Dilaton physics from asymptotic freedom

The dilaton is investigated from first principles within an asymptotically free Gross-Neveu-Yukawa theory in three dimensions. In the limit of many fermion flavours, the theory features a finite line of strongly interacting fixed points. At its endpoint, a dilaton arises as the massless Goldstone boson due to the spontaneous breaking of scale symmetry. We show that the emergence of a vacuum expectation value and a dilaton can be understood as a double-scaling limit. Exploiting the scalar two-point function, we compute the dilaton decay constant and universal expressions for the induced dilaton mass in terms of small perturbations. Consistency of our results with soft dilaton theorems are established. Implications for spontaneously broken conformal theories are indicated.