Lorentzian Dynamics and Factorization Beyond Rationality

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We investigate the emergence of topological defect lines in the conformal Regge limit of two-dimensional conformal field theory.

• We explain how a local operator can be factorized into a holomorphic and an anti-holomorphic defect operator connected through a topological defect line, and discuss implications on Lorentzian dynamics including aspects of chaos.
• We derive a formula relating the infinite boost limit, which holographically encodes the "opacity" of bulk scattering, to the action of topological defect lines on local operators.
• Leveraging the unitary bound on the opacity and the positivity of fusion coefficients, we show that the spectral radii of a large class of topological defect lines are given by their loop expectation values.