Exceptional Field Theory and Supergravity Arnaud Baguet
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S-Duality, the 4D Superconformal Index and 2D Topological QFT
Review of superconformal index = 2 : A generalized quivers = 2: A generalized quivers = 4 index = 1 N 1 N 2 N N S-duality, the 4d Superconformal Index and 2d Topological QFT Leonardo Rastelli with A. Gadde, E. Pomoni, S. Razamat and W. Yan arXiv:0910.2225,arXiv:1003.4244, and in progress Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, Stony Brook Rutgers, November 9 2010 Review of superconformal index = 2 : A generalized quivers = 2: A generalized quivers = 4 index = 1 N 1 N 2 N N A new paradigm for 4d =2 susy gauge theories N (Gaiotto, . ) Compactification of the (2, 0) 6d theory on a 2d surface Σ, with punctures. = =2 superconformal⇒ theories in four dimensions. N Review of superconformal index = 2 : A generalized quivers = 2: A generalized quivers = 4 index = 1 N 1 N 2 N N A new paradigm for 4d =2 susy gauge theories N (Gaiotto, . ) Compactification of the (2, 0) 6d theory on a 2d surface Σ, with punctures. = =2 superconformal⇒ theories in four dimensions. N Space of complex structures Σ = parameter space of the 4d • theory. Moore-Seiberg groupoid of Σ = (generalized) 4d S-duality • Vast generalization of “ =4 S-duality as modular group of T 2”. N Review of superconformal index = 2 : A generalized quivers = 2: A generalized quivers = 4 index = 1 N 1 N 2 N N A new paradigm for 4d =2 susy gauge theories N (Gaiotto, . ) Compactification of the (2, 0) 6d theory on a 2d surface Σ, with punctures. = =2 superconformal⇒ theories in four dimensions. N Space of complex structures Σ = parameter space of the 4d • theory. -
N = 2 Dualities and 2D TQFT Space of Complex Structures Σ = Parameter Space of the 4D Theory
Short review of superconformal index 2d TQFT and orthogonal polynomials Results and Applications = 2 Dualities and 2d TQFT N Abhijit Gadde with L. Rastelli, S. Razamat and W. Yan arXiv:0910.2225 arXiv:1003.4244 arXiv:1104.3850 arXiv:1110:3740 ... California Institute of Technology Indian Israeli String Meeting 2012 Abhijit Gadde N = 2 Dualities and 2d TQFT Space of complex structures Σ = parameter space of the 4d theory. Mapping class group of Σ = (generalized) 4d S-duality Punctures: SU(2) ! SU(N) = Flavor symmetry: Commutant We will focus on "maximal" puncture: with SU(N) flavor symmetry Sphere with 3 punctures = Theories without parameters Free hypermultiplets Strongly coupled fixed points Vast generalization of “N = 4 S-duality as modular group of T 2”. 6=4+2: beautiful and unexpected 4d/2d connections. For ex., Correlators of Liouville/Toda on Σ compute the 4d partition functions (on S4) Short review of superconformal index 2d TQFT and orthogonal polynomials Results and Applications A new paradigm for 4d = 2 SCFTs [Gaiotto, . ] N Compactify of the 6d (2; 0) AN−1 theory on a 2d surface Σ, with punctures. =)N = 2 superconformal theories in four dimensions. Abhijit Gadde N = 2 Dualities and 2d TQFT We will focus on "maximal" puncture: with SU(N) flavor symmetry Sphere with 3 punctures = Theories without parameters Free hypermultiplets Strongly coupled fixed points Vast generalization of “N = 4 S-duality as modular group of T 2”. 6=4+2: beautiful and unexpected 4d/2d connections. For ex., Correlators of Liouville/Toda on Σ compute the 4d partition functions (on S4) Short review of superconformal index 2d TQFT and orthogonal polynomials Results and Applications A new paradigm for 4d = 2 SCFTs [Gaiotto, . -
Classification of Holomorphic Framed Vertex Operator Algebras of Central Charge 24
Classification of holomorphic framed vertex operator algebras of central charge 24 Ching Hung Lam, Hiroki Shimakura American Journal of Mathematics, Volume 137, Number 1, February 2015, pp. 111-137 (Article) Published by Johns Hopkins University Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/ajm.2015.0001 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/570114/summary Access provided by Tsinghua University Library (22 Nov 2018 10:39 GMT) CLASSIFICATION OF HOLOMORPHIC FRAMED VERTEX OPERATOR ALGEBRAS OF CENTRAL CHARGE 24 By CHING HUNG LAM and HIROKI SHIMAKURA Abstract. This article is a continuation of our work on the classification of holomorphic framed vertex operator algebras of central charge 24. We show that a holomorphic framed VOA of central charge 24 is uniquely determined by the Lie algebra structure of its weight one subspace. As a consequence, we completely classify all holomorphic framed vertex operator algebras of central charge 24 and show that there exist exactly 56 such vertex operator algebras, up to isomorphism. 