Observations on Open and Closed String Scattering Amplitudes at High Energies

Abstract

We study massless open and closed string scattering amplitudes in flat space at high energies. Similarly to the case of AdS space, we demonstrate that, under the T-duality map, the open string amplitudes are given by the exponential of minus minimal surface areas whose boundaries are cusped closed loops formed by lightlike momentum vectors. We show further that the closed string amplitudes are obtained by gluing two copies of minimal surfaces along their cusped lightlike boundaries. This can be thought of as a manifestation of the Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) relation at high energies. We also discuss the KLT relation in AdS/CFT and its possible connection to amplitudes in N=8 supergravity as well as the correlator/amplitude duality.