Effective Field Theories on the Jet Bundle

Abstract

We develop a generalized field space geometry for higher-derivative scalar field theories, expressing scattering amplitudes in terms of a covariant geometry on the all-order jet bundle. The incorporation of spacetime and field derivative coordinates solves complications due to higher-order derivatives faced by existing approaches to field space geometry. We identify a jet bundle analog to the field space metric that, besides field redefinitions, exhibits invariance under total derivatives. The invariance consequently extends to its amplitude contributions and the canonical covariant geometry.