1. Introduction. The classification of holomorphic vertex operator alge- bras (VOAs) of central charge 24 is one of the fundamental problems in vertex operator algebras and mathematical physics. In 1993 Schellekens [Sc93] obtained a partial classification by determining possible Lie algebra structures for the weight one subspaces of holomorphic VOAs of central charge 24. There are 71 cases in his list but only 39 of the 71 cases were known explicitly at that time. It is also an open question if the Lie algebra structure of the weight one subspace will determine the VOA structure uniquely when the central charge is 24. -
Supersymmetric Nonlinear Sigma Models
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CERN Document Server OU-HET 348 TIT/HET-448 hep-th/0006025 June 2000 Supersymmetric Nonlinear Sigma Models a b Kiyoshi Higashijima ∗ and Muneto Nitta † aDepartment of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan bDepartment of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Oh-okayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan Abstract Supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models are formulated as gauge theo- ries. Auxiliary chiral superfields are introduced to impose supersymmetric constraints of F-type. Target manifolds defined by F-type constraints are al- ways non-compact. In order to obtain nonlinear sigma models on compact manifolds, we have to introduce gauge symmetry to eliminate the degrees of freedom in non-compact directions. All supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models defined on the hermitian symmetric spaces are successfully formulated as gauge theories. 1Talk given at the International Symposium on \Quantum Chromodynamics and Color Con- finement" (Confinement 2000) , 7-10 March 2000, RCNP, Osaka, Japan. ∗e-mail: [email protected]. †e-mail: [email protected] 1 Introduction Two dimensional (2D) nonlinear sigma models and four dimensional non-abelian gauge theories have several similarities. Both of them enjoy the property of the asymptotic freedom. They are both massless in the perturbation theory, whereas they acquire the mass gap or the string tension in the non-perturbative treatment. Although it is difficult to solve QCD in analytical way, 2D nonlinear sigma models can be solved by the large N expansion and helps us to understand various non- perturbative phenomena in four dimensional gauge theories. -
Introduction to Conformal Field Theory and String
SLAC-PUB-5149 December 1989 m INTRODUCTION TO CONFORMAL FIELD THEORY AND STRING THEORY* Lance J. Dixon Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Stanford University Stanford, CA 94309 ABSTRACT I give an elementary introduction to conformal field theory and its applications to string theory. I. INTRODUCTION: These lectures are meant to provide a brief introduction to conformal field -theory (CFT) and string theory for those with no prior exposure to the subjects. There are many excellent reviews already available (or almost available), and most of these go in to much more detail than I will be able to here. Those reviews con- centrating on the CFT side of the subject include refs. 1,2,3,4; those emphasizing string theory include refs. 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 I will start with a little pre-history of string theory to help motivate the sub- ject. In the 1960’s it was noticed that certain properties of the hadronic spectrum - squared masses for resonances that rose linearly with the angular momentum - resembled the excitations of a massless, relativistic string.14 Such a string is char- *Work supported in by the Department of Energy, contract DE-AC03-76SF00515. Lectures presented at the Theoretical Advanced Study Institute In Elementary Particle Physics, Boulder, Colorado, June 4-30,1989 acterized by just one energy (or length) scale,* namely the square root of the string tension T, which is the energy per unit length of a static, stretched string. For strings to describe the strong interactions fi should be of order 1 GeV. Although strings provided a qualitative understanding of much hadronic physics (and are still useful today for describing hadronic spectra 15 and fragmentation16), some features were hard to reconcile. -
