Publications

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• Extremal stringy black holes in equilibrium at first order in $\alpha'$

  Tomás Ortín, Alejandro Ruipérez, Matteo Zatti

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 072 (2023) · published 31 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We compute the first-order $\alpha'$ corrections to well-known families of heterotic multi-center black-hole solutions in five and four dimensions. The solutions can be either supersymmetric or non-supersymmetric, depending on the relative sign between two of the black-hole charges. For both cases, we find that the equilibrium of forces persists after including the $\alpha'$ corrections, as the existence of multi-center solutions free of unphysical singularities shows. We analyze the possibility of black-hole fragmentation.

  1 citation

• Four lectures on Euler integrals

  Saiei-Jaeyeong Matsubara-Heo, Sebastian Mizera, Simon Telen

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 75 (2023) · published 26 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  These lecture notes provide a self-contained introduction to Euler integrals, which are frequently encountered in applications. In particle physics, they arise as Feynman integrals or string amplitudes. Our four selected topics demonstrate the diverse mathematical techniques involved in the study of Euler integrals, including polyhedral geometry, very affine varieties, differential equations, and computational algebra.

  1 citation

• Dark matter from the centre of SU(N)

  Michele Frigerio, Nicolas Grimbaum-Yamamoto, Thomas Hambye

  SciPost Phys. 15, 177 (2023) · published 25 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  A dark sector with non-abelian gauge symmetry provides a sound framework to justify stable dark matter (DM) candidates. We consider scalar fields charged under a $SU(N)$ gauge group, and show that the centre of $SU(N)$, the discrete subgroup $Z_N$ also known as $N$-ality, can ensure the stability of scalar DM particles. We analyse in some details two minimal DM models of this class, based on $SU(2)$ and $SU(3)$, respectively. These models have non-trivial patterns of spontaneous symmetry breaking, leading to distinctive phenomenological implications. For the $SU(2)$ model these include a specific interplay of two DM states, with the same interactions but different masses, and several complementary DM annihilation regimes, either within the dark sector or through the Higgs portal. The $SU(3)$ model predicts dark radiation made of a pair of dark photons with a unique gauge coupling, as well as regimes where DM semi-annihilations become dominant and testable.

  1 citation

• Resolving phase transitions with discontinuous Galerkin methods

  Eduardo Grossi, Nicolas Wink

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 071 (2023) · published 25 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We demonstrate the applicability and advantages of Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) schemes in the context of the Functional Renormalization Group (fRG). We investigate the $O(N)$-model in the large $N$ limit. It is shown that the flow equation for the effective potential can be cast into a conservative form. We discuss results for the Riemann problem, as well as initial conditions leading to a first and second order phase transition. In particular, we unravel the mechanism underlying first order phase transitions, based on the formation of a shock in the derivative of the effective potential.

  2 citations

• Flavoured $(g-2)_\mu$ with dark lepton seasoning

  Harun Acaroğlu, Prateek Agrawal, Monika Blanke

  SciPost Phys. 15, 176 (2023) · published 24 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  As a joint explanation for the dark matter (DM) problem and the muon $(g-2)$ anomaly, we propose a simplified model of lepton-flavoured complex scalar DM with couplings to both the left- and right-handed leptons of the Standard Model (SM). Both interactions are governed by the same new flavour-violating coupling matrix $\lambda$, however we allow for a relative scaling of the coupling strength. The SM is further extended by two fermion representations, transforming as an $SU(2)_L$ doublet and singlet, respectively, and mediating these interactions. The fermions additionally couple to the SM Higgs doublet via a new Yukawa coupling. To study the model's phenomenology we first investigate constraints from collider searches, flavour experiments, precision tests of the SM, the DM relic density, and direct as well as indirect detection experiments individually. We then perform a combined analysis by demanding that all mentioned constraints are satisfied simultaneously. We use the results of this combined analysis and examine if the model is capable of accommodating the $(g-2)_\mu$ anomaly within its viable parameter space without introducing fine-tuned lepton masses. For all benchmark scenarios we consider, we find that the central value of $\Delta a_\mu^\text{exp}$ can be reached without generating too large corrections to the lepton masses. We hence conclude that this model qualifies as a viable and attractive lepton-flavoured DM model that at the same time solves the $(g-2)_\mu$ anomaly.

  1 citation

• Local operator entanglement in spin chains

  Eric Mascot, Masahiro Nozaki, Masaki Tezuka

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 070 (2023) · published 20 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Understanding how and whether local perturbations can affect the entire quantum system is a fundamental step in understanding non-equilibrium phenomena such as thermalization. This knowledge of non-equilibrium phenomena is applicable for quantum computation, as many quantum computers employ non-equilibrium processes for computations. In this paper, we investigate the evolution of bi- and tripartite operator mutual information of the time-evolution operator and the Pauli spin operators in the one-dimensional Ising model with magnetic field and the disordered Heisenberg model to study the properties of quantum circuits. In the Ising model, the early-time evolution qualitatively follows an effective light cone picture, and the late-time value is well described by Page's value for a random pure state. In the Heisenberg model with strong disorder, we find that many-body localization prevents the information from propagating and being delocalized. We also find an effective Ising Hamiltonian that describes the time evolution of bi- and tripartite operator mutual information for the Heisenberg model in the large disorder regime.

