Search

We investigate the high-energy fixed-angle scattering of pions and $\rho$-mesons in a bottom-up holographic QCD model. To this end, we generalise the approach of Polchinski and Strassler arXiv:hep-th/0109174 to write an ansatz for meson scattering amplitudes based on superstring scattering amplitudes in asymptotically AdS space. We demonstrate that our generalisation of the Polchinski--Strassler proposal is necessary to describe $\rho$-meson scattering consistently with the Nambu--Goldstone boson equivalence theorem. Our results for pion and $\rho$-meson scattering amplitudes are in agreement with the constituent counting rule found in QCD. Moreover, our proposal for 2-to-2 scattering amplitudes provides a method for computing scattering angle dependence., Comment: 28 pages, 3 figures

We establish a new tool for studying strongly coupled matter: an effective theory of black holes in gravity, which maps to a hydrodynamic description of field theories via the gauge-gravity duality. Our approach is inspired by previously known effective theories found in the limit of high number of dimensions. We argue that the new approach can accurately describe phase transitions in a wide class of theories, such as the Yang-Mills and other nearly critical field theories. As an application, we analyze the interface between confining and deconfining phases in holographic Yang-Mills theory., Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures

We propose a novel indicator for chaotic quantum scattering processes, the scattering form factor (ScFF). It is based on mapping the locations of peaks in the scattering amplitude to random matrix eigenvalues, and computing the analog of the spectral form factor (SFF). We compute the spectral and scattering form factors of several non-chaotic systems. We determine the ScFF associated with the phase shifts of the leaky torus, closely related to the distribution of the zeros of Riemann zeta function. We compute the ScFF for the decay amplitude of a highly excited string states into two tachyons. We show that it displays the universal features expected from random matrix theory - a decline, a ramp and a plateau - and is in general agreement with the Gaussian unitary ensemble. It also shows some new features, owning to the special structure of the string amplitude, including a "bump" before the ramp associated with gaps in the average eigenvalue density. The "bump" is removed for highly excited string states with an appropriate state dependent unfolding. We also discuss the SFF for the Gaussian $\beta$- ensemble, writing an interpolation between the known results of the Gaussian orthogonal, unitary, and symplectic ensembles., Comment: 47 pages, 17 figures

We analyze the amplitudes of one highly excited string (HES) state with two or three tachyons in open bosonic string theory. We argue that these processes are chaotic by showing that the spacing ratios of successive peaks in the angular dependence of the amplitudes are distributed as predicted by the $\beta$-ensemble of random matrix theory (RMT). We show how the continuous parameter $\beta$ depends on the level and helicity of the scattered HES state. We derive the scattering amplitude of an HES and three tachyons and show that it takes the form of the Veneziano amplitude times a dressing factor, and that the dressing is chaotic as a function of the scattering angle, in the sense that its spacing ratios match with RMT predictions.

We study quantum properties of supersymmetric N=1 and N=4 extensions of the four dimensional bosonic Chiral Higher Spin Gravities (HiSGRAs). We discuss the spectra, the classical actions and define the Feynman rules in N=1 and N=4 superspaces in the light-front gauge. Using these Feynman rules, we compute tree and one-loop amplitudes for these systems. A dimensional reduction to a system with N=2 supersymmetry and with massive higher spin fields is performed and quantum properties of this system are discussed., Comment: v1: 21 pages, LaTex; v2: minor corrections and additions, references added, 22 pages; v3: some clarifications added, typos corrected, published version

We propose a novel measure of chaotic scattering amplitudes. It takes the form of a log-normal distribution function for the ratios $r_n={\delta_n}/{\delta_{n+1}}$ of (consecutive) spacings $\delta_n$ between two (consecutive) peaks of the scattering amplitude. We show that the same measure applies to the quantum mechanical scattering on a leaky torus as well as to the decay of highly excited string states into two tachyons. Quite remarkably the $r_n$ obey the same distribution that governs the non-trivial zeros of Riemann zeta function., Comment: v2: small corrections, references added; v3: minor improvements to match published version

