English

One-loop open-string integrals from differential equations: all-order alpha'-expansions at n points

High Energy Physics - Theory 2020-03-18 v2

Abstract

We study generating functions of moduli-space integrals at genus one that are expected to form a basis for massless nn-point one-loop amplitudes of open superstrings and open bosonic strings. These integrals are shown to satisfy the same type of linear and homogeneous first-order differential equation w.r.t. the modular parameter τ\tau which is known from the A-elliptic Knizhnik--Zamolodchikov--Bernard associator. The expressions for their τ\tau-derivatives take a universal form for the integration cycles in planar and non-planar one-loop open-string amplitudes. These differential equations manifest the uniformly transcendental appearance of iterated integrals over holomorphic Eisenstein series in the low-energy expansion w.r.t. the inverse string tension α\alpha'. In fact, we are led to matrix representations of certain derivations dual to Eisenstein series. Like this, also the α\alpha'-expansion of non-planar integrals is manifestly expressible in terms of iterated Eisenstein integrals without referring to twisted elliptic multiple zeta values. The degeneration of the moduli-space integrals at τi\tau \rightarrow i\infty is expressed in terms of their genus-zero analogues -- (n+2)(n{+}2)-point Parke--Taylor integrals over disk boundaries. Our results yield a compact formula for α\alpha'-expansions of nn-point integrals over boundaries of cylinder- or Moebius-strip worldsheets, where any desired order is accessible from elementary operations.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1908.10830,
  title  = {One-loop open-string integrals from differential equations: all-order alpha'-expansions at n points},
  author = {Carlos R. Mafra and Oliver Schlotterer},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1908.10830},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

73 pages, v2: assorted small corrections

R2 v1 2026-06-23T10:59:12.864Z