The large-$N_c$ or topologically planar limit of gauge theories can be considered as a classical limit because all gauge bosons are distinguishable particles and therefore cannot exhibit interference. Quantum effects due to the flow of color therefore arise starting at subleading in $1/N_c$. We introduce kinematic observables explicitly sensitive to effects at subleading color formed from the ratio of interfering to squared color-ordered amplitudes. Such observables are in general not infrared and collinear safe, so we introduce angular observables defined from appropriate multi-point energy correlators motivated by the form of color-ordered amplitudes. We demonstrate that color interference effects are manifest as sinusoidal oscillation in the simplest system, a collinear jet with three particles, and show the limitations of predicting this observable in all-purpose, leading-color parton shower Monte Carlos.
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Report #1 by
Anonymous
(Referee 1) on 2022-11-8
(Invited Report)
Report
While strictly angular ordered parton showers implement the proper colour factors dictated by coherence, dipole showers in general do not. The comment added in the new revision should reference recent work on this issue (Hamilton et al. 2011.10054 and Holguin et al. 2011.15087). Otherwise I am happy with the manuscript to go ahead. No further review is needed if the citation request above has been implemented.
I thank the referee for this suggestion and earlier comments on improvement of the draft. I have included these references and a sentence in that paragraph in section 4.
Author: Andrew Larkoski on 2022-11-08 [id 2996]
(in reply to Report 1 on 2022-11-08)I thank the referee for this suggestion and earlier comments on improvement of the draft. I have included these references and a sentence in that paragraph in section 4.