Underlying reason for widespread decoupling (autonomy of scales)

Determine the underlying physical and mathematical reasons for the widespread decoupling of distant energy scales (autonomy of scales) observed across classical physics and quantum field theory, explaining why low-energy phenomena are generally insensitive to ultraviolet details and why effective theories successfully describe their target domains despite vast separations of scale.

Background

In arguing that technical naturalness has limited applicability, the paper contrasts violations of autonomy of scales in seemingly fundamental phenomena with several historical successes of technical naturalness that occurred in effective theories and for composite particles. This sets up a broader conceptual issue: despite these limitations, decoupling appears to work remarkably well across many areas of physics.

The authors explicitly acknowledge that the general cause of this decoupling remains unknown, even though it undergirds the practical success of effective field theories and many classical contexts. Clarifying this unknown would illuminate why effective theories are so broadly successful and when autonomy of scales should be expected to hold.