On unitarity of the Coon amplitude

Abstract

The Coon amplitude is a one-parameter deformation of the Veneziano amplitude. We explore the unitarity of the Coon amplitude through its partial wave expansion using tools from $q$-calculus. Our analysis establishes manifest positivity on the leading and sub-leading Regge trajectories in arbitrary spacetime dimensions $D$, while revealing a violation of unitarity in a certain region of $(q,D)$ parameter space starting at the sub-sub-leading Regge order. A combination of numerical studies and analytic arguments allows us to argue for the manifest positivity of the partial wave coefficients in fixed spin and Regge asymptotics.