer has the same color structure as in flat space but the dependence on Mandelstam variables is more complicated, with logarithms replaced by polygamma functions., Comment: v1: 37 pages, 5 figures, v2: minor improvements, published version

We review the recent developments in the study of conformal field theories in generic space time dimensions using the methods of the conformal bootstrap, in its analytic aspect. These techniques are based solely on symmetries, in particular in the analytic structure and in the associativity of the operator product expansion. We focus on two applications of the analytic conformal bootstrap: the study of the $\epsilon$ expansion of the Wilson Fisher model via the introduction of a dispersion relation and the large $N$ expansion of maximally supersymmetric Super Yang Mills theory in four dimensions., Comment: 32 pages, reference added, Contribution to the Open Access Special Issue "Women Physicists in Astrophysics, Cosmology and Particle Physics", Universe, ISSN 2218-1997

We perform a numerical bootstrap study of the mixed correlator system containing the half-BPS operators of dimension two and three in $\mathcal N = 4$ Super Yang-Mills. This setup improves on previous works in the literature that only considered single correlators of one or the other operator. We obtain upper bounds on the leading twist in a given representation of the R-symmetry by imposing gaps on the twist of all operators rather than the dimension of a single one. As a result we find a tension between the large $N$ supergravity predictions and the numerical finite $N$ results already at $N\sim 100$. A few possible solutions are discussed: the extremal spectrum suggests that at large but finite $N$, in addition to the double trace operators, there exists a second tower of states with smaller dimension. We also obtain new bounds on the dimension of operators which were not accessible with a single correlator setup. Finally we consider bounds on the OPE coefficients of various operators. The results obtained for the OPE coefficient of the lightest scalar singlet show evidences of a two dimensional conformal manifold., Comment: 40 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables

We computed a set of structures which appear in the four-point function of protected operators of dimension two in $\mathcal{N}=4$ Super Yang Mills with $SU(N)$ gauge group, at any order in a large $N$ expansion. They are determined only by leading order CFT data. By focusing on a specific limit, we made connection with the dual supergravity amplitude in flat space, where such structures correspond to iterated $s$-cuts. We made several checks and we conjecture that the same interpretation holds for supergravity amplitudes on $AdS_5 \times S^5$., Comment: 43 pages, Ancillary files contains various results presented in the paper. V2: Corrected typos, added references and modified figure. V3: reformatted for J.Phys. A, accepted version

We study the four point function of the superconformal primary of the stress-tensor multiplet in four dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ Super Yang Mills, at large 't Hooft coupling and in a large $N$ expansion. This observable is holographically dual to four graviton amplitudes in type IIB supergravity on $AdS_5 \times S^5$. We construct the most trascendental piece of the correlator at order $N^{-6}$ and compare it with the flat space limit of the corresponding two loops amplitude. This comparison allows us to conjecture structures of the correlator/amplitude which should be present at any loop order., Comment: 7 pages. V2: reformatted for Phys. Rev. D, accepted version

We present a dispersion relation in conformal field theory which expresses the four point function as an integral over its single discontinuity. Exploiting the analytic properties of the OPE and crossing symmetry of the correlator, we show that in perturbative settings the correlator depends only on the spectrum of the theory, as well as the OPE coefficients of certain low twist operators, and can be reconstructed unambiguously. In contrast to the Lorentzian inversion formula, the validity of the dispersion relation does not assume Regge behavior and is not restricted to the exchange of spinning operators. As an application, the correlator $\langle \phi \phi \phi \phi \rangle$ in $\phi^4$ theory at the Wilson-Fisher fixed point is computed in closed form to order $\epsilon^2$ in the $\epsilon$ expansion., Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures

Proceedings of the workshop "Boundary and Defect Conformal Field Theory: Open Problems and Applications," Chicheley Hall, Buckinghamshire, UK, 7-8 Sept. 2017., Comment: Conference proceedings of "Boundary and Defect Conformal Field Theory: Open Problems and Applications." Invited submission to Proceedings of the Royal Society A. Section 17 is a more condensed version of arXiv:1711.05049

We explore and exploit the relation between non-planar correlators in ${\cal N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills, and higher-genus closed string amplitudes in type IIB string theory. By conformal field theory techniques we construct the genus-one, four-point string amplitude in AdS$_5\times S^5$ in the low-energy expansion, dual to an ${\cal N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills correlator in the 't Hooft limit at order $1/c^2$ in a strong coupling expansion. In the flat space limit, this maps onto the genus-one, four-point scattering amplitude for type II closed strings in ten dimensions. Using this approach we reproduce several results obtained via string perturbation theory. We also demonstrate a novel mechanism to fix subleading terms in the flat space limit of AdS amplitudes by using string/M-theory., Comment: 27+12 pages. v2: typos fixed, ref added

