Gauge Transformations Research Articles

Simulating (2+1)D SU(2) Yang-Mills lattice gauge theory at finite density with tensor networks

We numerically simulate a non-Abelian lattice gauge theory in two spatial dimensions, with tensor networks (TN), up to intermediate sizes (>30 matter sites) well beyond exact diagonalization. We focus on the SU(2) Yang-Mills model in Hamiltonian formulation, with dynamical matter and minimally truncated gauge field (hardcore gluon). Thanks to the TN sign-problem-free approach, we characterize the phase diagram of the model at zero and finite baryon number as a function of the quark bare mass and color charge. At intermediate system sizes, we detect a liquid phase of quark-pair bound-state quasiparticles (baryons), whose mass is finite towards the continuum limit. Interesting phenomena arise at the transition boundary where color-electric and color-magnetic terms are maximally frustrated: For low quark masses, we see traces of potential deconfinement, while for high masses, signatures of a possible topological order. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Geometric BV for twisted Courant sigma models and the BRST power finesse

We study twisted Courant sigma models, a class of topological field theories arising from the coupling of 3D 0-/2-form BF theory and Chern-Simons theory and containing a 4-form Wess-Zumino term. They are examples of theories featuring a nonlinearly open gauge algebra, where products of field equations appear in the commutator of gauge transformations, and they are reducible gauge systems. We determine the solution to the master equation using a technique, the BRST power finesse, that combines aspects of the AKSZ construction (which applies to the untwisted model) and the general BV-BRST formalism. This allows for a geometric interpretation of the BV coefficients in the interaction terms of the master action in terms of an induced generalised connection on a 4-form twisted (pre-)Courant algebroid, its Gualtieri torsion and the basic curvature tensor. It also produces a frame independent formulation of the model. We show, moreover, that the gauge fixed action is the sum of the classical one and a BRST commutator, as expected from a Schwarz type topological field theory.

U(1) fields from qubits: An approach via D-theory algebra

A new quantum link microstructure was proposed for the lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) Hamiltonian, replacing the Wilson gauge links with a bilinear of fermionic qubits, later generalized to D-theory. This formalism provides a general framework for building lattice field theory algorithms for quantum computing. We focus mostly on the simplest case of a quantum rotor for a single compact U(1) field. We also make some progress for non-Abelian setups, making it clear that the ideas developed in the U(1) case extend to other groups. These in turn are building blocks for 1+0-dimensional (1+0-D) matrix models, 1+1-D sigma models and non-Abelian gauge theories in 2+1 and 3+1 dimensions. By introducing multiple flavors for the U(1) field, where the flavor symmetry is gauged, we can efficiently approach the infinite-dimensional Hilbert space of the quantum O(2) rotor with increasing flavors. The emphasis of the method is on preserving the symplectic algebra exchanging fermionic qubits by sigma matrices (or hard bosons) and developing a formal strategy capable of generalization to a SU(3) field for lattice QCD and other non-Abelian 1+1-D sigma models or 3+1-D gauge theories. For U(1), we discuss briefly the qubit algorithms for the study of the discrete 1+1-D sine-Gordon equation. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Thin-wall monopoles in a false vacuum

We study numerically the existence in a false vacuum of magnetic monopoles that are “thin walled,” i.e., which correspond to a spherical region of radius R that is essentially trivial surrounded by a wall of thickness Δ≪R, hence the name thin wall, and finally an exterior region that essentially corresponds to a pure Abelian magnetic monopole. Such monopoles were dubbed false monopoles and can occur in non-Abelian gauge theories where the symmetry-broken vacuum is actually the false vacuum. This idea was first proposed in Kumar []; however, the proof of the existence of thin-wall, false monopoles given there was incorrect. Here, we fill this lacuna and demonstrate numerically, for an appropriately modified potential, the existence of thin-wall false monopoles. The decay via quantum tunneling of the false monopoles could be of importance to cosmological scenarios that entertain epochs in which the Universe is trapped in a symmetry-broken false vacuum. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Majorana neutrinos and dark matter from anomaly cancellation

We discuss a simple theory for neutrino masses where the total lepton number is a local gauge symmetry spontaneously broken below the multi-TeV scale. In this context, the neutrino masses are generated through the canonical seesaw mechanism and a Majorana dark matter candidate is predicted from anomaly cancellation. We discuss in great detail the dark matter annihilation channels and find out the upper bound on the symmetry-breaking scale using the cosmological bounds on the relic density. Since in this context the dark matter candidate has suppressed couplings to the Standard Model quarks, one can satisfy the direct detection bounds even if the dark matter mass is close to the electroweak scale. This theory predicts a light pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson (the Majoron) associated to the mechanism of neutrino mass. We discuss briefly the properties of the Majoron and the impact of the big bang nucleosynthesis bounds. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Geometrical interpretation of isospin subalgebras in SU(3)

