Nonplanar On-shell Diagrams and Leading Singularities of Scattering Amplitudes

Abstract

Bipartite on-shell diagrams are the latest tool in constructing scattering amplitudes. In this paper we prove that a Britto-Cachazo-Feng-Witten (BCFW)-decomposable on-shell diagram process a rational top-form if and only if the algebraic ideal comprised of the geometrical constraints is shifted linearly during successive BCFW integrations. With a proper geometric interpretation of the constraints in the Grassmannian manifold, the rational top-form integration contours can thus be obtained, and understood, in a straightforward way. All rational top-form integrands of arbitrary higher loops leading singularities can therefore be derived recursively, as long as the corresponding on-shell diagram is BCFW-decomposable.

13 pages with 12 figures; final version appeared in Eur.Phys.J. C77 (2017) no.2, 80