We study the emergence of partonic behavior in scattering processes at large Mandelstam's variable $s$ from string amplitudes in holographic backgrounds. We generalize the approach of Polchinski and Strassler (2001) in two ways. (i) We analyze several holographic confining backgrounds in particular the hard wall model, the soft wall model and Witten's model. (ii) In addition to deriving the asymptotic behavior of the amplitudes at fixed angle and in the Regge limit, we also expand the amplitudes around their poles, integrate over the holographic direction and then re-sum the expansion. Due to dependence of the string tension on the holographic coordinate, the resulting singularities take the form of branch points rather than poles and the amplitudes display branch cuts and acquire a finite imaginary part. This may signal the failure of the PS prescription to reproduce the correct analytic structure at low energies. We also observe that the peaks are more pronounced in the region of small $s$ but fade away for large $s$. In the fixed angle approximation we find in the hard and soft wall models that ${\cal A}\sim s^{2-\Delta/2}$ whereas in Witten's model ${\cal A} \sim s^{3-\Delta/2}$ and ${\cal A} \sim s^{7/3-2\Delta/3}$ for the 11D and 10D formulations, respectively. In the Regge regime ${\cal A}\sim {s^{2}}\,t^{-2+\alpha}\,(\log{s/ t})^{-1+\alpha}$ where $\alpha$ is the power found in the fixed angle regime. Using the pole expansion the result for each model is $Re[{\cal A}] \sim s^{-1}$, $Im[{\cal A}] \sim s^{\alpha}$. We compute the corresponding amplitudes for mesons using open strings and find qualitatively similar results as for closed strings., Comment: v1: 42 pages. v2: minor corrections, references added, 42 pages. v3: references added, and minor corrections made to text to match published version, 42 pages

Using the BRST approach to higher spin field theories we develop a generic technique for constructing the cubic interaction vertices for N=1 supersymmetric massless higher spin fields on four, six and ten dimensional flat backgrounds. Such an approach allows formulation of the equations for cubic vertices including bosonic and fermionic higher spin fields, and the problem of finding the vertices is reduced to finding the consistent solutions to these equations. As a realization of this procedure, we present the particular solutions for the vertices where the fields obey some off-shell constraints. It is shown that the supersymmetry imposes additional constraints on the vertices and singles out a particular subclass of the solutions. As a concrete application of the generic scheme, we consider supersymmetric Yang-Mills-like systems in four, six and ten dimensions where the higher spin fields transform under some internal symmetry group, as well as supergravity-like systems in the same dimensions., Comment: 31 pages, LaTeX

Recently a novel hadronic state of mass 6.9 GeV, that decays mainly to a pair of charmonia, was observed in LHCb. The data also reveals a broader structure centered around 6490 MeV and suggests another unconfirmed resonance centered at around 7240 MeV, very near to the threshold of two doubly charmed $\Xi_{cc}$ baryons. We argue in this note that these exotic hadrons are genuine tetraquarks and not molecules of charmonia. It is conjectured that they are V-baryonium tetraquarks, namely, have an inner structure of a baryonic vertex with a $cc$ diquark attached to it, which is connected by a string to an anti-baryonic vertex with a $\bar c \bar c$ anti-diquark. We examine these states as the analogs of the states $\Psi(4360)$ and $Y(4630)$/$\Psi(4660)$ which are charmonium-like tetraquarks. One way to test these claims is by searching for a significant decay of the state at 7.2 GeV into $\Xi_{cc}\overline\Xi_{cc}$. Such a decay would be the analog of the decay of the state $Y(4630)$ into to $\Lambda_c\overline\Lambda_c$. We further argue that there should be trajectories of both orbital and radial excited states of the $X(6900)$. We predict their masses. It is possible that a few of these states have already been seen by LHCb., Comment: v1: 22 pages, 4 figures v2: typos corrected, minor additions and references added. 22 pages, v3: references added. 22 pages

Classical rotating closed string are folded strings. At the folding points the scalar curvature associated with the induced metric diverges. As a consequence one cannot properly quantize the fluctuations around the classical solution since there is no complete set of normalizable eigenmodes. Furthermore in the non-critical effective string action of Polchinski and Strominger, there is a divergence associated with the folds. We overcome this obstacle by putting a massive particle at each folding point which can be used as a regulator. Using this method we compute the spectrum of quantum fluctuations around the rotating string and the intercept of the leading Regge trajectory. The results we find are that the intercepts are $a=1$ and $a=2$ for the open and closed string respectively, independent of the target space dimension. We argue that in generic theories with an effective string description, one can expect corrections from finite masses associated with either the endpoints of an open string or the folding points on a closed string. We compute explicitly the corrections in the presence of these masses., Comment: v1: 60 pages, v2: typos corrected, references added, v3: minor revisions, version to be published in JHEP

