4D Theory Research Articles

Are low-energy data already hinting at five dimensions?

Low-energy data, combined with renormalization group (RG) equations, can predict new physics at far higher energy scales. In this paper, we consider the possibility that the measured Higgs boson mass and top quark mass hint at a five-dimensional gauge-Higgs unification (5D GHU) model at a scale above TeV. We note that the vanishing of the Higgs quartic coupling and the proximity of the top quark Yukawa coupling and weak gauge coupling at high scales, inferred from the experimental data, are in harmony with 5D GHU, because in 5D GHU models the Higgs quartic coupling is forbidden by the 5D gauge symmetry and the Yukawa couplings and the weak gauge coupling originate from a common 5D gauge coupling. Based on the above insight, we propose a 5D GHU model where the Standard Model fermions are embedded in 5D fermions in a way to tightly relate the top Yukawa coupling with the weak gauge coupling. Also, the model predicts the presence of vector-like fermions (other than the Kaluza-Klein modes), which can affect the RG evolutions of the 4D theory and reconcile the scale of vanishing Higgs quartic coupling and that of equality of the top Yukawa and weak gauge couplings, thereby achieving a successful matching of the 4D theory with 5D GHU. We predict the vector-like fermion mass and the compactification scale of 5D GHU from the conditions for the successful matching.

Mechanical behavior and free vibration analysis of FG doubly curved shells on elastic foundation via a new modified displacements field model of 2D and quasi-3D HSDTs

Analysis of the effect of Pasternak’s elastic foundation parameters on the bending and free vibration of functionally graded double curved shells subjected to uniform and sinusoidal loads is the purpose of this paper in which the novelty is to develop a new formulated 2D and quasi-3D HSDT shell theories with considering the effect of transverse shear and shell thickness stretching. Numerical results are reported for different geometries including plates, cylindrical and spherical shells using a five-variable displacement field in terms of undetermined integrals by employing a trigonometric-exponential hybrid function. The impact of geometrical parameters, volume fraction and foundation stiffness on the static and vibratory behaviors​ is extensively discussed. Convergence studies and error analysis are carried out to validate the present approach. The proposed theory proves to be simple and useful in the analysis of double-curved FGM shells.

Reflections on the matter of 3DN=1vacua and localSpin(7)compactifications

We use Higgs bundles to study the 3d $\mathcal{N} = 1$ vacua obtained from M-theory compactified on a local $Spin(7)$ space given as a four-manifold $M_4$ of ADE singularities with further generic enhancements in the singularity type along one-dimensional subspaces. There can be strong quantum corrections to the massless degrees of freedom in the low energy effective field theory, but topologically robust quantities such as "parity" anomalies are still calculable. We show how geometric reflections of the compactification space descend to 3d reflections and discrete symmetries. The "parity" anomalies of the effective field theory descend from topological data of the compactification. The geometric perspective also allows us to track various perturbative and non-perturbative corrections to the 3d effective field theory. We also provide some explicit constructions of well-known 3d theories, including those which arise as edge modes of 4d topological insulators, and 3d $\mathcal{N} = 1$ analogs of grand unified theories. An additional result of our analysis is that we are able to track the spectrum of extended objects and their transformations under higher-form symmetries.

On 5D SCFTs and their BPS quivers. Part I: B-branes and brane tilings

We study the spectrum of BPS particles on the Coulomb branch of five-dimensional superconformal field theories (5d SCFTs) compactified on a circle. By engineering these theories in M-theory on ${\mathbf X} \times S^1 $, for ${\mathbf X}$ an isolated Calabi-Yau threefold singularity, we naturally identify the BPS category of the 5d theory on a circle with the derived category of coherent sheaves on a resolution of ${\mathbf X}$. It follows that the BPS spectrum can be studied in terms of 5d BPS quivers, which are the fractional-brane quivers for the singularity ${\mathbf X}$. 5d BPS quivers generalize the well-studied 4d BPS quivers for 4d $\mathcal{N}{=}2$ gauge theories that can be obtained from ${\mathbf X}$ in so-called geometric engineering limits. We study the interplay between 4d and 5d BPS quivers in detail. We particularly focus on examples when ${\mathbf X}$ is a toric singularity, in which case the 5d BPS quiver is given in terms of a brane tiling. For instance, the well-studied $Y^{p,q}$ brane tiling gives a 5d BPS quiver for the $SU(p)_q$ 5d gauge theory. We present a conjecture about the structure of the BPS spectra of a wide class of models, which we test in the simple case of the 5d $SU(2)_0$ theory (more precisely, the $E_1$ SCFT). We also argue that 5d UV dualities can be realized in terms of mutation sequences on the BPS quivers, which are in turn interpreted as autoequivalences of the BPS category.