S-Duality-And-M5-Mit
N . More on = 2 S-dualities and M5-branes .. Yuji Tachikawa based on works in collaboration with L. F. Alday, B. Wecht, F. Benini, S. Benvenuti, D. Gaiotto November 2009 Yuji Tachikawa (IAS) November 2009 1 / 47 Contents 1. Introduction 2. S-dualities 3. A few words on TN 4. 4d CFT vs 2d CFT Yuji Tachikawa (IAS) November 2009 2 / 47 Montonen-Olive duality • N = 4 SU(N) SYM at coupling τ = θ=(2π) + (4πi)=g2 equivalent to the same theory coupling τ 0 = −1/τ • One way to ‘understand’ it: start from 6d N = (2; 0) theory, i.e. the theory on N M5-branes, put on a torus −1/τ τ 0 1 0 1 • Low energy physics depends only on the complex structure S-duality! Yuji Tachikawa (IAS) November 2009 3 / 47 S-dualities in N = 2 theories • You can wrap N M5-branes on a more general Riemann surface, possibly with punctures, to get N = 2 superconformal field theories • Different limits of the shape of the Riemann surface gives different weakly-coupled descriptions, giving S-dualities among them • Anticipated by [Witten,9703166], but not well-appreciated until [Gaiotto,0904.2715] Yuji Tachikawa (IAS) November 2009 4 / 47 Contents 1. Introduction 2. S-dualities 3. A few words on TN 4. 4d CFT vs 2d CFT Yuji Tachikawa (IAS) November 2009 5 / 47 Contents 1. Introduction 2. S-dualities 3. A few words on TN 4. 4d CFT vs 2d CFT Yuji Tachikawa (IAS) November 2009 6 / 47 S-duality in N = 2 . SU(2) with Nf = 4 . -
Achievements, Progress and Open Questions in String Field Theory Strings 2021 ICTP-SAIFR, S˜Ao Paulo June 22, 2021
Achievements, Progress and Open Questions in String Field Theory Strings 2021 ICTP-SAIFR, S˜ao Paulo June 22, 2021 Yuji Okawa and Barton Zwiebach 1 Achievements We consider here instances where string field theory provided the answer to physical open questions. • Tachyon condensation, tachyon vacuum, tachyon conjectures The tachyon conjectures (Sen, 1999) posited that: (a) The tachyon potential has a locally stable minimum, whose energy density measured with respect to that of the unstable critical point, equals minus the tension of the D25-brane (b) Lower-dimensional D-branes are solitonic solutions of the string theory on the back- ground of a D25-brane. (c) The locally stable vacuum of the system is the closed string vac- uum; it has no open string excitations exist. Work in SFT established these conjectures by finding the tachyon vac- uum, first numerically, and then analytically (Schnabl, 2005). These are non-perturbative results. 2 • String field theory is the first complete definition of string pertur- bation theory. The first-quantized world-sheet formulation of string theory does not define string perturbation theory completely: – No systematic way of dealing with IR divergences. – No systematic way of dealing with S-matrix elements for states that undergo mass renormalization. Work of A. Sen and collaborators demonstrating this: (a) One loop-mass renormalization of unstable particles in critical string theories. (b) Fixing ambiguities in two-dimensional string theory: For the one- instanton contribution to N-point scattering amplitudes there are four undetermined constants (Balthazar, Rodriguez, Yin, 2019). Two of them have been fixed with SFT (Sen 2020) (c) Fixing the normalization of Type IIB D-instanton amplitudes (Sen, 2021). -
Chapter 9: the 'Emergence' of Spacetime in String Theory
