We generalize the half-BPS Janus configuration of four-dimensional N=4 super Yang-Mills theory to allow the theta-angle, as well as the gauge coupling, to vary with position. We show that the existence of this generalization is closely related to the existence of novel three-dimensional Chern-Simons theories with N=4 supersymmetry. Another closely related problem, which we also elucidate, is the D3-NS5 system in the presence of a four-dimensional theta-angle.
We study several aspects of generalized Janus configuration, which includes a theta term. We investigate the vacuum structure of the theory and find that unlike the Janus configuration without theta term there is no nontrivial vacuum. We also discuss BPS soliton configuration both by supersymmetry analysis and from energy functional. The half BPS configurations could be realized by introducing transverse (p,q)-strings in original brane configuration corresponding to generalized Janus configuration. It turns out the BPS soliton could be taken as modified dyon. We discuss the solution of half BP…
We construct supersymmetric Janus solutions using four-dimensional $N=3$ gauged supergravity with $SO(3)\times SU(3)$ gauge group. The $N=3$ supersymmetric $AdS_4$ vacuum with unbroken $SO(3)\times SU(3)$, identified with the compactification of eleven-dimensional supergravity on $AdS_4\times N^{010}$, provides a gravity dual of supersymmetric $N=3$ Chern-Simons-Matter theory in three dimensions with $SU(3)$ flavor symmetry. The Janus solutions accordingly describe supersymmetric conformal interfaces within this Chern-Simons-Matter theory via the AdS/CFT holography. We find two classes of Janu…
We explore the physics of supersymmetric Janus gauge theories in four dimension with spatial dependent coupling constants, e^2 and theta. For the 8 supersymmetric case, we study the vacuum and BPS spectrum, and the physics of a sharp interface where the couple constants jump. We also find less supersymmetric cases either due to additional expressions in the Lagrangian or to the fact that coupling constants depend on additional spatial coordinates.
We develop an equivalence between two Hilbert spaces: (i) the space of states of $U(1)^n$ Chern-Simons theory with a certain class of tridiagonal matrices of coupling constants (with corners) on $T^2$; and (ii) the space of ground states of strings on an associated mapping torus with $T^2$ fiber. The equivalence is deduced by studying the space of ground states of $SL(2,Z)$-twisted circle compactifications of $U(1)$ gauge theory, connected with a Janus configuration, and further compactified on $T^2$. The equality of dimensions of the two Hilbert spaces (i) and (ii) is equivalent to a known id…
We describe paths in the configuration space of (3+1) dimensional QED whose relative quantum phase (or relative phase in the functional integral) depends on the value of the theta angle. The final configurations on the two paths are related by a gauge transformation but differ in magnetic helicity or Chern-Simons number. Such configurations must exhibit gauge potentials that fall off no faster than 1/r in some region of finite solid angle, although they need not have net magnetic charge (i.e., are not magnetic monopoles). The relative phase is proportional to theta times the difference in Cher…
We consider the noncommutative extension of Chern-Simons theory. We show the the theory can be fully expanded in power series of the noncommutative parameter theta and that no non-analytical sector exists. The theory appears to be unstable under radiative corrections, but we show that the infinite set of instabilities, to all orders in \hbar and in theta, is confined to a BRS exact cocycle. We show also that the theory is anomaly free. The quantum theory cannot be written in terms of the Groenewald-Moyal star product, and hence doubts arise on the interpretation of the noncommutative nature of…
We examine noncommutative Chern Simons theory using operator regularization. Both the zeta-function and the eta-function are needed to determine one loop effects. The contributions to these functions coming from the two point function is evaluated. The U(N) noncommutative model smoothly reduces to the SU(N) commutative model as the noncommutative parameter theta_{mu nu} vanishes.
The partition function of the Chern-Simons theory on the three-sphere with the unitary group $U(N)$ provides a one-matrix model. The corresponding $N$-particle system can be mapped to the determinantal point process whose correlation kernel is expressed by using the Stieltjes-Wigert orthogonal polynomials. The matrix model and the point process are regarded as $q$-extensions of the random matrix model in the Gaussian unitary ensemble and its eigenvalue point process, respectively. We prove the convergence of the $N$-particle system to an infinite-dimensional determinantal point process in $N \…
In this paper we discuss decomposition in the context of three-dimensional Chern-Simons theories. Specifically, we argue that a Chern-Simons theory with a gauged noneffectively-acting one-form symmetry is equivalent to a disjoint union of Chern-Simons theories, with discrete theta angles couplings to the image under a Bockstein homomorphism of a canonical degree-two characteristic class. On three-manifolds with boundary, we show that the bulk discrete theta angles (coupling to bundle characteristic classes) are mapped to choices of discrete torsion in boundary orbifolds. We use this to verify …
We consider 3+1-dimensional gauge theories at finite temperature and a finite density of charges which couple to a 2+1-dimensional Chern-Simons operator, giving rise to a theta-term with constant spatial gradient of theta. The strong-coupling limit of thermal N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory with this kind of anisotropic deformation has been used in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence as a model for strongly coupled anisotropic quark-gluon plasma. In this paper we work out the thermodynamics and the (nontrivial) phase diagram in the limit of vanishing gauge coupling and compare with the corre…
It is pointed out that the space noncommutativity parameters $theta^{μν}$ in noncommutative gauge theory can be considered as a set of superselection parameters, in analogy with the theta-angle in ordinary gauge theories. As such, they do not need to enter explicitly into the action. A simple generic formula is then suggested to reproduce the Chern-Simons action in noncommutative gauge theory, which reduces to the standard action in the commutative limit but in general implies a cascade of lower-dimensional Chern-Simons terms. The presence of these terms in general alters the vacuum structure …
