Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Solving 3d gravity with Virasoro TQFT

  Scott Collier, Lorenz Eberhardt, Mengyang Zhang

  SciPost Phys. 15, 151 (2023) · published 11 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We propose a precise reformulation of 3d quantum gravity with negative cosmological constant in terms of a topological quantum field theory based on the quantization of the Teichmüller space of Riemann surfaces that we refer to as "Virasoro TQFT". This TQFT is similar, but importantly not equivalent, to SL(2, $\mathbb{R}$) Chern-Simons theory. This sharpens the folklore that 3d gravity is related to SL(2, $\mathbb{R}$) Chern-Simons theory into a precise correspondence, and resolves some well-known issues with this lore at the quantum level. Our proposal is computationally very useful and provides a powerful tool for the further study of 3d gravity. In particular, we explain how together with standard TQFT surgery techniques this leads to a fully algorithmic procedure for the computation of the gravity partition function on a fixed topology exactly in the central charge. Mathematically, the relation leads to many nontrivial conjectures for hyperbolic 3-manifolds, Virasoro conformal blocks and crossing kernels.

  9 citations

• On the quark spectral function in QCD

  Jan Horak, Jan M. Pawlowski, Nicolas Wink

  SciPost Phys. 15, 149 (2023) · published 10 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We calculate the spectral function of light quark flavours in 2+1 flavour vacuum QCD in the isospin-symmetric approximation. We employ spectral Dyson-Schwinger equations and compute the non-perturbative quark propagator directly in real-time, using recent spectral reconstruction results from Gaussian process regression of gluon propagator data in 2+1 flavour lattice QCD. Our results feature a pole-like peak structure at time-like momenta larger than the propagator's gapping scale as well as a negative scattering continuum, which we exploit assuming an analytic pole-tail split during the iterative solution. The computation is augmented with a general discussion of the impact of the quark-gluon vertex and the gluon propagator on the analytic structure of the quark propagator. In particular, we investigate under which conditions the quark propagator shows unphysical complex poles. Our results offer a wide range of applications, encompassing the ab-initio calculation of transport as well as resonance properties in QCD.

  1 citation

• From combinatorial maps to correlation functions in loop models

  Linnea Grans-Samuelsson, Jesper Lykke Jacobsen, Rongvoram Nivesvivat, Sylvain Ribault, Hubert Saleur

  SciPost Phys. 15, 147 (2023) · published 9 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In two-dimensional statistical physics, correlation functions of the $O(N)$ and Potts models may be written as sums over configurations of non-intersecting loops. We define sums associated to a large class of combinatorial maps (also known as ribbon graphs). We allow disconnected maps, but not maps that include monogons. Given a map with $n$ vertices, we obtain a function of the moduli of the corresponding punctured Riemann surface. Due to the map's combinatorial (rather than topological) nature, that function is single-valued, and we call it an $n$-point correlation function. We conjecture that in the critical limit, such functions form a basis of solutions of certain conformal bootstrap equations. They include all correlation functions of the $O(N)$ and Potts models, and correlation functions that do not belong to any known model. We test the conjecture by counting solutions of crossing symmetry for four-point functions on the sphere.

  2 citations

• Flux vacua and modularity for $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetric Calabi-Yau manifolds

  Philip Candelas, Xenia de la Ossa, Pyry Kuusela, Joseph McGovern

  SciPost Phys. 15, 146 (2023) · published 9 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We find continuous families of supersymmetric flux vacua in IIB Calabi-Yau compactifications for multiparameter manifolds with an appropriate $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ symmetry. We argue, supported by extensive computational evidence, that the numerators of the local zeta functions of these compactification manifolds have quadratic factors. These factors are associated with weight-two modular forms, these manifolds being said to be weight-two modular. Our evidence supports the flux modularity conjecture of Kachru, Nally, and Yang. The modular forms are related to a continuous family of elliptic curves. The flux vacua can be lifted to F-theory on elliptically fibred Calabi-Yau fourfolds. If conjectural expressions for Deligne's periods are true, then these imply that the F-theory fibre is complex-isomorphic to the modular curve. In three examples, we compute the local zeta function of the internal geometry using an extension of known methods, which we discuss here and in more detail in a companion paper. With these techniques, we are able to compare the zeta function coefficients to modular form Fourier coefficients for hundreds of manifolds in three distinct families, finding agreement in all cases. Our techniques enable us to study not only parameters valued in $\mathbb{Q}$ but also in algebraic extensions of $\mathbb{Q}$, so exhibiting relations to Hilbert and Bianchi modular forms. We present in appendices the zeta function numerators of these manifolds, together with the corresponding modular forms.