Chapter 9: The `emergence' of spacetime in string theory Nick Huggett and Christian W¨uthrich∗ May 21, 2020 Contents 1 Deriving general relativity 2 2 Whence spacetime? 9 3 Whence where? 12 3.1 The worldsheet interpretation . 13 3.2 T-duality and scattering . 14 3.3 Scattering and local topology . 18 4 Whence the metric? 20 4.1 `Background independence' . 21 4.2 Is there a Minkowski background? . 24 4.3 Why split the full metric? . 27 4.4 T-duality . 29 5 Quantum field theoretic considerations 29 5.1 The graviton concept . 30 5.2 Graviton coherent states . 32 5.3 GR from QFT . 34 ∗This is a chapter of the planned monograph Out of Nowhere: The Emergence of Spacetime in Quantum Theories of Gravity, co-authored by Nick Huggett and Christian W¨uthrich and under contract with Oxford University Press. More information at www.beyondspacetime.net. The primary author of this chapter is Nick Huggett ([email protected]). This work was sup- ported financially by the ACLS and the John Templeton Foundation (the views expressed are those of the authors not necessarily those of the sponsors). We want to thank Tushar Menon and James Read for exceptionally careful comments on a draft this chapter. We are also grateful to Niels Linnemann for some helpful feedback. 1 6 Conclusions 35 This chapter builds on the results of the previous two to investigate the extent to which spacetime might be said to `emerge' in perturbative string the- ory. Our starting point is the string theoretic derivation of general relativity explained in depth in the previous chapter, and reviewed in x1 below (so that the philosophical conclusions of this chapter can be understood by those who are less concerned with formal detail, and so skip the previous one). -
String Field Theory, Nucl
1 String field theory W. TAYLOR MIT, Stanford University SU-ITP-06/14 MIT-CTP-3747 hep-th/0605202 Abstract This elementary introduction to string field theory highlights the fea- tures and the limitations of this approach to quantum gravity as it is currently understood. String field theory is a formulation of string the- ory as a field theory in space-time with an infinite number of massive fields. Although existing constructions of string field theory require ex- panding around a fixed choice of space-time background, the theory is in principle background-independent, in the sense that different back- grounds can be realized as different field configurations in the theory. String field theory is the only string formalism developed so far which, in principle, has the potential to systematically address questions involv- ing multiple asymptotically distinct string backgrounds. Thus, although it is not yet well defined as a quantum theory, string field theory may eventually be helpful for understanding questions related to cosmology arXiv:hep-th/0605202v2 28 Jun 2006 in string theory. 1.1 Introduction In the early days of the subject, string theory was understood only as a perturbative theory. The theory arose from the study of S-matrices and was conceived of as a new class of theory describing perturbative interactions of massless particles including the gravitational quanta, as well as an infinite family of massive particles associated with excited string states. In string theory, instead of the one-dimensional world line 1 2 W. Taylor of a pointlike particle tracing out a path through space-time, a two- dimensional surface describes the trajectory of an oscillating loop of string, which appears pointlike only to an observer much larger than the string. -
A Supersymmetry Primer
hep-ph/9709356 version 7, January 2016 A Supersymmetry Primer Stephen P. Martin Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115 I provide a pedagogical introduction to supersymmetry. The level of discussion is aimed at readers who are familiar with the Standard Model and quantum field theory, but who have had little or no prior exposure to supersymmetry. Topics covered include: motiva- tions for supersymmetry, the construction of supersymmetric Lagrangians, superspace and superfields, soft supersymmetry-breaking interactions, the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), R-parity and its consequences, the origins of supersymmetry breaking, the mass spectrum of the MSSM, decays of supersymmetric particles, experi- mental signals for supersymmetry, and some extensions of the minimal framework. Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Interlude: Notations and Conventions 13 3 Supersymmetric Lagrangians 17 3.1 The simplest supersymmetric model: a free chiral supermultiplet ............. 18 3.2 Interactions of chiral supermultiplets . ................ 22 3.3 Lagrangians for gauge supermultiplets . .............. 25 3.4 Supersymmetric gauge interactions . ............. 26 3.5 Summary: How to build a supersymmetricmodel . ............ 28 4 Superspace and superfields 30 4.1 Supercoordinates, general superfields, and superspace differentiation and integration . 