Notes on string-inspired graviton amplitudes

1 Bern-Dunbar-Shimada rules for the 1PI N

- graviton amplitudes:

−1
Z NY ∞ N
(−κ)N
Z h X i
N −3+
D = i dui dT T Kred exp −T ki · kj uij (1 − uij )
(4π)2− i=1 0 i<j
(1.1)

Here the ordering of the loop parameter integrals corresponds to the ordering
of the N lines attached to the loop, uij ≡P ui − uj . The um are related
m
to ordinary Feynman parameters by um = j=1 aj . Kred is the “reduced
kinematic factor”. The dimensional regularisation parameter is 2 = 4 − D.
In order to evaluate Kred , one starts with the graviton kinematic expres-
sion

N
Z Y N
Y    
K = dui dūi exp ki · kj GBij exp (ki · εj − kj · εi ) ĠBij − εi · εj G̈Bij
i=1 i<j
   
˙ ¨ 
× exp (ki · ε̄j − kj · ε̄i ) ḠB ij − ε̄i · ε̄j ḠBij exp −(εi · ε̄j + εj · ε̄i ) HBij 
multi−linear
(1.2)

The graviton polarization tensor is reconstructed by taking εµi ε̄νi → εµν i .

GB is the bosonic Green function on the string world sheet, ĠB and G̈ are
derivatives of this Green function with respect to left-moving variables, and
Ḡ˙ B and Ḡ
¨ are derivatives with respect to right-movers. The term H
B Bij is
the derivative of the Green function with respect to one left mover and one
right mover variable. The functions GBij ,G̈Bij and HBij are to be taken as
symmetric in the i and j indices while ĠB is antisymmetric.
¨ by
The first step in applying the rules is to remove all of the G̈Bij and ḠBij
integrating the kinematic expression by parts with respect to the variables ui

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and ūi where necessary. When manipulating this formula we take ĠBij , G̈Bij ,
Ḡ˙ B ij and Ḡ
¨ 2 2
Bij to mean ∂ui GBij , ∂ui GBij , ∂ūi GBij and ∂ūi GBij respectively.
While carrying out this process one must take into account the cross-
terms where a left-mover derivative hits right-mover terms, and vice versa.
This can be done by using the results

∂
ĠBij = δki HBij − δkj HBij
∂ ūk
∂ ˙
ḠB ij = δki HBij − δkj HBij
∂uk
∂
G̈Bij = 0
∂ ūk
∂ ¨
ḠB ij = 0 (1.3)
∂uk
After integration by parts, K will be a sum of terms each of which has n
ĠB and n Ḡ˙ B . (An HB is equivalent to one ĠB and one Ḡ˙ B .) Kred is then
obtained from
P K by omitting the ui , ūi integrals and the universal exponential
factor exp i<j ki · kj GBij .
The loop replacement rules depend on the particles circulating in the
loop. They are essentially independent applications of the Yang-Mills rules
to the left- and right-mover parts, with an extra substitution for cross-terms
HB .

Substitution Particle Content

2[S, S] complex scalar
−2[S, F ] Weyl Fermion
2[S, V ] Vector
−4[V, F ] gravitino and Weyl Fermion
4[V, V ] graviton and complex scalar
4[V, V ] − 2[S, S] graviton
−4[V, F ] + 2[S, F ] gravitino
Applying the substitution rules shown corresponds to having the particle
content shown circulating in the loop. [x, y] denotes applying substitution
rules x and y to ĠB and Ḡ˙ B .

2
 F and V each produce two types of contribution. The first contribution
is just the scalar S but the second is different in the two cases. The different
contribution we refer to as the “cycle” contribution CV and CF .

F = S + CF
V = S + CV
(1.4)
The common S contribution is obtained by making the substitutions

1
ĠBij −→ (−sign(uij ) + 2uij )
2
1
Ḡ˙ B ij −→ (−sign(uij ) + 2uij )
2
1
HBij −→
2T
(1.5)
in the Schwinger parameterization (Before taking the infinite tension limit a
δ-function exist in HBij however this δ-function does not contribute in the
infinite string tension limit of physical amplitudes.) The cycle contribution
comes from “cycles” of ĠB . A cycle is a sequence of ĠB ’s

ĠBi1 i2 ĠBi2 i3 . . . ĠBmi1 (1.6)

The substitution rules for these cycles is different in the three cases. For the
scalar they are vanishing. For CV , the substitution rules are

ĠBi1 i2 ĠBi2 i1 → 1
ĠBi1 i2 ĠBi2 i3 . . . ĠBim−1 m ĠBmi1 → 1/2 (m > 2) (1.7)
where all the cycles must follow the ordering of the legs, and only one cycle
at a time may contribute to any term.
For CF the following substitution is made

m
Y
m
ĠBi1 i2 ĠBi2 i3 . . . ĠBim−1 m ĠBmi1 → −(−1/2) sign(uik ik+1 ) (1.8)
k=1

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In contrast to the V rules, all cycles contribute in the F case regardless
of ordering. Also, all combinations of one or more cycles from each term
contribute.

2 The two-point case

We now specialize to the two-graviton case, and for each loop particle try to
match the arising integrand with the one from the corresponding worldline
path integral. However, it seems clear that we will have to include terms with
i = j since we know already that off-shell the worldline produces also the
trace of the metric. Also, according to [1] the function HB should off-shell
be changed to

1  
HBij = 1 − δ(uij ) (2.1)
2T
We start with the scalar case. Expansion of the three last exponentials
in (1.2) yields an expression
h ih i
Kred = k1 · ε2 k2 · ε1 Ġ2B12 + ε1 · ε2 G̈B12 k1 · ε̄2 k2 · ε̄1 Ḡ˙ 2B12 + ε̄1 · ε̄2 Ḡ
¨
B12
h i
+ ε1 · ε̄2 k1 · ε2 k2 · ε̄1 + ε2 · ε̄1 k2 · ε1 k1 · ε̄2 HB12 ĠB12 Ḡ˙ B 12
2
+ε1 · ε̄2 ε2 · ε̄1 HB12 + ε1 · ε̄1 ε2 · ε̄2 HB11 HB22
h i
− k1 · ε2 k1 · ε̄2 ε1 · ε̄1 HB11 + k2 · ε1 k2 · ε̄1 ε2 · ε̄2 HB22 ĠB12 Ḡ˙ B 12
(2.2)
Following the above IBP rules this turns into
h ih i
Kred = k1 · ε2 k2 · ε1 − ε1 · ε2 k1 · k2 k1 · ε̄2 k2 · ε̄1 − ε̄1 · ε̄2 k1 · k2 Ġ2B12 Ḡ˙ 2B12
h i
+ ε1 · ε̄2 k1 · ε2 k2 · ε̄1 + ε2 · ε̄1 k2 · ε1 k1 · ε̄2 HB12 ĠB12 Ḡ˙ B 12
h i
+2 ε1 · ε2 ε̄1 · ε̄2 k1 · k2 − ε1 · ε2 k1 · ε̄2 k2 · ε̄1 − ε̄1 · ε̄2 k1 · ε2 k2 · ε1 HB12 ĠB12 Ḡ˙ B 12
2
+ε1 · ε̄2 ε2 · ε̄1 HB12 + ε1 · ε̄1 ε2 · ε̄2 HB11 HB22
h i
− k1 · ε2 k1 · ε̄2 ε1 · ε̄1 HB11 + k2 · ε1 k2 · ε̄1 ε2 · ε̄2 HB22 ĠB12 Ḡ˙ B 12
(2.3)

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Thus the two-graviton amplitude for a scalar loop should be

∞ 1
κ2
Z Z h i
−1+
Γ0 = 2i dT T duKred exp −T k1 · k2 u(1 − u)
(4π)2− 0 0
(2.4)

And supposing that the replacement rules hold off-shell, too, one gets

h
˙ 2 ˙ 2 1i
Γ1 = −Γ0 ḠB12 → ḠB12 −
i4
2
h
Γ1 ˙ 2 ˙ 2
= Γ0 ḠB12 → ḠB12 − 1
h i
Γ2 2 2 ˙ 2 ˙ 2
= 2Γ0 ĠB12 → ĠB12 − 1, ḠB12 → ḠB12 − 1 − Γ0
(2.5)

for the Weyl fermion, gluon (plus ghost), and graviton loop cases, respec-
tively.

3 Worldline-derived master formula

We now derive a similar master formula in the worldline formalism, starting
with the one-loop effective action for a scalar in a curved background:

Z ∞ Z
dT −m2 T
Γ[g, A] = − e Dx e−S (3.1)
0 T P BC

Z T 1 
µ ν
S = dτ gµν (x)ẋ ẋ + ξR (3.2)
0 4
The conventions are now the ones of the book, that is we will use the standard
worldline Green’s functions, and we change from the +- to the -+ metric. The
sign of the effective action corresponds to the book, not to my review. Note
that here we include the scalar mass. As usual we introduce the graviton
through

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 gµν = δµν + κhµν (3.3)