Exact WKB methods in SU(2) Nf = 1

We study in detail the Schrödinger equation corresponding to the four dimensional SU(2) mathcal{N} = 2 SQCD theory with one flavour. We calculate the Voros symbols, or quantum periods, in four different ways: Borel summation of the WKB series, direct computation of Wronskians of exponentially decaying solutions, the TBA equations of Gaiotto-Moore-Neitzke/Gaiotto, and instanton counting. We make computations by all of these methods, finding good agreement. We also study the exact quantization condition for the spectrum, and we compute the Fredholm determinant of the inverse of the Schrödinger operator using the TS/ST correspondence and Zamolodchikov’s TBA, again finding good agreement. In addition, we explore two aspects of the relationship between singularities of the Borel transformed WKB series and BPS states: BPS states of the 4d theory are related to singularities in the Borel transformed WKB series for the quantum periods, and BPS states of a coupled 2d+4d system are related to singularities in the Borel transformed WKB series for local solutions of the Schrödinger equation.

Dichotomic ratchet in a two-dimensional corrugated channel.

We consider a particle diffusing in a two-dimensional (2D) channel of varying width h(x). It is driven by a force of constant magnitude f but random orientation there or back along the channel. We derive the effective generalized Fick-Jacobs equation for this system, which describes the dynamics of such a particle in the longitudinal coordinate x. Aside from the effective diffusion coefficient D(x), our mapping also generates an additional effective potential -γ(x) added to the entropic potential -log[h(x)]. It acquires an increasing or decreasing component in asymmetric periodic channels, and thus it explains appearance of the ratchet current. We study this effect on a trial example and compare the results of our true 2D theory with a commonly used effective one-dimensional description; the data are verified by the numerical solution of the full 2D problem.

Mathfrak{gl} N Higgsed networks

We generalize the framework of Higgsed networks of intertwiners to the quantum toroidal algebra associated to Lie algebra mathfrak{gl} N. Using our formalism we obtain a systems of screening operators corresponding to W-algebras associated to toric strip geometries and reproduce partition functions of 3d theories on orbifolded backgrounds.

On governing equations for a nanoplate derived from the 3D gradient theory of elasticity

The paper is concerned with the asymptotically consistent theory of nanoscale plates capturing the spatial nonlocal effects. The three-dimensional (3D) elasticity equations for a thin plate are used as the governing equations. In the general case, the plate is acted upon by dynamic body forces varying in the thickness direction, and by variable surface forces. The thickness of the plate is assumed to be greater than the characteristic micro/nanoscale measure and much smaller than the in-plane characteristic dimension (e.g., the wave or deformation length). The 3D constitutive equations of gradient elasticity are used to link the fields of nonlocal stresses and strains. Using the asymptotic approach, a sequence of relations for stresses and displacements in the form of polynomials in the transverse coordinate with coefficients depending on time and in-plane coordinates was obtained. The asymptotically consistent 2D differential equation governing vibration (or static deformation) of a plate accounting for both transverse shears and the spatial nonlocal contribution of the stress and strain fields was derived. It was revealed that capturing nonlocal effects in all directions leads to an increase in the correction factor compared with the well-known 2D theories based on kinematic hypotheses and the Eringen-type gradient constitutive equations. The effect of the internal length scales parameters on free low-frequency vibrations and displacements of a plate is discoursed.

Higgs branches of 5d rank-zero theories from geometry

We study the Higgs branches of five-dimensional mathcal{N} = 1 rank-zero theories obtained from M-theory on two classes non-toric non-compact Calabi-Yau threefolds: Reid’s pagodas, and Laufer’s examples. Our approach consists in reducing to IIA with D6-branes and O6-planes, and computing the open-string spectra giving rise to hypermultiplets. Starting with the seven-dimensional worldvolume theories, we switch on T-brane backgrounds to give rise to bound states with angles. We observe that the resulting partially Higgsed 5d theories have discrete gauge groups, from which we readily deduce the geometry of the Higgs branches as orbifolds of quaternionic varieties.

