Twisted compactifications of 3d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theories and conformal blocks

Abstract Three-dimensional N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 supersymmetric quantum field theories admit two topological twists, the Rozansky-Witten twist and its mirror. Either twist can be used to define a supersymmetric compactification on a Riemann surface and a corresponding space of supersymmetric groun...

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Main Author: Davide Gaiotto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2019-02-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP02(2019)061
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author Davide Gaiotto
author_facet Davide Gaiotto
author_sort Davide Gaiotto
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Three-dimensional N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 supersymmetric quantum field theories admit two topological twists, the Rozansky-Witten twist and its mirror. Either twist can be used to define a supersymmetric compactification on a Riemann surface and a corresponding space of supersymmetric ground states. These spaces of ground states can play an interesting role in the Geometric Langlands program. We propose a description of these spaces as conformal blocks for certain non-unitary Vertex Operator Algebras and test our conjecture in some important examples. The two VOAs can be constructed respectively from a UV Lagrangian description of the N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theory or of its mirror. We further conjecture that the VOAs associated to an N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SQFT inherit properties of the theory which only emerge in the IR, such as enhanced global symmetries. Thus knowledge of the VOAs should allow one to compute the spaces of supersymmetric ground states for a theory coupled to supersymmetric background connections for the full symmetry group of the IR SCFT. In particular, we propose a conformal field theory description of the spaces of ground states for the T[SU(N)] theories. These theories play a role of S-duality kernel in maximally supersymmetric SU(N) gauge theory and thus the corresponding spaces of supersymmetric ground states should provide a kernel for the Geometric Langlands duality for special unitary groups.
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spelling doaj.art-0c8a57bae6c74d0397060ec0547fc5392022-12-21T20:38:07ZengSpringerOpenJournal of High Energy Physics1029-84792019-02-012019214310.1007/JHEP02(2019)061Twisted compactifications of 3d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theories and conformal blocksDavide Gaiotto0Perimeter Institute for Theoretical PhysicsAbstract Three-dimensional N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 supersymmetric quantum field theories admit two topological twists, the Rozansky-Witten twist and its mirror. Either twist can be used to define a supersymmetric compactification on a Riemann surface and a corresponding space of supersymmetric ground states. These spaces of ground states can play an interesting role in the Geometric Langlands program. We propose a description of these spaces as conformal blocks for certain non-unitary Vertex Operator Algebras and test our conjecture in some important examples. The two VOAs can be constructed respectively from a UV Lagrangian description of the N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theory or of its mirror. We further conjecture that the VOAs associated to an N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SQFT inherit properties of the theory which only emerge in the IR, such as enhanced global symmetries. Thus knowledge of the VOAs should allow one to compute the spaces of supersymmetric ground states for a theory coupled to supersymmetric background connections for the full symmetry group of the IR SCFT. In particular, we propose a conformal field theory description of the spaces of ground states for the T[SU(N)] theories. These theories play a role of S-duality kernel in maximally supersymmetric SU(N) gauge theory and thus the corresponding spaces of supersymmetric ground states should provide a kernel for the Geometric Langlands duality for special unitary groups.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP02(2019)061Conformal Field TheoryDuality in Gauge Field TheoriesExtended SupersymmetryTopological Field Theories
spellingShingle Davide Gaiotto
Twisted compactifications of 3d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theories and conformal blocks
Journal of High Energy Physics
Conformal Field Theory
Duality in Gauge Field Theories
Extended Supersymmetry
Topological Field Theories
title Twisted compactifications of 3d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theories and conformal blocks
title_full Twisted compactifications of 3d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theories and conformal blocks
title_fullStr Twisted compactifications of 3d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theories and conformal blocks
title_full_unstemmed Twisted compactifications of 3d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theories and conformal blocks
title_short Twisted compactifications of 3d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theories and conformal blocks
title_sort twisted compactifications of 3d n mathcal n 4 theories and conformal blocks
topic Conformal Field Theory
Duality in Gauge Field Theories
Extended Supersymmetry
Topological Field Theories
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP02(2019)061
work_keys_str_mv AT davidegaiotto twistedcompactificationsof3dnmathcaln4theoriesandconformalblocks