Hidden symmetries of scattering amplitudes and of the Hydrogen atom

by Simon Caron-Huot (NBI Copenhagen and IAS Princeton)

Thursday 22 Jan 2015, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Berlin

HS3 (Physikdepartment)

Physical systems with unexpected, or `hidden,’ symmetries have often played an important role in physics, beginning with the classical Kepler problem whose Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector ensures the closure of planetary orbits, and degeneracies of the Hydrogen spectrum. I will argue that precisely the same symmetry governs a unique four-dimensional quantum field theory, a maximally supersymmetric (`N=4') cousin of the strong-interaction Yang-Mills theory. After reviewing how this symmetry has been exploited in recent developments aimed at solving this model, I will describe novel applications involving massive particles. The combination of the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector and relativity yields a novel way to calculate the spectrum of its Hydrogen-like bound states, including relativistic corrections. Based on 1408.0296.