Twistorial chiral algebras in higher dimensions

Abstract

In four spacetime dimensions, the classically integrable self-dual sectors of gauge theory and gravity have associated chiral algebras, which emerge naturally from their description in twistor space. We show that there are similar chiral algebras associated to integrable sectors of gauge theory and gravity whenever the spacetime dimension is an integer multiple of four. In particular, the hyperkähler sector of gravity and the hyperholomorphic sector of gauge theory in 4m-dimensions have well-known twistor descriptions giving rise to chiral algebras. Using twistor sigma models to describe these sectors, we demonstrate that the chiral algebras in higher-dimensions also arise as soft symmetry algebras under a certain notion of collinear limit. Interestingly, the chiral algebras and collinear limits in higher-dimensions are defined on the 2-sphere, rather than the full celestial sphere.