4D Theory Research Articles

Magnetic quivers, Higgs branches, and 6d mathcal{N} = (1, 0) theories \u2014 orthogonal and symplectic gauge groups

M5 branes on a D-type ALE singularity display various phenomena that introduce additional massless degrees of freedom. The M5 branes are known to fractionate on a D-type singularity. Whenever two fractional M5 branes coincide, tensionless strings arise. Therefore, these systems do not admit a low-energy Lagrangian description. Focusing on the 6-dimensional mathcal{N} = (1, 0) world-volume theories on the M5 branes, the vacuum moduli space has two branches were either the scalar fields in the tensor multiplet or the scalars in the hypermultiplets acquire a non-trivial vacuum expectation value. As suggested in previous work, the Higgs branch may change drastically whenever a BPS-string becomes tensionless. Recently, magnetic quivers have been introduced with the aim to capture all Higgs branches over any point of the tensor branch. In this paper, the formalism is extended to Type IIA brane configurations involving O6 planes. Since the 6d mathcal{N} = (1, 0) theories are composed of orthosymplectic gauge groups, the derivation rules for the magnetic quiver in the presence of O6 planes have to be conjectured. This is achieved by analysing the 6d theories for a single M5 brane on a D-type singularity and deriving the magnetic quivers for the finite and infinite gauge coupling Higgs branch from a brane configuration. The validity of the proposed derivation rules is underpinned by deriving the associated Hasse diagram. For multiple M5 branes, the approach of this paper provides magnetic quivers for all Higgs branches over any point of the tensor branch. In particular, an interesting infinite gauge coupling transition is found that is related to the SO(8) non-Higgsable cluster.

Holographic dual to charged SYK from 3D gravity and Chern-Simons

In this paper, we obtain a bulk dual to the low energy sector of the SYK model, including SYK model with U(1) charge, by Kaluza-Klein (KK) reduction from three dimensions. We show that KK reduction of the 3D Einstein action plus its boundary term gives the Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) model in 2D with the appropriate 1D boundary term. The size of the KK radius gets identified with the value of the dilaton in the resulting near-AdS2 geometry. In presence of U(1) charge, the 3D model additionally includes a U(1) Chern-Simons (CS) action. In order to describe a boundary theory with non-zero chemical potential, we also introduce a coupling between CS gauge field and bulk gravity. The 3D CS action plus the new coupling term with appropriate boundary terms reduce in two dimensions to a BF-type action plus a source term and boundary terms. The KK reduced 2D theory represents the soft sector of the charged SYK model. The pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone modes of combined Diff/SL(2, ℝ) and U(1)local/U(1) transformations are represented by combined large diffeomorphisms and large gauge transformations. The effective action of the former is reproduced by the action cost of the latter in the bulk dual, after appropriate identification of parameters. We compute chaotic correlators from the bulk and reproduce the result that the contribution from the “boundary photons” corresponds to zero Liapunov exponent.

T-branes and G2 backgrounds

Compactification of M- / string theory on manifolds with $G_2$ structure yields a wide variety of 4D and 3D physical theories. We analyze the local geometry of such compactifications as captured by a gauge theory obtained from a three-manifold of ADE singularities. Generic gauge theory solutions include a non-trivial gauge field flux as well as normal deformations to the three-manifold captured by non-commuting matrix coordinates, a signal of T-brane phenomena. Solutions of the 3D gauge theory on a three-manifold are given by a deformation of the Hitchin system on a marked Riemann surface which is fibered over an interval. We present explicit examples of such backgrounds as well as the profile of the corresponding zero modes for localized chiral matter. We also provide a purely algebraic prescription for characterizing localized matter for such T-brane configurations. The geometric interpretation of this gauge theory description provides a generalization of twisted connected sums with codimension seven singularities at localized regions of the geometry. It also indicates that geometric codimension six singularities can sometimes support 4D chiral matter due to physical structure "hidden" in T-branes.

