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Conformally Soft Photons and Gravitons

10 Pith papers cite this work, alongside 164 external citations. Polarity classification is still indexing.

10 Pith papers citing it
164 external citations · Pith
abstract

The four-dimensional $S$-matrix is reconsidered as a correlator on the celestial sphere at null infinity. Asymptotic particle states can be characterized by the point at which they enter or exit the celestial sphere as well as their $SL(2,\mathbb C)$ Lorentz quantum numbers: namely their conformal scaling dimension and spin $h\pm \bar h$ instead of the energy and momentum. This characterization precludes the notion of a soft particle whose energy is taken to zero. We propose it should be replaced by the notion of a conformally soft particle with $h=0$ or $\bar h=0$. For photons we explicitly construct conformally soft $SL(2,\mathbb C)$ currents with dimensions $(1,0)$ and identify them with the generator of a $U(1)$ Kac-Moody symmetry on the celestial sphere. For gravity the generator of celestial conformal symmetry is constructed from a $(2,0)$ $SL(2,\mathbb C)$ primary wavefunction. Interestingly, BMS supertranslations are generated by a spin-one weight $(\frac{3}{2},\frac{1}{2})$ operator, which nevertheless shares holomorphic characteristics of a conformally soft operator. This is because the right hand side of its OPE with a weight $(h,\bar h)$ operator ${\cal O}_{h,\bar h}$ involves the shifted operator ${\cal O}_{h+\frac{1}{2},\bar h+ \frac{1}{2}}$. This OPE relation looks quite unusual from the celestial CFT$_2$ perspective but is equivalent to the leading soft graviton theorem and may usefully constrain celestial correlators in quantum gravity.

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representative citing papers

Carrollian Perspective on Celestial Holography

hep-th · 2022-02-09 · unverdicted · novelty 6.0

A 3d sourced conformal Carrollian field theory is proposed to holographically capture 4d flat gravity kinematics, with Ward identities matching 2d celestial CFT after relating operators.

Mixed-helicity bracket of celestial symmetries

hep-th · 2026-04-14 · unverdicted · novelty 6.0

Restricting one helicity to the wedge sector and introducing shadow charges yields closed mixed-helicity algebras for all spins in gravity and gauge theory, plus dual mass BMS extensions and non-vanishing electromagnetic central charges.

Observing Massive Scattering from Null Infinity

hep-th · 2026-06-25 · unverdicted · novelty 5.0

Late-time Bondi mass aspect at future null infinity acts as a detector for massive radiation, with its in-in correlations relating to weighted sums of scattering cross sections.

From Asymptotically Flat Gravity to Finite Causal Diamonds

hep-th · 2025-12-09 · conditional · novelty 5.0

The angle-averaged soft and Goldstone modes of 4D asymptotically flat gravity are symplectically identified with the radial-size and area-edge modes of a spherically symmetric Minkowski causal diamond.

Note on higher spins and holographic symmetry algebra

hep-th · 2026-02-03 · unverdicted · novelty 4.0

Higher spin particles generate w_∞ and S-algebra subalgebras inside the soft holographic symmetry algebra that do not commute with the graviton and gluon versions.

The Carrollian Kaleidoscope

hep-th · 2025-06-19 · unverdicted · novelty 1.0

A review summarizing Carrollian symmetries, CCFT constructions, and applications in AFS holography, Carroll hydrodynamics, and condensed matter phenomena such as fractons and flat bands.

citing papers explorer

Showing 10 of 10 citing papers.

  • Finite-energy hard celestial current algebra from the Banerjee--Mandal--Sahoo dipole Ward identity in QED hep-th · 2026-06-29 · unverdicted · none · ref 11 · 2 links · internal anchor

    Derives finite-energy hard celestial current algebra and its one-cocycle from the BMS dipole Ward identity, mapping the hard-hard residue to a two-particle primary module via Plancherel transform.

  • Large-$N$ Carrollian Thermodynamics from AdS Black-Hole Phase-Space Contractions hep-th · 2026-06-24 · unverdicted · none · ref 98 · 2 links · internal anchor

    Finite Carrollian black-hole thermodynamics arises as a double-scaled low-temperature large-N ensemble in AdS/CFT, with the boundary Brown-York stress tensor reproducing the contracted bulk Hamiltonian and first law.

  • Carrollian Perspective on Celestial Holography hep-th · 2022-02-09 · unverdicted · none · ref 46 · internal anchor

    A 3d sourced conformal Carrollian field theory is proposed to holographically capture 4d flat gravity kinematics, with Ward identities matching 2d celestial CFT after relating operators.

  • Mixed-helicity bracket of celestial symmetries hep-th · 2026-04-14 · unverdicted · none · ref 39

    Restricting one helicity to the wedge sector and introducing shadow charges yields closed mixed-helicity algebras for all spins in gravity and gauge theory, plus dual mass BMS extensions and non-vanishing electromagnetic central charges.

  • Towards a Carrollian Description of Yang-Mills hep-th · 2026-04-10 · unverdicted · none · ref 14

    A Carrollian theory on null infinity reproduces all MHV and NMHV Yang-Mills tree amplitudes, with a new explicit NMHV expression.

  • Observing Massive Scattering from Null Infinity hep-th · 2026-06-25 · unverdicted · none · ref 9 · internal anchor

    Late-time Bondi mass aspect at future null infinity acts as a detector for massive radiation, with its in-in correlations relating to weighted sums of scattering cross sections.

  • From Asymptotically Flat Gravity to Finite Causal Diamonds hep-th · 2025-12-09 · conditional · none · ref 41 · internal anchor

    The angle-averaged soft and Goldstone modes of 4D asymptotically flat gravity are symplectically identified with the radial-size and area-edge modes of a spherically symmetric Minkowski causal diamond.

  • Note on higher spins and holographic symmetry algebra hep-th · 2026-02-03 · unverdicted · none · ref 29 · internal anchor

    Higher spin particles generate w_∞ and S-algebra subalgebras inside the soft holographic symmetry algebra that do not commute with the graviton and gluon versions.

  • The Carrollian Kaleidoscope hep-th · 2025-06-19 · unverdicted · none · ref 267 · internal anchor

    A review summarizing Carrollian symmetries, CCFT constructions, and applications in AFS holography, Carroll hydrodynamics, and condensed matter phenomena such as fractons and flat bands.

  • Topics in Celestial holography: A bottom-up perspective hep-th · 2026-06-23 · unreviewed · ref 50 · 2 links · internal anchor