12310049
Duality and BPS spectra in N=2 supersymmetric QCD
I review, with some pedagogy, two different approaches to the computation of BPS spectra in N = 2 supersymmetric QCD with gauge group SU(2). The first one is semiclassical and has been widely used in the literature. The second one makes use of constraints coming from the non perturbative, global structure of the Coulomb branch of these theories. The second method allows for a description of discontinuities in the BPS spectra at strong coupling, and should lead to accurate test of duality conjectures in N = 2 theories.
1817006
Curves of marginal stability, and weak- and strong-coupling BPS spectra in N = 2 supersymmetric QCD
We explicitly determine the global structure of the SL(2, Z) bundle over the Coulomb branch of the moduli space of asymptotically free N = 2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with gauge group SU(2) when massless hypermultiplets are present. For each relevant number of flavours, we show that there is a curve of marginal stability of the Coulomb branch, diffeomorphic to a circle, across which the BPS spectrum is discontinuous. We determine rigorously and completely the BPS spectra inside and outside the curve. In all cases, the spectrum inside the curve consists of only those BPS states that are responsible for the singularities of the low energy effective action (in addition to the massless abelian gauge multiplet which is always present). The predicted decay patterns across the curve of marginal stability are perfectly consistent with all quantum numbers carried by the BPS states. As a byproduct, we also show that the electric and magnetic quantum numbers of the massless states at the singularities proposed by Seiberg and Witten are the only possible ones.
119318242
Partial Gauge Fixing and Equivariant Cohomology
Given a gauge theory with gauge group G, it is sometimes useful to find an equivalent formulation in terms of a nontrivial gauge subgroup H⊂G. This amounts to fixing the gauge partially from G down to H. We study this problem systematically, both from the algebraic and from the path integral points of view. We find that the usual BRST cohomology must be replaced by an equivariant version and that the ghost Lagrangian must always include quartic ghost terms, even at tree level. Both the Cartan and Weil models for equivariant cohomology play a role and find natural interpretations within the physics framework. Applications include the construction of D-brane models of emergent space, the 't Hooft Abelian projection scenario in quantum chromodynamics and the formulation of the low-energy effective theories of grand unified models. © 2014 American Physical Society.
119574064
Multi-loop zeta function regularization and spectral cutoff in curved spacetime
Abstract We emphasize the close relationship between zeta function methods and arbitrary spectral cutoff regularizations in curved spacetime. This yields, on the one hand, a physically sound and mathematically rigorous justification of the standard zeta function regularization at one loop and, on the other hand, a natural generalization of this method to higher loops. In particular, to any Feynman diagram is associated a generalized meromorphic zeta function. For the one-loop vacuum diagram, it is directly related to the usual spectral zeta function. To any loop order, the renormalized amplitudes can be read off from the pole structure of the generalized zeta functions. We focus on scalar field theories and illustrate the general formalism by explicit calculations at one-loop and two-loop orders, including a two-loop evaluation of the conformal anomaly.
119685691
Gravitational actions in two dimensions and the Mabuchi functional
Abstract The Mabuchi energy is an interesting geometric functional on the space of Kahler metrics that plays a crucial role in the study of the geometry of Kahler manifolds. We show that this functional, as well as other related geometric actions, contribute to the effective gravitational action when a massive scalar field is coupled to gravity in two dimensions in a small mass expansion. This yields new theories of two-dimensional quantum gravity generalizing the standard Liouville models.
15472365
Quantum parameter space and double scaling limits in N=1 super Yang-Mills theory
We study the physics of $\mathcal{N}=1$ super Yang-Mills theory with the gauge group $\mathrm{U}(N)$ and one adjoint Higgs field, by using the recently derived exact effective superpotentials. Interesting phenomena occur for some special values of the Higgs potential couplings. We find critical points with massless glueballs and/or massless monopoles, confinement without a mass gap, and tensionless domain walls. We describe the transitions between regimes with different patterns of gauge symmetry breaking, or, in the matrix model language, between solutions with a different number of cuts. The standard large N expansion is singular near the critical points, with domain wall tensions scaling as a fractional power of N. We argue that the critical points are four-dimensional analogues of the Kazakov critical points that are commonly found in low dimensional matrix integrals. We define a double scaling limit that yields the exact tension of BPS two-branes in the resulting $\mathcal{N}=1,$ four-dimensional noncritical string theory. D-brane states can be deformed continuously into closed string solitonic states, and vice versa, along paths that go over regions where the string coupling is strong.
122396324
Polymer topology and Chern-Simons field theory
Abstract In this paper the statistical mechanical problem of two topologically linked polymers is related to a topological Ginzburg-Landau model coupled to two Chern-Simons field theories. The Chern-Simons fields play the role of propagators of the topological interactions. The effects of the topological constraints is investigated using the method of effective potential in one-loop approximation.
118564185
Dynamics of two topologically entangled chains
Starting from a given topological invariant, we argue that it is possible to construct a topological field theory with a finite number of Feynman diagrams and an amplitude of gauge invariant objects that is a function of that invariant. This is, for example, the case of the Gauss linking number and of the abelian BF models which have been already successfully applied in the statistical mechanics of polymers. In this work it is shown that a suitable generalization of the BF model can be applied also to polymer dynamics, where the polymer trajectories are not static, but change their shape during time.
3065241
Topologically Nontrivial Sectors of Maxwell Field Theory on Riemann Surfaces
AbstractIn this Letter, the Maxwell field theory is considered on a closed and orientable Riemann surface of genus h
$$$$
1. The solutions of the Maxwell equations corresponding to nontrivial values of the first Chern class are explicitly constructed for any metric in terms of the prime form.
14323623
Chern-Simons field theories in the Coulomb gauge
An integrated precision reference source for supplying a reference voltage or a reference current under the condition of a lower feed voltage is disclosed, includes a first transistor, a first resistor connected between base and collector of the first transistor, a second resistor connected between base and emitter of the first transistor, and a second transistor whose base is connected to the collector of the first transistor and whose emitter is connected through a third resistor to the emitter of the first transistor.
15099856
Topologically nontrivial sectors of the Maxwell field theory on algebraic curves
Abstract In this paper a large family of nondegenerate metrics is derived on general algebraic curves. In this way, it is possible to treat many differential equations arising in quantum mechanics and field theories on Riemann surfaces as differential equations on the complex sphere. The case of the Maxwell field theories on curves with Z n group of automorphisms is studied in details. These curves are particularly important because they cover the entire moduli space spanned by the Riemann surfaces of genus g ≤ 2. All the classical solutions of the Maxwell equations are explicitly constructed. Also the examples of the scalar fields and of an electron immersed in a constant magnetic field will be briefly investigated.