4d mathcal{N} = 1 from 6d D-type mathcal{N} = (1, 0)

Compactifications of 6d mathcal{N} = (1, 0) SCFTs give rise to new 4d mathcal{N} = 1 SCFTs and shed light on interesting dualities between such theories. In this paper we continue exploring this line of research by extending the class of compactified 6d theories to the D- type case. The simplest such 6d theory arises from D5 branes probing D-type singularities. Equivalently, this theory can be obtained from an F-theory compactification using −2- curves intersecting according to a D-type quiver. Our approach is two-fold. We start by compactifying the 6d SCFT on a Riemann surface and compute the central charges of the resulting 4d theory by integrating the 6d anomaly polynomial over the Riemann surface. As a second step, in order to find candidate 4d UV Lagrangians, there is an intermediate 5d theory that serves to construct 4d domain walls. These can be used as building blocks to obtain torus compactifications. In contrast to the A-type case, the vanishing of anomalies in the 4d theory turns out to be very restrictive and constraints the choices of gauge nodes and matter content severely. As a consequence, in this paper one has to resort to non- maximal boundary conditions for the 4d domain walls. However, the comparison to the 6d theory compactified on the Riemann surface becomes less tractable.

Sequences of 6d SCFTs on generic Riemann surfaces

We consider compactifications of 6d minimal (DN+3, DN+3) type conformal matter SCFTs on a generic Riemann surface. We derive the theories corresponding to three punctured spheres (trinions) with three maximal punctures, from which one can construct models corresponding to generic surfaces. The trinion models are simple quiver theories with mathcal{N} = 1 SU(2) gauge nodes. One of the three puncture non abelian symmetries is emergent in the IR. The derivation of the trinions proceeds by analyzing RG flows between conformal matter SCFTs with different values of N and relations between their subsequent reductions to 4d. In particular, using the flows we first derive trinions with two maximal and one minimal punctures, and then we argue that collections of N minimal punctures can be interpreted as a maximal one. This suggestion is checked by matching the properties of the 4d models such as ’t Hooft anomalies, symmetries, and the structure of the conformal manifold to the expectations from 6d. We then use the understanding that collections of minimal punctures might be equivalent to maximal ones to construct trinions with three maximal punctures, and then 4d theories corresponding to arbitrary surfaces, for 6d models described by two M5 branes probing a ℤk singularity. This entails the introduction of a novel type of maximal puncture. Again, the suggestion is checked by matching anomalies, symmetries and the conformal manifold to expectations from six dimensions. These constructions thus give us a detailed understanding of compactifications of two sequences of six dimensional SCFTs to four dimensions.

Peculiar index relations, 2D TQFT, and universality of SUSY enhancement

We study certain exactly marginal gaugings involving arbitrary numbers of Argyres-Douglas (AD) theories and show that the resulting Schur indices are related to those of certain Lagrangian theories of class mathcal{S} via simple transformations. By writing these quantities in the language of 2D topological quantum field theory (TQFT), we easily read off the S-duality action on the flavor symmetries of the AD quivers and also find expressions for the Schur indices of various classes of exotic AD theories appearing in different decoupling limits. The TQFT expressions for these latter theories are related by simple transformations to the corresponding quantities for certain well-known isolated theories with regular punctures (e.g., the Minahan-Nemeschansky E6 theory and various generalizations). We then reinterpret the TQFT expressions for the indices of our AD theories in terms of the topology of the corresponding 3D mirror quivers, and we show that our isolated AD theories generically admit renormalization group (RG) flows to interacting superconformal field theories (SCFTs) with thirty-two (Poincaré plus special) supercharges. Motivated by these examples, we argue that, in a sense we make precise, the existence of RG flows to interacting SCFTs with thirty-two supercharges is generic in a far larger class of 4D mathcal{N} = 2 SCFTs arising from compactifications of the 6D (2, 0) theory on surfaces with irregular singularities.

AdS7 black-hole entropy and 5D mathcal{N} = 2 Yang-Mills

We generalise the work of 1810.11442 for the case of AdS7/CFT5. Starting from the 2-equivalent charge, 3-equivalent rotation non-extremal black-hole solution in 7D gauged supergravity, we consider the supersymmetric and then the extremal limit and evaluate the associated thermodynamic quantities. Away from extremality, the black-hole solution becomes complex. The entropy is then given by the Legendre transform of the on-shell action with respect to two complex chemical potentials subject to a constraint. At the conformal boundary we derive the dual background and evaluate the corresponding partition function for the AN–1 6D (2,0) theory at large N in a Cardy-like limit. This is carried out via a 5D mathcal{N} = 2 super Yang-Mills calculation on S5. The gravitational on-shell action is found to be exactly reproduced by the boundary partition function at large N. We argue that this agreement puts strong constraints on the form of possible higher-derivative corrections to the 5D gauge theory that is used in the S5 evaluation.

