Vacuum instability in Chern-Simons theory, null vectors and two-dimensional logarithmic operators

Abstract

A new relation between two-dimensional conformal field theories and three-dimensional topologically massive gauge theories is found, where the dynamical nature of the 3d theory is ultimately important. It is shown that the those primary states in CFT which have non-unitary descendants correspond in the 3d theory to supercritical charges and cause vacuum instability. It is also shown that logarithmic operators separating the unitary sector from a non-unitary one correspond to an exact zero energy ground state in which case the 3d Hamiltonian naturally has a Jordan structure.