Intersecting defects and supergroup gauge theory

We consider 5d supersymmetric gauge theories with unitary groups in the Ω-background and study codim-2/4 BPS defects supported on orthogonal planes intersecting at the origin along a circle. The intersecting defects arise upon implementing the most generic Higgsing (geometric transition) to the parent higher dimensional theory, and they are described by pairs of 3d supersymmetric gauge theories with unitary groups interacting through 1d matter at the intersection. We explore the relations between instanton and generalized vortex calculus, pointing out a duality between intersecting defects subject to the Ω-background and a deformation of supergroup gauge theories, the exact supergroup point being achieved in the self-dual or unrefined limit. Embedding our setup into refined topological strings and in the simplest case when the parent 5d theory is Abelian, we are able to identify the supergroup theory dual to the intersecting defects as the supergroup version of refined Chern–Simons theory via open/closed duality. We also discuss the BPS/CFT side of the correspondence, finding an interesting large rank duality with super-instanton counting.

Compactifying 5d superconformal field theories to 3d

Building on recent progress in the study of compactifications of 6d (1, 0) superconformal field theories (SCFTs) on Riemann surfaces to 4d mathcal{N} = 1 theories, we initiate a systematic study of compactifications of 5d mathcal{N} = 1 SCFTs on Riemann surfaces to 3d mathcal{N} = 2 theories. Specifically, we consider the compactification of the so-called rank 1 Seiberg {E}_{N_f+1} SCFTs on tori and tubes with flux in their global symmetry, and put the resulting 3d theories to various consistency checks. These include matching the (usually enhanced) IR symmetry of the 3d theories with the one expected from the compactification, given by the commutant of the flux in the global symmetry of the corresponding 5d SCFT, and identifying the spectrum of operators and conformal manifolds predicted by the 5d picture. As the models we examine are in three dimensions, we encounter novel elements that are not present in compactifications to four dimensions, notably Chern-Simons terms and monopole superpotentials, that play an important role in our construction. The methods used in this paper can also be used for the compactification of any other 5d SCFT that has a deformation leading to a 5d gauge theory.

Fully-staggered-array bulk Re-Ba-Cu-O short-period undulator: large-scale 3D electromagnetic modelling and design optimization using A-V and H-formulation methods

The development of a new hard x-ray beamline I-TOMCAT equipped with a 1 m long short-period bulk high-temperature superconductor undulator (BHTSU) has been scheduled for the upgrade of the Swiss Light Source at the Paul Scherrer Institute. The very hard x-ray source generated by the BHTSU will increase the brilliance at the beamline by over one order of magnitude in comparison to other state-of-the-art undulator technologies and allow experiments to be carried out with photon energies in excess of 60 keV. One of the key challenges for designing a 1 m long (100 periods) BHTSU is the large-scale simulation of the magnetization currents inside 200 staggered-array bulk superconductors. A feasible approach to simplify the electromagnetic model is to retain five periods from both ends of the 1 m long BHTSU, reducing the number of degrees of freedom to the scale of millions. In this paper, the theory of the recently-proposed 2D A -V formulation-based backward computation method is extended to calculate the critical state magnetization currents in the ten-period staggered-array BHTSU in 3D. The simulation results of the magnetization currents and the associated undulator field along the electron beam axis are compared with the well-known 3D H -formulation and the highly efficient 3D H -ϕ formulation method, all methods showing excellent agreement with each other as well as with experimental results. The mixed H -ϕ formulation avoids computing the eddy currents in the air subdomain and is significantly faster than the full H -formulation method, but is slower in comparison to the A -V formulation-based backward computation. Finally, the fastest and the most efficient A -V formulation, implemented in ANSYS 2020R1 Academic, is adopted to optimize the integrals of the undulator field along the electron beam axis by optimizing the sizes of the end bulks.

