The KLT Kernel in Twistor Space

The double copy relationship between Yang-Mills theory and general relativity can be stated in terms of a field theory Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) momentum kernel, which maps two colour-ordered gluon amplitudes to a graviton amplitude at tree-level. These amplitudes can also be written in compact, helicity-graded representations on twistor space which include the famous Parke-Taylor and Hodges formulae in the maximal helicity violating sector. However, a double copy formulation of these helicity-graded formulae has proved elusive. In this paper, we use graph-theoretic methods to obtain an explicit double copy representation of the tree-level, helicity graded S-matrix of general relativity in terms of a KLT-like integral kernel in twistor space. This integral kernel glues together two colour-ordered integrands for tree-level gluon scattering on twistor space to produce tree-level graviton amplitudes, and admits a chiral splitting into positive and negative helicity degrees of freedom. Furthermore, the kernel can be inverted to obtain a new formula for the tree-level S-matrix of biadjoint scalar theory, which we verify using recursion relations. We also derive extensions of this integral kernel to graviton scattering in anti-de Sitter space and self-dual radiative spacetimes, commenting on their potential double copy interpretations.

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Publication Details

Journal
Communications in Mathematical Physics
Published
2025-03-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00220-025-05254-0
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
9.35

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article

The KLT Kernel in Twistor Space

Tim Adamo, Sonja Klisch
5 citations
Communications in Mathematical Physics
Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
9.35
article

The KLT Kernel in Twistor Space

Tim Adamo, Sonja Klisch
article en
5 citations

Abstract

The double copy relationship between Yang-Mills theory and general relativity can be stated in terms of a field theory Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) momentum kernel, which maps two colour-ordered gluon amplitudes to a graviton amplitude at tree-level. These amplitudes can also be written in compact, helicity-graded representations on twistor space which include the famous Parke-Taylor and Hodges formulae in the maximal helicity violating sector. However, a double copy formulation of these helicity-graded formulae has proved elusive. In this paper, we use graph-theoretic methods to obtain an explicit double copy representation of the tree-level, helicity graded S-matrix of general relativity in terms of a KLT-like integral kernel in twistor space. This integral kernel glues together two colour-ordered integrands for tree-level gluon scattering on twistor space to produce tree-level graviton amplitudes, and admits a chiral splitting into positive and negative helicity degrees of freedom. Furthermore, the kernel can be inverted to obtain a new formula for the tree-level S-matrix of biadjoint scalar theory, which we verify using recursion relations. We also derive extensions of this integral kernel to graviton scattering in anti-de Sitter space and self-dual radiative spacetimes, commenting on their potential double copy interpretations.

Communications in Mathematical PhysicsVol. 406(4)
Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences (GB), University of Edinburgh (GB)
Simons Foundation, Leverhulme Trust, Royal Society, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
9.35
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The KLT Kernel in Twistor Space — Tim Adamo, Sonja Klisch · Communications in Mathematical Physics (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS