[RBRC seminar] Regge trajectories, detectors, and distributions in QFTs

by Dr Yue-Zhou Li (Prinston U)

Thursday 2 Jul 2026, 12:30 → 14:30 US/Eastern

2-160 (https://bnl.zoomgov.com/j/1600983728?pwd=RAD7OLcqre7Ycsp6JfFp6HAnpyLxex.1)

I will talk about light-ray operators in QFTs, with particular emphasis on the critical O(N) model and on the leading-twist and horizontal Regge trajectories. Conceptually, I will distinguish between light-ray operators in two conformal frames: detectors, which characterize event shapes, and distributions, which probe initial-state properties. This bridges the language to perturbative QCD, including parton distribution functions and collinear (jet) functions. I will then discuss the renormalization of horizontal distributions in the O(N) model. In addition, I will discuss the renormalization of detector operators in the O(N) model, explaining how the mixing between the leading-twist operator and its shadow can be resolved to determine the Pomeron spin. Finally, I will comment on distribution and detector operators in QCD, as well as a celestial defect detector whose renormalization is controlled by the BK equation.