pith. sign in

arxiv: 1412.2763 · v1 · pith:DHW2K5QWnew · submitted 2014-12-08 · ✦ hep-th · gr-qc· hep-ph

Asymptotic Symmetries of Massless QED in Even Dimensions

classification ✦ hep-th gr-qchep-ph
keywords softsymmetriesgaugemasslessasymptoticevennullphoton
0
0 comments X
read the original abstract

We consider the scattering of massless particles coupled to an abelian gauge field in 2n-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. Weinberg's soft photon theorem is recast as Ward identities for infinitely many new nontrivial symmetries of the massless QED S-matrix, with one such identity arising for each propagation direction of the soft photon. These symmetries are identified as large gauge transformations with angle-dependent gauge parameters that are constant along the null generators of null infinity. Almost all of the symmetries are spontaneously broken in the standard vacuum and the soft photons are the corresponding Goldstone bosons. Our result establishes a relationship between soft theorems and asymptotic symmetry groups in any even dimension.

This paper has not been read by Pith yet.

discussion (0)

Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.

Forward citations

Cited by 1 Pith paper

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score.

  1. Testing Electromagnetic Memory via Acceleration-Induced Phase Imprints in Superconductors

    hep-ph 2025-11 unverdicted novelty 6.0

    Proposes a superconducting readout protocol that uses acceleration-induced electric fields in conductors to imprint and detect electromagnetic memory phase shifts.