Higher-form symmetries, Bethe vacua, and the 3d-3d correspondence

By incorporating higher-form symmetries, we propose a refined definition of the theories obtained by compactification of the 6d (2, 0) theory on a three-manifold M3. This generalization is applicable to both the 3d mathcal{N} = 2 and mathcal{N} = 1 supersymmetric reductions. An observable that is sensitive to the higher-form symmetries is the Witten index, which can be computed by counting solutions to a set of Bethe equations that are determined by M3. This is carried out in detail for M3 a Seifert manifold, where we compute a refined version of the Witten index. In the context of the 3d-3d correspondence, we complement this analysis in the dual topological theory, and determine the refined counting of flat connections on M3, which matches the Witten index computation that takes the higher-form symmetries into account.

3D effects on Fracture Mechanics

Simplified mathematical models are extremely useful for understanding and characterizing physical phenomena; this is the case of plane (stress/strain) elasticity, which has been the main analytical framework of Fracture Mechanics since its origins. Bowed crack fronts in thin sheets and plates, unpredicted fatigue crack paths, and crack initiation as well as brittle fracture location are only examples of fracture mechanisms not completely explained by the classical closed form 2D solutions, e.g. Westergaard’s solution. This paper aims to provide a brief review on 3D effects on the brittle fracture behavior of linear, elastic, homogeneous and isotropic solids in presence of cracks or notches, under the hypothesis of small scale plasticity (LEFM). We overview the main theoretical and numerical results on coupled modes of fracture, i.e. coupling of shear (Mode II) and out-of-plane (Mode III) modes, due to three-dimensional effects and on 3D vertex singularities close to a corner point generated by the intersection of a crack/notch front with free surfaces. We also address recent theoretical-numerical studies and inconsistencies on the relation of crack (notch) tip stress singularities, usually characterized by local (notch) stress intensity factors, in the vicinity of a corner point and far away from it. Despite numerous works have attempted to interpret finite element and analytical results, no consensus exists on the behaviour of the 3D stress field near a vertex of cracked/notched solids; a unifying theory, able to guarantee the extension of the results of experimental tests prescribed by standards, based on the 2D theory of elasticity, to real cases, is still required.

Resolving the van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov and strong coupling problems in massive gravity and bigravity

As is well known, both massive gravity and bigravity exhibit the linear van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov (vDVZ) discontinuity that is cured classically by the nonlinear Vainshtein mechanism due to certain low scale strongly coupled interactions. Here we show how both the vDVZ and strong coupling problems can be removed by embedding 4D covariant massive gravity into a certain 5D warped geometry. The 4D theory is a nonlinear strongly coupled massive gravity, that is being coupled to a 5D bulk theory that generates a bulk graviton mass via a one loop diagram. This induced mass leads to an additional 4D kinetic term for the 4D longitudinal mode, even on flat space. Due to this kinetic term the 4D massive theory becomes weakly coupled all the way up to a high energy scale set by the bulk cosmological constant. The same effect leads to a suppression of the interactions of the 4D longitudinal mode with a 4D matter stress-tensor, thus removing the vDVZ discontinuity. The proposed mechanism has a pure 4D holographic interpretation: a 4D nonlinear massive gravity mixes to a non-conserved symmetric tensor of a 4D CFT that has a cutoff; the latter mixing generates a large kinetic term for the longitudinal mode, and this makes the longitudinal mode be weakly coupled to a matter stress-tensor, and weakly self-coupled, all the way up to the scale of the 4D CFT cutoff.

Large-N \u2102\u2119N \u22121 sigma model on a Euclidean torus: uniqueness and stability of the vacuum

In this paper we examine analytically the large-N gap equation and its solution for the 2D ℂℙN −1 sigma model defined on a Euclidean spacetime torus of arbitrary shape and size (L, β), β being the inverse temperature. We find that the system has a unique homogeneous phase, with the ℂℙN −1 fields ni acquiring a dynamically generated mass (λ) ≥ Λ2 (analogous to the mass gap of SU(N ) Yang-Mills theory in 4D), for any β and L. Several related topics in the recent literature are discussed. One concerns the possibility, which turns out to be excluded according to our analysis, of a “Higgs-like” — or deconfinement — phase at small L and at zero temperature. Another topics involves “soliton-like” (inhomogeneous) solutions of the generalized gap equation, which we do not find. A related question concerns a possible instability of the standard ℂℙN −1 vacuum on R2, which is shown not to occur. In all cases, the difference in the conclusions can be traced to the existence of certain zeromodes and their proper treatment. The ℂℙN −1 model with twisted boundary conditions is also analyzed. The θ dependence and different limits involving N , β and L are briefly discussed.