In this note we describe hadrons: mesons and baryons as strings with electric charges on their endpoints. We consider here only the neutral system with opposite charges coupled to an external constant electric and magnetic fields. We derive certain classical solutions including rotating folded open strings. We write down the mode expansion and canonically quantize the system. The OPEs associated with such strings are determined. We re-derive the non-commutativity of the zero modes and the fact that the charges modify the spacetime metric. We show that the quantum worldsheet energy momentum tensor on the boundary is affected by the endpoint charges and differs from the corresponding Noether current. We determine the generalization of the Veneziano scattering amplitude for such strings in the critical dimension. Phenomenological implications are addressed and in particular we show that the external magnetic field can be tuned so that the amplitude vanishes for particular kinematic setups. We discuss the generalization of such strings to non-critical four dimensional spacetime. In particular we renormalize the divergence of the Polchinski-Strominger effective action associated with the rotating folded string., Comment: v1: 42 pages, 5 figures / v2: minor corrections, references added / v3: paper was somewhat abridged to emphasize new results, version to be published in JHEP

In this note we collect and summarize the predictions of the Holography Inspired Stringy Hadron (HISH) model. We list the masses and widths of predicted excited states across the spectrum, based on placing the different hadrons on the non-linear Regge trajectories of a string with massive endpoints. Our predicted states include: (i) Light, heavy-light and heavy-heavy mesons. (ii) Baryons, including charmed, doubly charmed and bottom baryons. (iii) Glueballs, together with a method to disentangle them from flavorless mesons. (iv) Genuine tetraquarks, which are not "molecules" of hadrons, and are characterized by their decay into a baryon and an anti-baryon., Comment: v1: 45 pages. v2: typos corrected, references added, 45 pages

We compute leading order quantum corrections to the Regge trajectory of a rotating string with massive endpoints using semiclassical methods. We expand the bosonic string action around a classical rotating solution to quadratic order in the fluctuations and perform the canonical quantization of the resulting theory. For a rotating string in $D$ dimensions the intercept receives contributions from $D-3$ transverse modes and one mode in the plane of rotation, in addition to a contribution due to the Polchinski-Strominger term of the non-critical effective string action when $D\neq26$. The intercept at leading order is proportional to the expectation value of the worldsheet Hamiltonian of the fluctuations, and this is shown explicitly in several cases. All contributions to the intercept are considered, and we show a simple physical method to renormalize the divergences in them. The intercept converges to known results at the massless limit, and corrections from the masses are explicitly calculated at the long string limit. In the process we also determine the quantum spectrum of the string with massive endpoints, and analyze the asymmetric case of two different endpoint masses., Comment: v1: 47 pages / v2: minor additions and corrections, reference added, 51 pages / v3: sections 4.5.4 and 4.6 added, version to be published in JHEP, 55 pages

In this paper we further develop a string model of hadrons by computing their strong decay widths and comparing them to experiment. The main decay mechanism is that of a string splitting into two strings. The corresponding total decay width behaves as $\Gamma=\frac\pi2 ATL$ where $T$ and $L$ are the tension and length of the string and $A$ is a dimensionless universal constant. We show that this result holds for a bosonic string not only in the critical dimension. The partial width of a given decay mode is given by $\Gamma_i/\Gamma=\Phi_i\exp(-2\pi Cm_{sep}^2/T)$ where $\Phi_i$ is a phase space factor, $m_{sep}$ is the mass of the "quark" and "antiquark" created at the splitting point, and $C$ is a dimensionless coefficient close to unity. Based on the spectra of hadrons we observe that their (modified) Regge trajectories are characterized by a negative intercept. This implies a repulsive Casimir force that gives the string a "zero point length". We fit the theoretical decay width to experimental data for mesons on the trajectories of $\rho$, $\omega$, $\pi$, $\eta$, $K^*$, $\phi$, $D$, and $D^*_s$, and of the baryons $N$, $\Delta$, $\Lambda$, and $\Sigma$. We examine both the linearity in $L$ and the exponential suppression factor. The linearity was found to agree with the data well for mesons but less for baryons. The extracted coefficient for mesons $A=0.095\pm0.015$ is indeed quite universal. The exponential suppression was applied to both strong and radiative decays. We discuss the relation with string fragmentation and jet formation. We extract the quark-diquark structure of baryons from their decays. A stringy mechanism for Zweig suppressed decays of quarkonia is proposed and is shown to reproduce the decay width of $\Upsilon$ states. The dependence of the width on spin and flavor symmetry is discussed. We further apply this model to the decays of glueballs and exotic hadrons., Comment: v1: 98 pages / v2: minor revisions, references added, 100 pages (41 figures) / v3: final published version, minor corrections, 100 pages