Ever since new tetrads in four-dimensional Lorentzian curved spacetimes were introduced, many outstanding properties and results have been proven regarding Riemannian geometry, gauge theory or group theory. These tetrads might carry spacetime-kinematic information about particle multiplets. Among other properties, these new tetrads, locally and covariantly diagonalize stress–energy tensors. In the case where particles have an electromagnetic field, the local planes of gauge symmetry served as a tool in order to propose a new gravitational-kinematic interpretation of particle multiplets. The core reason stems from the mathematical fact that all local gauge symmetries associated to the Standard Model have been proven to be isomorphic to local groups of tetrad transformations in four-dimensional Lorentzian spacetimes. Therefore, the different stress–energy tensors have been proven to determine the local gauge geometry as a natural part of Riemannian geometry. The stress–energy tensors determine locally the orthogonal planes such that the rotation on either of them of the local tetrad vectors that span these planes is isomorphic to local tetrad gauge transformations. All these properties put together allow for a reinterpretation presented previously of particle states as particle gravitational-kinematic-spacetime tetrad states in the asymptotically flat limit. We proceed in this paper to study the case where there are [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] isospin subalgebras or submultiplets within the context of this new Riemannian interpretation of gauge symmetries.

Reduced Tensor Network Formulation for Non-Abelian Gauge Theories in Arbitrary Dimensions

Abstract Formulating non-Abelian gauge theories as a tensor network is known to be challenging due to the internal degrees of freedom that result in the degeneracy in the singular value spectrum. In two dimensions, it is straightforward to “trace out” these degrees of freedom with the use of character expansion, giving a reduced tensor network where the degeneracy associated with the internal symmetry is eliminated. In this work, we show that such an index loop also exists in higher dimensions in the form of a closed tensor network that we call the “armillary sphere”. This allows us to completely eliminate the matrix indices and reduce the overall size of the tensors in the same way as is possible in two dimensions. This formulation allows us to include significantly more representations with the same tensor size, thus making it possible to reach a greater level of numerical accuracy in the tensor renormalization group computations.

Electric-magnetic duality and Z2 symmetry enriched Abelian lattice gauge theory

Kitaev’s quantum double model is a lattice realization of Dijkgraaf–Witten topological quantum field theory. Its topologically protected ground state space has broad applications for topological quantum computation and topological quantum memory. We investigate the Z2 symmetry enriched generalization of the model for the Abelian group in a categorical framework and present an explicit Hamiltonian construction. This model provides a lattice realization of the Z2 symmetry of the topological phase. We discuss in detail the categorical symmetry of the phase, for which the electric-magnetic (EM) duality symmetry is a special case. The aspects of symmetry defects are investigated using the G-crossed unitary braided fusion category. By determining the corresponding anyon condensation, the gapped boundaries and boundary-bulk duality are also investigated. In the last part, an explicit lattice realization of EM duality is discussed.

Trace Conservation Laws in T2/Zm Orbifold Gauge Theories

Abstract Gauge theory compactified on an orbifold is defined by gauge symmetry, matter contents, and boundary conditions (BCs). There are equivalence classes (ECs), each of which consists of physically equivalent BCs. We propose the powerful necessary conditions, trace conservation laws (TCLs), which achieve a sufficient classification of ECs in U(N) and SU(N) gauge theories on T2/Zm orbifolds (m = 2, 3, 4, 6). The TCLs yield the equivalent relations between the diagonal BCs without relying on an explicit form of gauge transformations. The TCLs also show the existence of off-diagonal ECs, which consist only of off-diagonal matrices, on T2/Z4 and T2/Z6. After the sufficient classification, the exact numbers of ECs are obtained.

Asymptotic structure of higher dimensional Yang-Mills theory

Using the covariant phase space formalism, we construct the phase space for non-Abelian gauge theories in (d+2)-dimensional Minkowski spacetime for any d ≥ 2, including the edge modes that symplectically pair to the low energy degrees of freedom of the gauge field. Despite the fact that the symplectic form in odd and even-dimensional spacetimes appear ostensibly different, we demonstrate that both cases can be treated in a unified manner by utilizing the shadow transform. Upon quantization, we recover the algebra of the vacuum sector of the Hilbert space and derive a Ward identity that implies the leading soft gluon theorem in (d+2)-dimensional spacetime.