Fibers add flavor. Part I. Classification of 5d SCFTs, flavor symmetries and BPS states

We propose a graph-based approach to 5d superconformal field theories (SCFTs) based on their realization as M-theory compactifications on singular elliptic Calabi-Yau threefolds. Field-theoretically, these 5d SCFTs descend from 6d mathcal{N} = (1, 0) SCFTs by circle compactification and mass deformations. We derive a description of these theories in terms of graphs, so-called Combined Fiber Diagrams, which encode salient features of the partially resolved Calabi-Yau geometry, and provides a combinatorial way of characterizing all 5d SCFTs that descend from a given 6d theory. Remarkably, these graphs manifestly capture strongly coupled data of the 5d SCFTs, such as the superconformal flavor symmetry, BPS states, and mass deformations. The capabilities of this approach are demonstrated by deriving all rank one and rank two 5d SCFTs. The full potential, how- ever, becomes apparent when applied to theories with higher rank. Starting with the higher rank conformal matter theories in 6d, we are led to the discovery of previously unknown flavor symmetry enhancements and new 5d SCFTs.

Exotic massive 3D gravities from truncation

ABSTRACTWe introduce a systematic way of constructing 3D exotic massive gravity theories in the first order formulation. Our method is based on truncating a single degree of freedom in the parity odd gravity models found earlier [1] and supplementing it with appropriate potential terms such that the resulting models have well-defined metric equations but their Bianchi identities are satisfied only on-shell. Hence, they are ‘third way’ consistent. We first re-derive two already known exotic theories using our approach and then construct an extended exotic massive gravity model whose metric field equation is sixth order in derivatives. We also explain how to check Bianchi identities using the first order formulation.

Quantum 4d Yang-Mills theory and time-reversal symmetric 5d higher-gauge topological field theory

We explore 4d Yang-Mills gauge theories (YM) living as boundary conditions of 5d gapped short/long-range entangled (SRE/LRE) topological states. Specifically, we explore 4d time-reversal symmetric pure YM of an SU(2) gauge group with a second-Chern-class topological term at $\theta=\pi$ (SU(2)$_{\theta=\pi}$ YM), by turning on background fields for both the time-reversal (i.e., on unorientable manifolds) and 1-form center global symmetry. We find four classes of time-reversal and Lorentz symmetry-enriched SU(2)$_{\theta=\pi}$ YM, labeled by $(K_1, K_2)$: $K_1=0,1$ specifies Kramers singlet/doublet Wilson line and new mixed higher 't Hooft anomalies; $K_2=0,1$ specifies boson/fermionic Wilson line and a new Wess-Zumino-Witten-like counterterm. Higher anomalies indicate that to realize all higher $n$-global symmetries locally on $n$-simplices, the 4d theory becomes a boundary of a 5d higher-symmetry-protected topological state (SPTs, as an invertible topological quantum field theory (TQFT) or a cobordism invariant in math, or as a 5d higher-symmetric interacting topological superconductor in condensed matter). By dynamically gauging the 1-form symmetry, we transform a 5d bulk SRE SPTs into an LRE symmetry-enriched topologically ordered state (SETs); thus we obtain the 4d SO(3)$_{\theta=\pi}$ YM-5d LRE-higher-SETs coupled system with higher-form gauge fields. We further derive new exotic anyonic statistics of extended objects such as 2-worldsheet of strings and 3-worldvolume of branes, physically characterizing the 5d SETs. We discover triple and quadruple link invariants associated with the 5d higher-gauge TQFTs, hinting at a relation between non-supersymmetric 4d pure YM and topological links in 5d. We provide 4d-5d lattice simplicial complex regularizations and bridge to 4d quantum spin liquids. We constrain gauge dynamics by higher anomalies and a higher symmetry-extension method.