Including ghosts and the R - counterterm, the graviton vertex operator be-
comes

Z T h i
h
Vscal [k, ε] = εµν ¯ µν k 2 − k µ k ν ) eik·x
dτ ẋµ ẋν + aµ aν + bµ cν + 4ξ(δ
0
(3.4)

where ξ¯ = ξ − 41 . V h comes with a factor of − κ4 . The Wick contraction rules

are

hy µ (τ1 )y ν (τ2 )i = −GB12 δ µν (3.5)

(τ1 − τ2 )2
GB12 := GB (τ1 , τ2 ) = |τ1 − τ2 | − (3.6)
T

haµ (τ1 )aν (τ2 )i = 2δ(τ1 − τ2 )δ µν

hbµ (τ1 )cν (τ2 )i = −4δ(τ1 − τ2 )δ µν
(3.7)

Let us set ξ¯ = P0 at first. We will generally omit the momentum conservation

D
factor (2π) δ( ki ).
As usual, we can factorize the graviton polarizations, εµν i = εµi ε̄νi . On-
shell this is literally true in a helicity basis; off-shell
P it(k)µ
can also be used, but
µν (k)ν
involves a diagonalization and summation, εi = k εi ε̄i , to be undone
at the end. Omitting the ghosts, we can then rewrite the vertex operator in
exponentiated form as

T
Z 
h

ε·ẋ+ε̄·ẋ+ik·x 
Vscal [k, εµν ] = dτ e  (3.8)
0 lin(ε,ε̄)

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This yields the master formula

κ N ∞ dT −m2 T
Z Z T Z T
−D
Γ[k1 , ε1 ; · · · ; kN , εN ] = −(− ) e (4πT ) 2 dτ1 · · · dτN
4 0 T 0 0
( N  )
X 1 1 
× exp GBij ki · kj − iĠBij (εi + ε̄i ) · kj + G̈Bij (εi + ε̄i ) · (εj + ε̄j ) 
i,j=1
2 2 multi−lin,reg

(3.9)
Here it is understood that, after the expansion of the exponential, only the
terms linear in all εi and ε̄i are taken, and the subscript “reg” means the
omission of all terms containing a closed cycle of δ - functions, defined by
(eventually after using δij = δji ),

δii , δij δji , δij δjk δki , . . . (3.10)

since this subtraction is precisely the function of the ghosts (here we implicitly
use the symmetry of the graviton polarization tensor).

4 The scalar two-point case on the worldline

For the two-point case, the master formula yields

∞ T T 5
κ2
Z Z Z
dT −m2 T D
X
Γ[k1 , ε1 ; k2 , ε2 ] = − εαβ εµν e (4πT )− 2 dτ1 dτ2 Aαβµν ek1 ·k2 GB12
16 1 2 0 T 0 0 i=1
i

(4.1)
where

Aαβµν G̈B11 − 2δ11 G̈B22 − 2δ22 δ µν δ αβ

1 =
Aαβµν = G̈2B12 − 4δ122

 αµ βν
δ δ + δ αν δ βµ

2
h i
Aαβµν
3
2 αµ β µ
= G̈B12 ĠB12 (δ k2 k1 + α ↔ β) + µ ↔ ν
Aαβµν = − G̈B11 − 2δ11 Ġ2B12 δ µν k2α k2β + δ αβ k1µ k1ν

 
4

Aαβµν
5 = Ġ4B12 k2α k2β k1µ k1ν
(4.2)

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This agrees modulo conventions with [2], and also with (2.2), if we set HB =
G̈B and apply the δ - cycle subtraction there, too. However, on the worldline
it is not possible to achieve a form corresponding to (2.3) by IBP. Thus there
seems little hope that one could prove the replacement rules directly at the
worldline level. Thus, I guess the only option left to support the conjectured
off-shell validity of the Bern-Dunbar-Shimada rules is to look at each spin
separately, and to verify the correctness of the spin 21 , 1, 2 cases in (2.5) by
computing the parameter integrals, and compare with the corresponding ones
from the worldline formalism.
Here I have a question, though: the structure A3 involves, at lowest order
in the momentum expansion, the integral

Z 1 Z 1
dτ1 dτ2 G̈B12 Ġ2B12 (4.3)
0 0

˙ ˙ ∆∆
˙ ˙ . My way of calculating
RR
which in the DBC scheme corresponds to ∆
such integrals, based on the identity Ġ2B12 = 1 − 4GB12 , yields the value 43 .
In some (very old) notes I found that this agrees with the application of DR,
but looking into the green book it seems, from (4.24), that DR rather would
give − 13 . Am I misinterpreting something?

References
[1] D. C. Dunbar and P. S. Norridge, Nucl. Phys. B 433 (1995) 181, hep-
th/9408014.

[2] F. Bastianelli and A. Zirotti, Nucl. Phys. B 642 (2002) 372, hep-
th/0205182.