Generalized Rest Mass and Dirac’s Monopole in 5D Theory and Cosmology

It is shown that the 5D geodetic equations and 5D Ricci identities give us a way to create a new viewpoint on some problems of modern physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. Specifically, the application of the 5D geodetic equations in (4+1) and (3+1+1) splintered forms obtained with the help of the monad and dyad methods made it possible to introduce a new, effective generalized concept of the rest mass of the elementary particle. The latter leads one to novel connections between the general relativity and quantum field theories, and all that, including the (4+1) splitting of the 5D Ricci identities, brings about a better understanding of the magnetic monopole problem and the vital difference in the origins of the Maxwell equations and gives rise to surprising connections between them. The obtained results also provide new insight into the mechanism of the 4D universe’s expansion and its following acceleration.

On the compactification of 5d theories to 4d

We study general properties of the mapping between 5d and 4d superconformal field theories (SCFTs) under both twisted circle compactification and tuning of local relevant deformation and CB moduli. After elucidating in generality when a 5d SCFT reduces to a 4d one, we identify nearly all mathcal{N} = 1 5d SCFT parents of rank-2 4d mathcal{N} = 2 SCFTs. We then use this result to map out the mass deformation trajectories among the rank-2 theories in 4d. This can be done by first understanding the mass deformations of the 5d mathcal{N} = 1 SCFTs and then map them to 4d. The former task can be easily achieved by exploiting the fact that the 5d parent theories can be obtained as the strong coupling limit of Lagrangian theories, and the latter by understanding the behavior under compactification. Finally we identify a set of general criteria that 4d moduli spaces of vacua have to satisfy when the corresponding SCFTs are related by mass deformations and check that all our RG-flows satisfy them. Many of the mass deformations we find are not visible from the corresponding complex integrable systems.

Black hole with confining electric potential in scalar-tensor description of regularized 4-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

In this paper, we analytically present an exact confining charged black hole solution to the scalar-tensor description of regularized 4-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity (4DEGBG) coupled to non-linear gauge theory containing −F2 term. Part of the importance of using a non-trivial 4D theory of Gauss-Bonnet gravity is that it is proven the absence of the Ostrogradsky instability was formulated in Glavan and Lin (2020) [26] and then regularized 4DEGBG theory was obtained in Hennigar et al. (2020) [45] and Fernandes et al. (2020) [49] as well as this theory gains many attentions because of its important finding for black hole physics. We therefore also study some properties of this solution such as temperature, specific heat, shadow and quasinormal modes. Our results here show that a confining charge f gives a significant contribution to the shadow of the black hole as well as quasinormal modes frequencies.

6d/5d exceptional gauge theories from web diagrams

We construct novel web diagrams with a trivalent or quadrivalent gluing for various 6d/5d theories from certain Higgsings of 6d conformal matter theories on a circle. The theories realized on the web diagrams include 5d Kaluza-Klein theories from circle compactifications of the 6d G2 gauge theory with 4 flavors, the 6d F4 gauge theory with 3 flavors, the 6d E6 gauge theory with 4 flavors and the 6d E7 gauge theory with 3 flavors. The Higgsings also give rise to 5d Kaluza-Klein theories from twisted compactifications of 6d theories including the 5d pure SU(3) gauge theory with the Chern-Simons level 9 and the 5d pure SU(4) gauge theory with the Chern-Simons level 8. We also compute the Nekrasov partition functions of the theories by applying the topological vertex formalism to the newly obtained web diagrams.

Functional and morphological changes in hypoplasic posterior fossa

BackgroundThe knowledge of the development and the anatomy of the posterior cranial fossa (PCF) is crucial to define the occurrence and the prognosis of diseases where the surface and/or the volume of PCF is reduced, as several forms of craniosynostosis or Chiari type I malformation (CIM). To understand the functional and morphological changes resulting from such a hypoplasia is mandatory for their correct management. The purpose of this article is to review the pertinent literature to provide an update on this topic.MethodsThe related and most recent literature addressing the issue of the changes in hypoplasic PCF has been reviewed with particular interest in the studies focusing on the PCF characteristics in craniosynostosis, CIM, and achondroplasia.Results and conclusionsIn craniosynostoses, namely, the syndromic ones, PCF shows different degrees of hypoplasia, according to the different pattern and timing of early suture fusion. Several factors concur to PCF hypoplasia and contribute to the resulting problems (CIM, hydrocephalus), as the fusion of the major and minor sutures of the lambdoid arch, the involvement of the basal synchondroses, and the occlusion of the jugular foramina. The combination of these factors explains the variety of the clinical and radiological phenotypes. In primary CIM, the matter is complicated by the evidence that, in spite of impaired PCF 2D measurements and theories on the mesodermal defect, the PCF volumetry is often comparable to healthy subjects. CIM is revealed by the overcrowding of the foramen magnum that is the result of a cranio-cerebral disproportion (altered PCF brain volume/PCF total volume). Sometimes, this disproportion is evident and can be demonstrated (basilar invagination, real PCF hypoplasia); sometimes, it is not. Some recent genetic observations would suggest that CIM is the result of an excessive growth of the neural tissue rather than a reduced growth of PCF bones. Finally, in achondroplasia, both macrocephaly and reduced 2D and 3D values of PCF occur. Some aspects of this disease remain partially obscure, as the rare incidence of hydrocephalus and syringomyelia and the common occurrence of asymptomatic upper cervical spinal cord damage. On the other hand, the low rate of CIM could be explained on the basis of the reduced area of the foramen magnum, which would prevent the hindbrain herniation.