  1 citation

• Probabilistic deconstruction of a theory of gravity, part I: Flat space

  Sunok Josephine Suh

  SciPost Phys. 15, 174 (2023) · published 19 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We define and analyze a stochastic process in anti-de Sitter Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity, induced by the quantum dynamics of the boundary and whose random variable takes values in $AdS_2$. With the boundary in a thermal state and for appropriate parameters, we take the asymptotic limit of the quantum process at short time scales and flat space, and show associated classical joint distributions have the Markov property. We find that Einstein's equations of the theory, sans the cosmological constant term, arise in the semi-classical limit of the quantum evolution of probability under the asymptotic process. In particular, in flat Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity, the area of compactified space solved for by Einstein's equations can be identified as a probability density evolving under the Markovian process.

  1 citation

• Quasi-characters in $\widehat{su(2)}$ current algebra at fractional levels

  Sachin Grover

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 068 (2023) · published 18 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the even characters of $\widehat{su(2)}$ conformal field theories (CFTs) at admissible fractional levels obtained from the difference of the highest weight characters in the unflavoured limit. We show that admissible even character vectors arise only in three special classes of admissible fractional levels which include the threshold levels, the positive half-odd integer levels, and the isolated level at -$5/4$. Among them, we show that the even characters of the half-odd integer levels map to the difference of characters of $\widehat{su(2)}_{4N+4}$, with $N\in\mathbb{Z}_{>0}$, although we prove that they do not correspond to rational CFTs. The isolated level characters maps to characters of two subsectors with $\widehat{so(5)}_1$ and $\widehat{su(2)}_1$ current algebras. Furthermore, for the $\widehat{su(2)}_1$ subsector of the isolated level, we introduce discrete flavour fugacities. The threshold levels saturate the admissibility bound and their even characters have previously been shown to be proportional to the unflavoured characters of integrable representations in $\widehat{su(2)}_{4N}$ CFTs, where $N\in\mathbb{Z}_{> 0}$ and we reaffirm this result. Except at the three classes of fractional levels, we find special inadmissible characters called quasi-characters which are nice vector valued modular functions but with $q$-series coefficients violating positivity but not integrality.

• Remarks on Berry connection in QFT, anomalies, and applications

  Mykola Dedushenko

  SciPost Phys. 15, 167 (2023) · published 17 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Berry connection has been recently generalized to higher-dimensional QFT, where it can be thought of as a topological term in the effective action for background couplings. Via the inflow, this term corresponds to the boundary anomaly in the space of couplings, another notion recently introduced in the literature. In this note we address the question of whether the old-fashioned Berry connection (for time-dependent couplings) still makes sense in a QFT on $\Sigma^{(d)}× \mathbb{R}$, where $\Sigma^{(d)}$ is a $d$-dimensional compact space and $\mathbb{R}$ is time. Compactness of $\Sigma^{(d)}$ relieves us of the IR divergences, so we only have to address the UV issues. We describe a number of cases when the Berry connection is well defined (which includes the $tt^*$ equations), and when it is not. We also mention a relation to the boundary anomalies and boundary states on the Euclidean $\Sigma^{(d)} × \mathbb{R}_{≥ 0}$. We then work out the examples of a free 3D Dirac fermion and a 3D $\mathcal{N}=2$ chiral multiplet. Finally, we consider 3D theories on $\mathbb{T}^2× \mathbb{R}$, where the space $\mathbb{T}^2$ is a two-torus, and apply our machinery to clarify some aspects of the relation between 3D SUSY vacua and elliptic cohomology. We also comment on the generalization to higher genus.

  1 citation

• Topological holography: Towards a unification of Landau and beyond-Landau physics

  Heidar Moradi, Seyed Faroogh Moosavian, Apoorv Tiwari

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 066 (2023) · published 16 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We outline a holographic framework that attempts to unify Landau and beyond-Landau paradigms of quantum phases and phase transitions. Leveraging a modern understanding of symmetries as topological defects/operators, the framework uses a topological order to organize the space of quantum systems with a global symmetry in one lower dimension. The global symmetry naturally serves as an input for the topological order. In particular, we holographically construct a String Operator Algebra (SOA) which is the building block of symmetric quantum systems with a given symmetry G in one lower dimension. This exposes a vast web of dualities which act on the space of G-symmetric quantum systems. The SOA facilitates the classification of gapped phases as well as their corresponding order parameters and fundamental excitations, while dualities help to navigate and predict various corners of phase diagrams and analytically compute universality classes of phase transitions. A novelty of the approach is that it treats conventional Landau and unconventional topological phase transitions on an equal footing, thereby providing a holographic unification of these seemingly-disparate domains of understanding. We uncover a new feature of gapped phases and their multi-critical points, which we dub fusion structure, that encodes information about which phases and transitions can be dual to each other. Furthermore, we discover that self-dual systems typically posses emergent non-invertible, i.e., beyond group-like symmetries. We apply these ideas to $1+1d$ quantum spin chains with finite Abelian group symmetry, using topologically-ordered systems in $2+1d$. We predict the phase diagrams of various concrete spin models, and analytically compute the full conformal spectra of non-trivial quantum phase transitions, which we then verify numerically.

  6 citations