On the Description of Masses and Charges in the 6D Theory of Kaluza-Klein Type

We analyze two branches of five-dimensional theories from a methodological point of view: Kaluza’s theory and the Klein-Fock-Rumer (KFR) 5-optics, aimed at a geometric description of electromagnetism and masses of elementary particles, respectively. These two theories have a number of problematic points such as the Planckian masses in Kaluza’s theory, or appearing of a configuration space in the KFR scheme. We propose a simple six-dimensional toy model of Kaluza-Klein type with compactification on a two-dimensional torus $$\mathbb{T}^2$$, which demonstrates a possible way to overcome these difficulties in quite a simple manner. The key features of our approach are: merging of the above two 5D theories into a unique 6D theory; using the signature (+-) of extra space allowing one to renormalize the mass spectrum; and a special kind of truncation of the full isometry group to the electromagnetic gauge group U(1). The latter feature allows a geometrical interpretation in terms of an effective 5D theory on a hypersurface $$\Sigma\subset\mathbb{T}^2$$ being a leaf of a linear foliation of the 2-torus. Possible consequences and open questions arising in such a scheme are briefly discussed.

Supersymmetric probes in warped AdS6

We consider defects in 5d field theories corresponding to higher-rank generalizations of the {E}_{N_f+1} theories; holographically dual to the Brandhuber-Oz background in type I’ String Theory. We concentrate on codimension 2 and 1 defects, corresponding, respectively, to 3d and 4d defect Quantum Field Theories. We study holographically such defect theories by considering supersymmetric probe D4- and D6-branes in the AdS6, whose fluctuations allow us to study the spectrum of mesonic operators of the defect theories. In the case of D4-branes, we also consider wrappings in the internal space which can be regarded as generalizations of the configurations capturing the antisymmetric Wilson loop.

On the torus compactifications of Z2 orbifolds of E-string theories

We consider the torus compactifications with flux of a class of 6d (1, 0) SCFTs that can be engineered as the low-energy theories on M5-branes near an M9-plane on a C2 / Z2 singularity. Specifically, we concentrate on the two SCFTs where the Z2 orbifold action acts non-trivially on the E8 global symmetry. We analyze this problem by compactifying to 5d, where we can exploit the relation to 5d duality domain walls. By a suitable guess of the domain wall theories, the resulting 4d theories can be conjectured. These can then be tested by comparing their properties, notably anomalies and symmetries, against the 6d expectations. These constructions lead to various interesting 4d phenomena like dualities and symmetry enhancements.

\u2019t Hooft defects and wall crossing in SQM

In this paper we study the contribution of monopole bubbling to the expectation value of supersymmetric ’t Hooft defects in Lagrangian theories of class S on ℝ3× S1. This can be understood as the Witten index of an SQM living on the world volume of the ’t Hooft defect that couples to the bulk 4D theory. The computation of this Witten index has many subtleties originating from a continuous spectrum of scattering states along the non-compact vacuum branches. We find that even after properly dealing with the spectral asymmetry, the standard localization result for the ’t Hooft defect does not agree with the result obtained from the AGT correspondence. In this paper we will explicitly show that one must correct the localization result by adding an extra term to the standard Jeffrey-Kirwan residue formula. This extra term accounts for the contribution of ground states localized along the non-compact branches. This extra term restores both the ex- pected symmetry properties of the line defect expectation value and reproduces the results derived using the AGT correspondence.

Vertex Constraints in 3D Higher Spin Theories.

We analyze the constraints imposed by gauge invariance on higher-order interactions between massless bosonic fields in three-dimensional higher-spin gravities. Focusing on the transverse-traceless part, we show that vertices of quartic and higher order that are independent of the cubic ones can only involve scalars and Maxwell fields. As a consequence, the full nonlinear interactions of massless higher-spin fields are completely fixed by the cubic vertex.

Deriving the inflaton in compactified M-theory with a de Sitter vacuum

Compactifying M-theory on a manifold of $G_2$ holonomy gives a UV complete 4D theory. It is supersymmetric, with soft supersymmetry breaking via gaugino condensation that simultaneously stabilizes all moduli and generates a hierarchy between the Planck and the Fermi scale. It generically has gauge matter, chiral fermions, and several other important features of our world. Here we show that the theory also contains a successful inflaton, which is a linear combination of moduli closely aligned with the overall volume modulus of the compactified $G_2$ manifold. The scheme does not rely on ad hoc assumptions, but derives from an effective quantum theory of gravity. Inflation arises near an inflection point in the potential which can be deformed into a local minimum. This implies that a de Sitter vacuum can occur in the moduli potential even without uplifting. Generically present charged hidden sector matter generates a de Sitter vacuum as well.