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Register a new userAsymptotic Symmetries and Weinbergs Soft Photon Theorem in Mink$_{d+2}$
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We show that Weinbergs leading soft photon theorem in massless abelian gauge theories implies the existence of an infinite-dimensional large gauge symmetry which acts non-trivially on the null boundaries ${mathscr I}^pm$ of $(d+2)$-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. These symmetries are parameterized by an arbitrary function $varepsilon(x)$ of the $d$-dimensional celestial sphere living at ${mathscr I}^pm$. This extends the previously established equivalence between Weinbergs leading soft theorem and asymptotic symmetries from four and higher even dimensions to emph{all} higher dimensions.
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We show that the subleading soft photon theorem in a $(d+2)$-dimensional massless abelian gauge theory gives rise to a Ward identity corresponding to divergent large gauge transformations acting on the celestial sphere at null infinity. We further generalize our analysis to $(d+2)$-dimensional non-abelian gauge theories and show that the leading and subleading soft gluon theorem give rise to Ward identities corresponding to asymptotic symmetries of the theory.
Recently it was conjectured that a certain infinite-dimensional diagonal subgroup of BMS supertranslations acting on past and future null infinity (${mathscr I}^-$ and ${mathscr I}^+$) is an exact symmetry of the quantum gravity ${cal S}$-matrix, and an associated Ward identity was derived. In this paper we show that this supertranslation Ward identity is precisely equivalent to Weinbergs soft graviton theorem. Along the way we construct the canonical generators of supertranslations at ${mathscr I}^pm$, including the relevant soft graviton contributions. Boundary conditions at the past and future of ${mathscr I}^pm$ and a correspondingly modified Dirac bracket are required. The soft gravitons enter as boundary modes and are manifestly the Goldstone bosons of spontaneously broken supertranslation invariance.
Asymptotic symmetries of theories with gravity in d=2m+2 spacetime dimensions are reconsidered for m>1 in light of recent results concerning d=4 BMS symmetries. Weinbergs soft graviton theorem in 2m+2 dimensions is re-expressed as a Ward identity for the gravitational S-matrix. The corresponding asymptotic symmetries are identified with 2m+2-dimensional supertranslations. An alternate derivation of these asymptotic symmetries as diffeomorphisms which preserve finite-energy boundary conditions at null infinity and act non-trivially on physical data is given. Our results differ from those of previous analyses whose stronger boundary conditions precluded supertranslations for d>4. We find for all even d that supertranslation symmetry is spontaneously broken in the conventional vacuum and identify soft gravitons as the corresponding Goldstone bosons.
We consider the tree-level scattering of massless particles in $(d+2)$-dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes. The $mathcal{S}$-matrix elements are recast as correlation functions of local operators living on a space-like cut $mathcal{M}_d$ of the null momentum cone. The Lorentz group $SO(d+1,1)$ is nonlinearly realized as the Euclidean conformal group on $mathcal{M}_d$. Operators of non-trivial spin arise from massless particles transforming in non-trivial representations of the little group $SO(d)$, and distinguished operators arise from the soft-insertions of gauge bosons and gravitons. The leading soft-photon operator is the shadow transform of a conserved spin-one primary operator $J_a$, and the subleading soft-graviton operator is the shadow transform of a conserved spin-two symmetric traceless primary operator $T_{ab}$. The universal form of the soft-limits ensures that $J_a$ and $T_{ab}$ obey the Ward identities expected of a conserved current and energy momentum tensor in a Euclidean CFT$_d$, respectively.
Previous analyses of asymptotic symmetries in QED have shown that the subleading soft photon theorem implies a Ward identity corresponding to a charge generating divergent large gauge transformations on the asymptotic states at null infinity. In this work, we demonstrate that the subleading soft photon theorem is equivalent to a more general Ward identity. The charge corresponding to this Ward identity can be decomposed into an electric piece and a magnetic piece. The electric piece generates the Ward identity that was previously studied, but the magnetic piece is novel, and implies the existence of an additional asymptotic magnetic symmetry in QED.
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