Real-time correlators in 3+1D thermal lattice gauge theory

We present the first direct computation of unequal-time correlation functions in non-Abelian lattice gauge theory. We demonstrate nontrivial consistency relations among correlators, time-translation invariance, and agreement with Monte Carlo results for thermal equilibrium in 3+1 dimensions by employing our stabilized complex Langevin method. Our work sets the stage to extract real-time observables, relevant to quark-gluon plasma physics within a first-principles real-time framework. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Unveiling the mysteries of magnetic monopoles in the electroweak symmetry breaking era

The theoretical existence of magnetic monopoles within the framework of electroweak unification and quantum field theories presents one of the most intriguing puzzles in modern physics. This article explores the formation, theoretical implications, and potential experimental signatures of magnetic monopoles emerging from electroweak symmetry breaking. Through a detailed analysis of their theoretical foundation, including Dirac's quantization, monopole solutions in non-Abelian gauge theories, and their role in Grand Unified Theories (GUTs), we delve into the profound implications these entities have for the Standard Model and beyond. We further examine the challenges and prospects of detecting magnetic monopoles through particle accelerator experiments, cosmic ray observations, and their significance in the quest for a unified theory of quantum gravity. Our investigation not only highlights the current state of theoretical and experimental efforts but also underscores the pivotal role magnetic monopoles play in bridging the gap between quantum mechanics and cosmological phenomena, offering insights into the early universe's symmetry-breaking events and the fundamental forces that shape our universe.

Kinetic equation for stochastic vector bundles

The kinetic equation is crucial for understanding the statistical properties of stochastic processes, yet current equations, such as the classical Fokker–Planck, are limited to local analysis. This paper derives a new kinetic equation for stochastic systems on vector bundles, addressing global scale randomness. The kinetic equation was derived by cumulant expansion of the ensemble-averaged local probability density function, which is a functional of state transition trajectories. The kinetic equation is the geodesic equation for the probability space. It captures global and historical influences, accounts for non-Markovianity, and can be reduced to the classical Fokker–Planck equation for Markovian processes. This paper also discusses relative issues concerning the kinetic equation, including non-Markovianity, Markov approximation, macroscopic conservation equations, gauge transformation, and truncation of the infinite-order kinetic equation, as well as limitations that require further attention.

Yet Another Lattice Formulation of 2D U(1) Chiral Gauge Theory via Bosonization

Abstract Recently, lattice formulations of Abelian chiral gauge theory in two dimensions have been devised on the basis of the Abelian bosonization. A salient feature of these 2D lattice formulations is that the gauge invariance is exactly preserved for anomaly-free theories and thus is completely free from the question of the gauge mode decoupling. In the present paper, we propose yet another lattice formulation sharing this desired property. A particularly unique point in our formulation is that the vertex operator of the dual scalar field, which carries the vector charge of the fermion and the “magnetic charge” in the bosonization, is represented by a “hole” excised from the lattice; this is the excision method formulated recently by Abe et al. in a somewhat different context.

Tensor network representation of non-abelian gauge theory coupled to reduced staggered fermions

We show how to construct a tensor network representation of the path integral for reduced staggered fermions coupled to a non-abelian gauge field in two dimensions. The resulting formulation is both memory and computation efficient because reduced staggered fermions can be represented in terms of a minimal number of tensor indices while the gauge sector can be approximated using Gaussian quadrature with a truncation. Numerical results obtained using the Grassmann TRG algorithm are shown for the case of SU(2) lattice gauge theory and compared to Monte Carlo results.

Color symmetry and confinement as an underlying superconformal structure in holographic QCD

Dedicated to the memory of our colleague, Harald Fritzsch, who, together with Murray Gell-Mann, introduced the color quantum number as the exact symmetry responsible for the strong interaction, thus establishing quantum chromodynamics (QCD) as a fundamental non-Abelian gauge theory. A basic understanding of hadron properties, however, such as confinement and the emergence of a mass scale, from first principles QCD has remained elusive: Hadronic characteristics are not explicit properties of the QCD Lagrangian and perturbative QCD, so successful in the large transverse momentum domain, is not applicable at large distances. In this article, we shall examine how this daunting obstacle is overcome in holographic QCD with the introduction of a superconformal symmetry in anti de Sitter (AdS) space which is responsible for confinement and the introduction of a mass scale within the superconformal group. When mapped to light-front coordinates in physical spacetime, this approach incorporates supersymmetric relations between the Regge trajectories of meson, baryon and tetraquark states which can be visualized in terms of specific [Formula: see text] color representations of quarks. We will also briefly discuss here the implications of holographic models for QCD color transparency in view of the present experimental interest.