We propose a method to analytically solve the bootstrap equation for two point functions in boundary CFT. We consider the analytic structure of the correlator in Lorentzian signature and in particular the discontinuity of bulk and boundary conformal blocks to extract CFT data. As an application, the correlator $\langle \phi \phi \rangle$ in $\phi^4$ theory at the Wilson-Fisher fixed point is computed to order $\epsilon^2$ in the $\epsilon$ expansion., Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures, v2: minor improvements, v3: fix a typo

In this paper, a different approach on the use of the ADS1299 (an analog front-end with features for electroencephalogram and electrocardiography signal acquisition) is considered, proposing the development of a surface electromyography (sEMG) device. The main features of the device include simultaneous recordings of eight muscular channels, wireless transmission and virtual instrumentation with the use of LabVIEWTM software. The proposed sEMG device contains a specifically designed protocol to accommodate data transmission by reducing the data size while still delivering adequate resolution (34.33 uV), amplitude range (17.57 mV) and sampling rate (1000 Hz) for sEMG signals. For the validation methods, a generated sine wave and a known sEMG data were evaluated. Moreover, the muscular recordings for all the eight channels of a human arm were successful and the results expose the isolated contractions of the triceps and the biceps with their amplitude range and frequency spectrum.

Three-dimensional Chern-Simons vector models display an approximate higher spin symmetry in the large $N$ limit. Their single-trace operators consist of a tower of weakly broken currents, as well as a scalar $\sigma$ of approximate twist $1$ or $2$. We study the consequences of crossing symmetry for the four-point correlator of $\sigma$ in a $1/N$ expansion, using analytic bootstrap techniques. To order $1/N$ we show that crossing symmetry fixes the contribution from the tower of currents, providing an alternative derivation of well-known results by Maldacena and Zhiboedov. When $\sigma$ has twist $1$ its OPE receives a contribution from the exchange of $\sigma$ itself with an arbitrary coefficient, due to the existence of a marginal sextic coupling. We develop the machinery to determine the corrections to the OPE data of double-trace operators due to this, and to similar exchanges. This in turns allows us to fix completely the correlator up to three known truncated solutions to crossing. We then proceed to study the problem to order $1/N^2$. We find that crossing implies the appearance of odd-twist double-trace operators, and calculate their OPE coefficients in a large spin expansion. Also, surprisingly, crossing at order $1/N^2$, implies non-trivial $O(1/N)$ anomalous dimensions for even-twist double-trace operators, even though such contributions do not appear in the four-point function at order $1/N$ (in the case where there is no scalar exchange). We argue that this phenomenon arises due to operator mixing. Finally, we analyse the bosonic vector model with a sextic coupling without gauge interactions, and determine the order $1/N^2$ corrections to the dimensions of twist-$2$ double-trace operators., Comment: 19 pages + appendices, v2: minor corrections, corrected statement about mixing

We consider the four-point correlator of the stress-energy tensor multiplet in ${\cal N}=4$ SYM. In the planar limit and at large 't Hooft coupling such correlator is given by the corresponding holographic correlation function in IIB supergravity on $AdS_5 \times S^5$. We consider subleading corrections in the number of colours, i.e. order $1/N^4$, at large 't Hooft coupling. This corresponds to loop corrections to the supergravity result. Consistency conditions, most notably crossing symmetry, constrain the form of such corrections and lead to a complete determination of the spectrum of leading twist intermediate operators., Comment: 6 pages, minor changes, added references

Motivated by AdS/CFT, we address the following outstanding question in large $N$ conformal field theory: given the appearance of a single-trace operator in the ${\cal O}\times{\cal O}$ OPE of a scalar primary ${\cal O}$, what is its total contribution to the vacuum four-point function $\langle {\cal O}{\cal O}{\cal O}{\cal O}\rangle$ as dictated by crossing symmetry? We solve this problem in 4d conformal field theories at leading order in $1/N$. Viewed holographically, this provides a field theory reconstruction of crossing-symmetric, four-point exchange amplitudes in AdS$_5$. Our solution takes the form of a resummation of the large spin solution to the crossing equations, supplemented by corrections at finite spin, required by crossing. The method can be applied to the exchange of operators of arbitrary twist $\tau$ and spin $s$, although it vastly simplifies for even-integer twist, where we give explicit results. The output is the set of OPE data for the exchange of all double-trace operators $[{\cal O}{\cal O}]_{n,\ell}$. We find that the double-trace anomalous dimensions $\gamma_{n,\ell}$ are negative, monotonic and convex functions of $\ell$, for all $n$ and all $\ell>s$. This constitutes a holographic signature of bulk causality and classical dynamics of even-spin fields. We also find that the "derivative relation" between double-trace anomalous dimensions and OPE coefficients does not hold in general, and derive the explicit form of the deviation in several cases. Finally, we study large $n$ limits of $\gamma_{n,\ell}$, relevant for the Regge and bulk-point regimes., Comment: 34 pages + refs. v2: typos fixed

We propose and demonstrate a new use for conformal field theory (CFT) crossing equations in the context of AdS/CFT: the computation of loop amplitudes in AdS, dual to non-planar correlators in holographic CFTs. Loops in AdS are largely unexplored, mostly due to technical difficulties in direct calculations. We revisit this problem, and the dual $1/N$ expansion of CFTs, in two independent ways. The first is to show how to explicitly solve the crossing equations to the first subleading order in $1/N^2$, given a leading order solution. This is done as a systematic expansion in inverse powers of the spin, to all orders. These expansions can be resummed, leading to the CFT data for finite values of the spin. Our second approach involves Mellin space. We show how the polar part of the four-point, loop-level Mellin amplitudes can be fully reconstructed from the leading-order data. The anomalous dimensions computed with both methods agree. In the case of $\phi^4$ theory in AdS, our crossing solution reproduces a previous computation of the one-loop bubble diagram. We can go further, deriving part of the four-point function in $\phi^3+\phi^4$ theory in AdS which had never been computed. In the process, we show how to analytically derive anomalous dimensions from Mellin amplitudes with an infinite series of poles, and discuss applications to more complicated cases such as the ${\cal N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills theory., Comment: 47+12 pages. v3: corrected typos, added reference, discussed subtlety of non-1PI diagrams

We consider the four-point correlator of the stress tensor multiplet in ${\cal N}=4$ SYM in the limit of large central charge $c \sim N^2$. For finite values of $g^2N$ single-trace intermediate operators arise at order $1/c$ and this leads to specific poles in the Mellin representation of the correlator. The sign of the residue at these poles is fixed by unitarity. We consider solutions consistent with crossing symmetry and this pole structure. We show that in a certain regime all solutions result in a negative contribution to the anomalous dimension of twist four operators. The reason behind this is a positivity property of Mack polynomials that leads to a positivity condition for the Mellin amplitude. This positivity condition can also be proven by assuming the correct Regge behaviour for the Mellin amplitude. For large $g^2N$ we recover a tower of solutions in one to one correspondence with local interactions in a effective field theory in the $AdS$ bulk, with the appropriate suppression factors, and with definite overall signs. These signs agree with the signs that would follow from causality constraints on the effective field theory. The positivity constraints arising from CFT for the Mellin amplitude take a very similar form to the causality constraint for the forward limit of the S-matrix., Comment: 27 pages

We consider higher spin operators in weakly coupled gauge conformal field theories. Crossing symmetry of mixed scalar correlators relates different higher spin towers and we study the consequences for the spectrum and structure constants of higher spin operators of different twists. Constraints are obtained to all loops in perturbation theory. The large spin contributions to the structure constants can be resummed into a theory-dependent prefactor times a universal factor, whose structure of poles agrees with the one that would be obtained from a Witten diagram supergravity computation, although only crossing symmetry is assumed. Finally, our results provide an all loop expression for the double null limit of mixed correlators, which is in perfect agreement with the correlator/Wilson loop correspondence., Comment: 26 pages

We study four-point correlation functions of four generic half-BPS supermultiplets of N=4 SCFT in four dimensions. We use the two-particle Casimir of four-dimensional superconformal algebra to derive superconformal blocks which contribute to the partial wave expansion of such correlators. The derived blocks are defined on analytic superspace and allow us in principle to find any component of the four-point correlator. The lowest component of the result agrees with the superconformal blocks found by Dolan and Osborn., Comment: 21 pages; v2: version published in JHEP

The degradation of signal in silicon sensors is studied under conditions expected at the CERN High-Luminosity LHC. 200 $\mu$m thick n-type silicon sensors are irradiated with protons of different energies to fluences of up to $3 \cdot 10^{15}$ neq/cm$^2$. Pulsed red laser light with a wavelength of 672 nm is used to generate electron-hole pairs in the sensors. The induced signals are used to determine the charge collection efficiencies separately for electrons and holes drifting through the sensor. The effective trapping rates are extracted by comparing the results to simulation. The electric field is simulated using Synopsys device simulation assuming two effective defects. The generation and drift of charge carriers are simulated in an independent simulation based on PixelAV. The effective trapping rates are determined from the measured charge collection efficiencies and the simulated and measured time-resolved current pulses are compared. The effective trapping rates determined for both electrons and holes are about 50% smaller than those obtained using standard extrapolations of studies at low fluences and suggests an improved tracker performance over initial expectations.

Using conformal field theory (CFT) arguments we derive an infinite number of constraints on the large spin expansion of the anomalous dimensions and structure constants of higher spin operators. These arguments rely only on analiticity, unitarity, crossing-symmetry and the structure of the conformal partial wave expansion. We obtain results for both, perturbative CFT to all order in the perturbation parameter, as well as non-perturbatively. For the case of conformal gauge theories this provides a proof of the reciprocity principle to all orders in perturbation theory and provides a new "reciprocity" principle for structure constants. We argue that these results extend also to non-conformal theories., Comment: 20 pages; v2: version published in JHEP