Universal Constraints on Conformal Operator Dimensions

Abstract

We continue the study of model-independent constraints on the unitary Conformal Field Theories in 4-Dimensions, initiated in arXiv:0807.0004. Our main result is an improved upper bound on the dimension Δof the leading scalar operator appearing in the OPE of two identical scalars of dimension d. In the interval 1<d<1.7 this universal bound takes the form Δ<2+0.7(d-1)^{1/2}+2.1(d-1)+0.43(d-1)^{3/2}. The proof is based on prime principles of CFT: unitarity, crossing symmetry, OPE, and conformal block decomposition. We also discuss possible applications to particle phenomenology and, via a 2-D analogue, to string theory.

14pp + 2 appendices v2: minor corrections; version to be published in PhysRev.D; numerical data files included in the source file