Fermion mass hierarchies from supersymmetric gauged flavour symmetry in 5D

A mechanism to generate realistic fermion mass hierarchies based on supersymmetric gauged U(1)_FU(1)F symmetry in flat five-dimensional (5D) spacetime is proposed. The fifth dimension is compactified on S^1/Z_2S1/Z2 orbifold. The standard model fermions charged under the extra abelian symmetry along with their superpartners live in the 5D bulk. Bulk masses of fermions are generated by the vacuum expectation value of N=2N=2 superpartner of U(1)_FU(1)F gauge field, and they are proportional to U(1)_FU(1)F charges of respective fermions. This decides localization of fermions in the extra dimension, which in turn gives rise to exponentially suppressed Yukawa couplings in the effective 4D theory. Anomaly cancellation puts stringent constraints on the allowed U(1)_FU(1)F charges which leads to correlations between the masses of quarks and leptons. We perform an extensive numerical scan and obtain several solutions for anomaly-free U(1)_FU(1)F, which describe the observed pattern of fermion masses and mixing with all the fundamental parameters of order unity. It is found that the possible existence of SM singlet neutrinos substantially improves the spectrum of solutions by offering more freedom in choosing U(1)_FU(1)F charges. The model predicts Z^\primeZ′ boson mediating flavour violating interactions in both the quark and lepton sectors with the couplings which can be explicitly determined from the Yukawa couplings.

Simulating higher-order topological insulators in density wave insulators

Since the discovery of the Harper-Hofstadter model, it has been known that condensed matter systems with periodic modulations can be promoted to non-trivial topological states with emergent gauge fields in higher dimensions. In this work, we develop a general procedure to compute the gauge fields in higher dimensions associated to low-dimensional systems with periodic (charge- and spin-) density wave modulations. We construct two-dimensional (2D) models with modulations that can be promoted to higher-order topological phases with $U(1)$ and $SU(2)$ gauge fields in 3D. Corner modes in our 2D models can be pumped by adiabatic sliding of the phase of the modulation, yielding hinge modes in the promoted models. We also examine a 3D Weyl semimetal (WSM) gapped by charge-density wave (CDW) order, possessing quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) surface states. We show that this 3D system is equivalent to a 4D nodal line system gapped by a $U(1)$ gauge field with a nonzero second Chern number. We explain the recently identified interpolation between inversion-symmetry protected phases of the 3D WSM gapped by CDWs using the corresponding 4D theory. Our results can extend the search for (higher-order) topological states in higher dimensions to density wave systems.

Black holes and large N complex saddles in 3D-3D correspondence

We study the large N sign oscillation of the twisted indices for 3D theories of class ℛ obtained from M5-branes wrapped on a hyperbolic 3-manifold. Holographically, the oscillatory behavior can be understood from the imaginary part of on-shell actions for the two Euclidean supergravity solutions, Bolt± with p = 0, which are Wick rotation of magnetically charged AdS4 black holes. The two solutions have the same imaginary part with opposite sign. The imaginary part comes from the F ∧ F-term in the supergravity and the coefficient is proportional to the Chern-Simons invariant of 3-manifold. Combining the holographic computation with 3D-3D relation for twisted indices, we propose a non-trivial mathematical conjecture regarding the phase factor of a twisted Reidemeister-Ray-Singer torsion on hyperbolic 3-manifold.