We suggest to use the state $Y(4630)$, which decays predominantly to $\Lambda_c\bar\Lambda_c$, as a window to the landscape of tetraquarks. We propose a simple criterion to decide whether a state is a genuine stringy exotic hadron - a tetraquark - or a "molecule". If it is the former it should be on a (modified) Regge trajectory. We present the predictions of the mass and width of the higher excited states on the $Y(4630)$ trajectory. We argue that there should exist an analogous "$Y_b$" state that decays to $\Lambda_b\bar\Lambda_b$ and describe its trajectory. We conjecture also a similar trajectory for tetraquarks containing strange quarks, and the modified Regge trajectories can in fact be predicted for any resonances found decaying to a baryon-antibaryon pair. En route to the results regarding tetraquarks, we also make some additional predictions on higher excited charmonium states. We briefly discuss the zoo of exotic stringy hadrons and in particular we sketch all the possibilities of tetraquark states., Comment: v1: 28 pages, v2: typos fixed, references added, 29 pages, v3: revised, published version, 30 pages

In previous papers we argued that mesons and baryons can be described as rotating open strings in holographic backgrounds. Now we turn to closed strings, which should be the duals of glueballs. We look at the rotating folded closed string in both flat and curved backgrounds. A basic prediction of the closed string model is that the slope of Regge trajectories is half that of open strings. We propose that a simple method to identify glueballs is to look for resonances that belong to trajectories with a slope of approximately 0.45 GeV^-2, half the meson slope. We therefore look at the experimental spectra of flavorless light mesons to see if such a scheme, where some of the states are placed on open string trajectories and some on closed ones, can fit known experimental data. We look at the f_0 (J^PC = 0^++) and f_2 (2^++) resonances. As there is no preference for a single scheme of sorting the different states into meson and glueball trajectories, we present several possibilities, each identifying a different state as the glueball. We supplement each scheme with predictions for the masses of excited glueballs. We show that the width of the decay into two mesons is different for glueballs and mesons thus providing a supplementary tool to distinguish between them. In addition, we look at some lattice QCD results for glueball spectra and check their compatibility with the closed string model. One of the main conclusions of this paper is that an extension of experimental data on the spectrum of flavorless hadrons is needed, in particular in the region between around 2.4 GeV and 3 GeV., Comment: v1: 43 pages, v2: references added, 44 pages, v3: references added, 44 pages

We continue our program of describing hadrons as rotating strings with massive endpoints. In this paper we propose models of baryons and confront them with the baryon Regge trajectories. We show that these are best fitted by a model of a single string with a quark at one endpoint and a diquark at the other. This model is preferred over the Y-shaped string model with a quark at each endpoint. We show how the model follows from a stringy model of the holographic baryon which includes a baryonic vertex connected with N_c strings to flavor probe branes. From fitting to baryonic data we find that there is no clear evidence for a non-zero baryonic vertex mass, but if there is such a mass it should be located at one of the string endpoints. The available baryon trajectories in the angular momentum plane (J,M^2), involving light, strange, and charmed baryons, are rather well fitted when adding masses to the string endpoints, with a single universal slope of 0.95 GeV^-2. Most of the results for the quark masses are then found to be consistent with the results extracted from the meson spectra in a preceding paper, where the value of the slope emerging from the meson fits was found to be 0.90 GeV^-2. In the plane of quantum radial excitations, (n,M^2), we also find a good agreement between the meson and baryon slopes. The flavor structure of the diquark is examined, where our interest lies in particular on baryons composed of more than one quark heavier than the u and d quarks. For these baryons we present a method of checking the holographic interpretation of our results., Comment: v2: typos corrected, references added, 41 pages; v3: added some sentences to clarify the relation between our model and the holograhic string, 42 pages

We revisit the model of mesons as rotating strings with massive endpoints and confront it with meson spectra. We look at Regge trajectories both in the (J,M2) and (n,M2) planes, where J and n are the angular momentum and radial excitation number respectively. We start from states comprised of u and d quarks alone, move on to trajectories involving s and c quarks, and finally analyze the trajectories of the heaviest observed b-bbar mesons. The endpoint masses provide the needed transition between the linear Regge trajectories of the light mesons to the deviations from linear behavior encountered for the heavier mesons, all in the confines of the same simple model. From our fits we extract the values of the quark endpoint masses, the Regge slope (string tension) and quantum intercept. The model also allows for a universal fit where with a single value of the Regge slope we fit all the (J,M2) trajectories involving u, d, s, and c quarks. We include a list of predictions for higher mesons in both J and n., Comment: v2: typos fixed and reference added, 47 pages / v3: added section in appendix detailing the states used in the fits, 51 pages