Flat space physics from AdS/CFT

Abstract

We propose a formula relating scattering S-matrix amplitudes to correlators of a conformal field theory. The proposal implements a flat limit of the field theory, providing an indirect microscopic description of gravitational theories with asymptotically flat boundary conditions. The formula is valid for both massive and massless external particles, and reduces to existing expressions in the literature when all particles are either simultaneously massless or massive. We test the result in various (2 + 1)-dimensional examples such as simple BMS3 invariant correlators and blocks. We also study two-point correlators in conformal field theory deficit states to obtain known expressions for nontrivial scattering in asymptotically flat conical geometries.