String corrections to circular Wilson loop and anomalies

Authors: A. Cagnazzo, D. Medina-Rincon and K. Zarembo

Preprint number: UUITP-52/17

We study string quantum corrections to the ratio of latitude and circular Wilson loops in N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory at strong coupling. Conformal gauge for the corresponding minimal surface in AdS₅xS⁵ is singular and  we show that an IR anomaly associated with the divergence in the conformal factor removes previously reported discrepancy with exact field-theory results. We also carefully check conformal anomaly cancellation and recalculate fluctuation determinants by directly evaluting phaseshifts for all the fluctuation modes.