• Mirror symmetry for five-parameter Hulek-Verrill manifolds

  Philip Candelas, Xenia de la Ossa, Pyry Kuusela, Joseph McGovern

  SciPost Phys. 15, 144 (2023) · published 6 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the mirrors of five-parameter Calabi-Yau threefolds first studied by Hulek and Verrill in the context of observed modular behaviour of the zeta functions for Calabi-Yau manifolds. Toric geometry allows for a simple explicit construction of these mirrors, which turn out to be familiar manifolds. These are elliptically fibred in multiple ways. By studying the singular fibres, we are able to identify the rational curves of low degree on the mirror manifolds. This verifies the mirror symmetry prediction obtained by studying the mirror map near large complex structure points. We undertake also an extensive study of the periods of the Hulek-Verrill manifolds and their monodromies. On the mirror, we compute the genus-zero and -one instanton numbers, which are labelled by 5 indices, as $h^{1,1}\!=5$. There is an obvious permutation symmetry on these indices, but in addition there is a surprising repetition of values. We trace this back to an $S_{6}$ symmetry made manifest by certain constructions of the complex structure moduli space of the Hulek-Verrill manifold. Among other consequences, we see in this way that the moduli space has six large complex structure limits. It is the freedom to expand the prepotential about any one of these points that leads to this symmetry in the instanton numbers. An intriguing fact is that the group that acts on the instanton numbers is larger than $S_6$ and is in fact an infinite hyperbolic Coxeter group, that we study. The group orbits have a "web" structure, and with certain qualifications the instanton numbers are only nonzero if they belong to what we term "positive webs". This structure has consequences for instanton numbers at all genera.

  1 citation

• Fermionic higher-form symmetries

  Yi-Nan Wang, Yi Zhang

  SciPost Phys. 15, 142 (2023) · published 6 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In this paper, we explore a new type of global symmetries - the fermionic higher-form symmetries. They are generated by topological operators with fermionic parameter, which act on fermionic extended objects. We present a set of field theory examples with fermionic higher-form symmetries, which are constructed from fermionic tensor fields. They include the free fermionic tensor theories, a new type of fermionic topological quantum field theories, as well as the exotic 6d (4,0) theory. We also discuss the gauging and breaking of such global symmetries and the relation to the no global symmetry swampland conjecture.

  3 citations

• Weak vs. strong breaking of integrability in interacting scalar quantum field theories

  Bence Fitos, Gábor Takács

  SciPost Phys. 15, 137 (2023) · published 5 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The recently proposed classification of integrability-breaking perturbations according to their strength is studied in the context of quantum field theories. Using random matrix methods to diagnose the resulting quantum chaotic behaviour, we investigate the $\phi^4$ and $\phi^6$ interactions of a massive scalar, by considering the crossover between Poissonian and Wigner-Dyson distributions in systems truncated to a finite-dimensional Hilbert space. We find that a naive extension of the scaling of crossover coupling with the volume observed in spin chains does not give satisfactory results for quantum field theory. Instead, we demonstrate that considering the scaling of the crossover coupling with the number of particles yields robust signatures, and is able to distinguish between the strengths of integrability breaking in the $\phi^4$ and $\phi^6$ quantum field theories.

• One-form symmetries in $\mathcal{N} = 3$ S-folds

  Antonio Amariti, Davide Morgante, Antoine Pasternak, Simone Rota, Valdo Tatitscheff

  SciPost Phys. 15, 132 (2023) · published 3 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We classify the global one-form symmetries for non-Lagrangian $\mathcal{N}=3$ SCFTs that arise by the action of $S$-fold projections on D3-branes. Such a classification is dictated, on a generic point of the Coulomb branch, by probing the charge spectrum of $(p, q)$-strings in the brane setup. The charge lattice of lines is then obtained by finding the ones that are genuine modulo screening by dynamical particles. The one-form symmetries are then extracted from the maximal sub-lattices of mutually local lines. We further comment on the existence of non-invertible symmetries for some of these $\mathcal{N}=3$ SCFTs.

• $\beta$-function of the level-zero Gross-Neveu model

  Dmitri Bykov

  SciPost Phys. 15, 127 (2023) · published 2 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We explain that the supersymmetric $\mathbb{CP}^{n-1}$ sigma model is directly related to the level-zero chiral Gross-Neveu (cGN) model. In particular, beta functions of the two theories should coincide. This is consistent with the one-loop-exactness of the $\mathbb{CP}^{n-1}$ beta function and a conjectured all-loop beta function of cGN models. We perform an explicit four-loop calculation on the cGN side and discuss the renormalization scheme dependence that arises.

• Symmetries and topological operators, on average

  Andrea Antinucci, Giovanni Galati, Giovanni Rizi, Marco Serone

  SciPost Phys. 15, 125 (2023) · published 29 September 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study Ward identities and selection rules for local correlators in disordered theories where a 0-form global symmetry of a QFT is explicitly broken by a random coupling $h$ but it re-emerges after quenched average. We consider $h$ space-dependent or constant. In both cases we construct the symmetry operator implementing the group action, topological after average. In the first case, relevant in statistical systems with random impurities, such symmetries can be coupled to external backgrounds and can be gauged, like ordinary symmetries in QFTs. We also determine exotic selection rules arising when symmetries emerge after average in the IR, explaining the origin of LogCFTs from symmetry considerations. In the second case, relevant in AdS/CFT to describe the dual boundary theory of certain bulk gravitational theories, the charge operator is not purely codimension-1, it can be defined only on homologically trivial cycles and on connected spaces. Selection rules for average correlators exist, yet such symmetries cannot be coupled to background gauge fields in ordinary ways and cannot be gauged. When the space is disconnected, in each connected component charge violation occurs, as expected from Euclidean wormholes in the bulk theory. Our findings show the obstruction to interpret symmetries emergent after average as gauged in the bulk.