31 4.2 Supersymmetry transformations the superspace way . ................ 33 4.3 Chiral covariant derivatives . ............ 35 4.4 Chiralsuperfields................................ ........ 37 arXiv:hep-ph/9709356v7 27 Jan 2016 4.5 Vectorsuperfields................................ ........ 38 4.6 How to make a Lagrangian in superspace . .......... 40 4.7 Superspace Lagrangians for chiral supermultiplets . ................... 41 4.8 Superspace Lagrangians for Abelian gauge theory . ................ 43 4.9 Superspace Lagrangians for general gauge theories . ................. 46 4.10 Non-renormalizable supersymmetric Lagrangians . .................. 49 4.11 R symmetries........................................ -
Construction and Classification of Holomorphic Vertex Operator Algebras
Construction and classification of holomorphic vertex operator algebras Jethro van Ekeren1, Sven Möller2, Nils R. Scheithauer2 1Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil 2Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany We develop an orbifold theory for finite, cyclic groups acting on holomorphic vertex operator algebras. Then we show that Schellekens’ classification of V1-structures of meromorphic confor- mal field theories of central charge 24 is a theorem on vertex operator algebras. Finally we use these results to construct some new holomorphic vertex operator algebras of central charge 24 as lattice orbifolds. 1 Introduction Vertex algebras give a mathematically rigorous description of 2-dimensional quantum field the- ories. They were introduced into mathematics by R. E. Borcherds [B1]. The most prominent example is the moonshine module V \ constructed by Frenkel, Lepowsky and Meurman [FLM]. This vertex algebra is Z-graded and carries an action of the largest sporadic simple group, the monster. Borcherds showed that the corresponding twisted traces are hauptmoduls for genus 0 groups [B2]. The moonshine module was the first example of an orbifold in the theory of vertex algebras. The (−1)-involution of the Leech lattice Λ lifts to an involution g of the associated lattice vertex g algebra VΛ. The fixed points VΛ of VΛ under g form a simple subalgebra of VΛ. Let VΛ(g) be the unique irreducible g-twisted module of VΛ and VΛ(g)Z the subspace of vectors with integral g g L0-weight. Then the vertex algebra structure on VΛ can be extended to VΛ ⊕ VΛ(g)Z. This sum \ g is the moonshine module V . -
String Theory and the Ads/CFT Correspondence
String Theory and the AdS/CFT correspondence Matthias Gaberdiel ETH Zürich PSI 26 September 2019 Generalities What string theory is (and what it is not)? It is a promising approach towards a quantum theory incorporating high energy physics and general relativity. However, it is not a `complete’ theory: there are many conceptual problems (in particular its off-shell formulation) that are not well understood. Generalities What string theory is (and what it is not)? There are also (mainly technical) problems in understanding string theory for time-dependent and cosmological configurations, in particular for de Sitter backgrounds. On the other hand, string theory seems to provide, for example, a convincing explanation of black hole entropy in terms of microscopic states (at least for certain black holes). Generalities What string theory is (and what it is not)? String theory makes very specific and testable predictions… However, as for any theory of quantum gravity, these predictions are only `sharp’ near the Planck scale, and direct experimental verification seems currently out of reach. Generalities As a consequence, supporting evidence for string theory has appeared more indirectly, e.g. ‣ AdS/CFT correspondence has led to testable insights into conventional QFTs ‣ Triggered new developments in mathematics, e.g. mirror symmetry. ‣ Inspiration for model building, e.g. higher dimensions, supersymmetry, etc. ‣ Given rise to new techniques for perturbative and non-perturbative analysis of (susy) QFTs, e.g. Seiberg-Witten, etc. Generalities As a consequence, supporting evidence for string theory has appeared more indirectly, e.g. ‣ AdS/CFT correspondence has led to testable insights into conventional QFTs ‣ Triggered new developments in mathematics, e.g.