We study the WZW, Chern-Simons, and 2d qYM theories with gauge group U(N). The U(N) WZW model is only well-defined for odd level K, and this model is shown to exhibit level-rank duality in a much simpler form than that for SU(N). The U(N) Chern-Simons theory on Seifert manifolds exhibits a similar duality, distinct from the level-rank duality of SU(N) Chern-Simons theory on S^3. When q = e^{2 pi i/(N+K)}, the observables of the 2d U(N) qYM theory can be expressed as a sum over a finite subset of U(N) representations. When N and K are odd, the qYM theory exhibits N <--> K duality, provided q = …
In this paper we study particle-vortex duality and the effect of theta terms from the point of view of AdS/CMT constructions. We can construct the duality in 2+1 dimensional field theories with or without a Chern-Simons term, and derive an effect on conductivities, when the action is viewed as a response action. We can find its effect on 3+1 dimensional theories, with or without a theta term, coupled to gravity in asymptotically AdS space, and derive the resulting effect on conductivities defined in the spirit of AdS/CFT. AdS/CFT then relates the 2+1 dimensional and the 3+1 dimensional cases n…
We present a rigorous analysis of the Schrödinger picture quantization for the $SU(2)$ Chern-Simons theory on 3-manifold torus$\times$line, with insertions of Wilson lines. The quantum states, defined as gauge covariant holomorphic functionals of smooth $su(2)$-connections on the torus, are expressed by degree $2k$ theta-functions satisfying additional conditions. The conditions are obtained by splitting the space of semistable $su(2)$-connections into nine submanifolds and by analyzing the behavior of states at four codimension $1$ strata. We construct the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov-Bernard conne…
We find an explicit solution of the Schrödinger equation for a Chern-Simons theory coupled to charged particles on a Riemann surface, when the coefficient of the Chern-Simons term is a rational number (rather than an integer) and where the total charge is zero. We find that the wave functions carry a projective representation of the group of large gauge transformations. We also examine the behavior of the wave function under braiding operations which interchange particle positions. We find that the representation of both the braiding operations and large gauge transformations involve unitary m…
We show that, in ABJ(M) theories with N=8 supersymmetry, the non-perturbative sector of the partition function on the three-sphere simplifies drastically. Due to this simplification, we are able to write closed form expressions for the grand potential of these theories, which determines the full large N asymptotics. Moreover, we find explicit formulae for the generating functionals of their partition functions, for all values of the rank N of the gauge group: they involve Jacobi theta functions on the spectral curve associated to the planar limit. Exact quantization conditions for the spectral…
In geometric quantization a zero-mode wave function in abelian Chern-Simons theory on the torus can be defined as $Ψ[ a, \bar{a} ] = e^{- \frac{K(a, \bar{a})}{2}} f (a)$ where $K(a ,\bar{a} )$ denotes a Kähler potential for the zero-mode variable $a \in \mathbb{C}$ on the torus. We first review that the holomorphic wave function $f(a)$ can be described in terms of the Jacobi theta functions by imposing gauge invariance on $Ψ[ a, \bar{a} ]$ where gauge transformations are induced by doubly periodic translations of $a$. We discuss that $f(a)$ is quantum theoretically characterized by ($i$) an op…
Berry connection is conventionally defined as a static gauge field in the Brillouin zone. Here we show that for three-dimensional (3d) time-reversal invariant superconductors, a generalized Berry gauge field behaves as a fluctuating field of a Chern-Simons gauge theory. The gapless nodal lines in the momentum space play the role of Wilson loop observables, while their linking and knot invariants modify the gravitational theta angle. This angle induces a topological gravitomagnetoelectric effect where a temperature gradient induces a rotational energy flow. We also show how topological strings …
We derive 4-dimensional N=4 U(N) supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory from a 3-dimensional Chern-Simons-matter theory with product gauge group U(N)^{2n}. The latter describes M2-branes probing an orbifold where a torus emerges in a scaling limit. It is expected that the SL(2, Z) duality of the 4-dimensional Yang-Mills theory will be shown in M-theory point of view since it is trivially realized as modular transformations of the torus. Indeed, starting from one single Chern-Simons-matter theory, we find infinitely many equivalent 4-dimensional theories differing up to T-transformation of the SL(2, …
Flat connections for unitary gauge groups on a 3--torus with twisted boundary conditions as well as recently discovered periodic nontrivial flat connections with ``nondiagonalizable'' triples of holonomies for higher orthogonal and exceptional groups are constructed explicitly in terms of Jacobi theta functions with rational characteristics. The (fractional) Chern-Simons numbers of these vacuum gauge field configurations are verified by direct computation.
We investigate physical implications of a gravitational analog of axion electrodynamics with a parity-violating gravitoelectromagnetic theta term. This is related to the Nieh-Yan topological invariant in gravity with torsion, in contrast to the well-studied gravitational Chern-Simons term quadratic in curvature, coupled via a dynamical axionlike scalar field. Axion gravitodynamics is the corresponding linearized theory. We find that potentially observable effects are over 80 orders of magnitude stronger than for its Chern-Simons counterpart and could be in reach for detection by experiments in…
Five-dimensional $Sp(N)$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills admits a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ version of a theta angle $θ$. In this note, we derive a double quantization of the Seiberg-Witten geometry of $\mathcal{N}=1$ $Sp(1)$ gauge theory at $θ=π$, on the manifold $S^1\times\mathbb{R}^4$. Crucially, $\mathbb{R}^4$ is placed on the $Ω$-background, which provides the two parameters to quantize the geometry. Physically, we are counting instantons in the presence of a 1/2-BPS fundamental Wilson loop, both of which are wrapping $S^1$. Mathematically, this amounts to proving the regularity of a $qq$-character for th…