New conformal-like symmetry of strictly massless fermions in four-dimensional de Sitter space

We present new infinitesimal ‘conformal-like’ symmetries for the field equations of strictly massless spin-s ≥ 3/2 totally symmetric tensor-spinors (i.e. gauge potentials) on 4-dimensional de Sitter spacetime (dS4). The corresponding symmetry transformations are generated by the five closed conformal Killing vectors of dS4, but they are not conventional conformal transformations. We show that the algebra generated by the ten de Sitter (dS) symmetries and the five conformal-like symmetries closes on the conformal-like algebra so(2, 4) up to gauge transformations of the gauge potentials. The transformations of the gauge-invariant field strength tensor-spinors under the conformal-like symmetries are given by the product of γ5 times a usual infinitesimal conformal transformation of the field strengths. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the two sets of physical mode solutions, corresponding to the two helicities ±s of the strictly massless theories, form a direct sum of Unitary Irreducible Representations (UIRs) of the conformal-like algebra. We also fill a gap in the literature by explaining how these physical modes form a direct sum of Discrete Series UIRs of the dS algebra so(1, 4).

On the covariant formulation of gauge theories with boundaries

In the present article, we review the classical covariant formulation of Yang–Mills theory and general relativity in the presence of spacetime boundaries, focusing mainly on the derivation of the presymplectic forms and their properties. We further revisit the introduction of the edge modes and the conditions which justify them, in the context where only field-independent gauge transformations are considered. We particularly show that the presence of edge modes is not justified by gauge invariance of the presymplectic form, but rather by the condition that the presymplectic form is degenerate on the initial field space, which allows to relate this presymplectic form to the symplectic form on the gauge reduced field space via pullback.

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We study 3D N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{N} $$\\end{document} = 2 supersymmetric field theories geometrically engineered from M-theory on non-compact Calabi-Yau fourfolds (CY4). We establish a detailed dictionary between the geometry and topology of non-compact CY4 and the physics of 3D N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{N} $$\\end{document} = 2 theories in three different regimes. The first one is the Coulomb branch description when the CY4 is smooth. The second one is non-abelian gauge theory when the CY4 has a degenerate ℙ1-fibration structure. The third one is the strongly coupled SCFT from a CY4 singularity. We find interesting flavor symmetry enhancements in the singular limit of CY4, as well as an interesting and previously unexplored phenomenon in 3D, termed “flavor symmetry duality”. Many examples are analyzed with an emphasis on toric CY4s and ℂ4 orbifolds with crepant resolutions. We develop a new brane box method to study the physics of Coulomb branch of 3D N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{N} $$\\end{document} = 2 theory that admits a toric construction. Via IIB/M-theory duality we find that the brane box diagram living in ℝ3 can be physically realized as a configuration of intersecting 4-branes which are extended objects in 8D maximal supersymmetric theory, which is shown to be consistent via various chains of dualities. The rank, effective gauge coupling and certain hints to flavor symmetry enhancement of the 3D N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{N} $$\\end{document} = 2 theory are read off from the brane box and cross-checked against the results obtained from geometric engineering. The exotic branes in 8D maximal supersymmetric theory and the 4-string junctions thereof are shown to play a crucial role in the construction of the brane box.

Entanglement entropy in lattices with non-Abelian gauge groups

Entanglement entropy, taken here to be geometric, requires a geometrically separable Hilbert space. In lattice gauge theories, it is not immediately clear if the physical Hilbert space is geometrically separable. In a previous paper we have shown that the physical Hilbert space in pure gauge Abelian lattice theories exhibits some form of geometric scaling with the lattice volume, which suggest that the space is locally factorizable and, therefore, geometrically separable. In this paper, we provide strong evidence that indicates that this scaling is not present when the group is non-Abelian. We do so by looking at the scaling of the dimension of the physical Hilbert space of theories with certain discrete groups. The lack of an appropriate scaling implies that the physical Hilbert space of such a theory does not admit a local factorization. We then extend the reasoning, as sensibly possible, to SU(2) and SU(N) to reach the same conclusion. Lastly, we show that the addition of matter fields to non-Abelian lattice gauge theories makes the resulting physical Hilbert space locally factorizable. Published by the American Physical Society 2024