With the aim to study six-dimensional (2,0) superconformal theories with non-Abelian tensor multiplets we propose a five-dimensional superconformal action with eight supersymmetries for an infinite tower of non-Abelian vector, tensor and hypermultiplets. It describes the dynamics of the complete spectrum of the (2,0) theories compactified on a circle coupled to an additional vector multiplet containing the circle radius and the Kaluza-Klein vector arising from the six-dimensional metric. All couplings are only given in terms of group theoretical constants and the Kaluza-Klein levels. After superconformal symmetry is reduced to Poincare supersymmetry we find a Kaluza-Klein inspired action coupling super-Yang-Mills theory to an infinite tower of massive non-Abelian tensors. We explore the possibility to restore sixteen supersymmetries by using techniques known from harmonic superspace. Namely, additional bosonic coordinates on a four-sphere are introduced to enhance the R-symmetry group. Maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories and the Abelian (2,0) tensor theories are recovered as special cases of our construction. Finally, we comment on the generation of an anomaly balancing Wess-Zumino term for the R-symmetry vector at one loop.
We compactify the abelian 6d (1,0) tensor multiplet on a circle bundle, thus reducing the theory down to 5d SYM while keeping all the KK modes. This abelian classical field theory, when interpreted suitably, has a nonlocal superconformal symmetry. Furthermore, a nonabelian generalization, where all the KK modes are kept, is possible for the nonlocal superconformal symmetry, whereas for the local superconformal symmetry we can only realize a subgroup.
We assume the existence of a background vector field that enables us to make an ansatz for the superconformal transformations for the non-Abelian 6d $(1,0)$ tensor multiplet. Closure of supersymmetry on generators of the conformal algebra, requires that the vector field is Abelian, has scaling dimension minus one and that the supersymmetry parameter as well as all the fields in the tensor multiplet have vanishing Lie derivatives along this vector field. We couple the tensor multiplet to a hypermultiplet and obtain superconformal transformations that we close off-shell.
We compute the 3d N = 2 superconformal indices for 3d/1d coupled systems, which arise as the worldvolume theories of intersecting surface defects engineered by Higgsing 5d N = 1 gauge theories. We generalize some known 3d dualities, including non-Abelian 3d mirror symmetry and 3d/3d correspondence, to some of the simple 3d/1d coupled systems. Finally we propose a q-Virasoro construction for the superconformal indices.
We show that extremal correlators in all Lagrangian ${\cal N}=2$ superconformal field theories with a simple gauge group are governed by the same universal Toda system of equations, which dictates the structure of extremal correlators to all orders in the perturbation series. A key point is the construction of a convenient orthogonal basis for the chiral ring, by arranging towers of operators in order of increasing dimension, which has the property that the associated two-point functions satisfy decoupled Toda chain equations. We explicitly verify this in all known SCFTs based on $\mathrm{SU}(…
Recently, the conformal-bootstrap has been successfully used to obtain generic bounds on the spectrum and OPE coefficients of unitary conformal field theories. In practice, these bounds are obtained by assuming the existence of a scalar operator in the theory and analyzing the crossing-symmetry constraints of its 4-point function. In $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal theories with a global symmetry there is always a scalar primary operator, which is the top of the current-multiplet. In this paper we analyze the crossing-symmetry constraints of the 4-point function of this operator for $\mathcal{N…
We discuss a supersymmetric extension of a non-relativistic Chern-Simons matter theory, known as the SUSY Jackiw-Pi model, in a harmonic trap. We show that the non-relativistic version of the superconformal symmetry, called the super-Schrödinger symmetry, is not spoiled by an external field including the harmonic potential. It survives as a modified symmetry whose generators have explicit time dependences determined by the strength of the trap, the rotation velocity of the system and the fermion number chemical potential. We construct 1/3 BPS states of trapped Jackiw-Pi vortices preserving a p…
We investigate the AdS/CFT correspondence for quiver gauge theories realized on D3-branes put on abelian orbifolds by using the superconformal index. We assume that on the gravity side the finite $N$ corrections of the index are reproduced by D3-branes wrapped on three particular three-cycles in the internal space ${\cal Y}$, the abelian orbifold of $\boldsymbol{S}^5$. We first establish the relation between baryonic charges on the gauge theory side and the D3-brane wrapping numbers and holonomies on D3-branes. Then we confirm our proposal by comparing the results of localization for gauge the…
We study the two-dimensional topological abelian BF theory in the Lorenz gauge and, surprisingly, we find that the gauged-fixed theory is a free type B twisted N=(2,2) superconformal theory with odd linear target space, with the ghost field c being the pullback of the linear holomorphic coordinate on the target. The BRST operator of the gauge-fixed theory equals the total Q of type B twisted theory. This unexpected identification of two different theories opens a way for nontrivial deformations of both of these theories.
We explore BPS quivers for D=5 theories, compactified on a circle and geometrically engineered over local Calabi-Yau 3-folds, for which many of known machineries leading to (refined) indices fail due to the fine-tuning of the superpotential. For Abelian quivers, the counting reduces to a geometric one, but the technically challenging $L^2$ cohomology proved to be essential for sensible BPS spectra. We offer a mathematical theorem to remedy the difficulty, but for non-Abelian quivers, the cohomology approach itself fails because the relevant wavefunctions are inherently gauge-theoretical. For t…
We disclose the mathematical structure underlying the gauge field sector of the recently constructed non-abelian superconformal models in six spacetime dimensions. This is a coupled system of 1-form, 2-form, and 3-form gauge fields. We show that the algebraic consistency constraints governing this system permit to define a Lie 3-algebra, generalizing the structural Lie algebra of a standard Yang-Mills theory to the setting of a higher bundle. Reformulating the Lie 3-algebra in terms of a nilpotent degree 1 BRST-type operator Q, this higher bundle can be compactly described by means of a Q-bund…
We explore 6-dimensional compactifications of F-theory exhibiting (2,0) superconformal theories coupled to gravity that include discretely charged superconformal matter. Beginning with F-theory geometries with Abelian gauge fields and superconformal sectors, we provide examples of Higgsing transitions which break the $U(1)$ gauge symmetry to a discrete remnant in which the matter fields are also non-trivially coupled to a (2,0) SCFT. In the compactification background this corresponds to a geometric transition linking two fibered Calabi-Yau geometries defined over a singular base complex surfa…
I summarize and discuss some recent results on formulating actions of six-dimensional superconformal field theories using the language of higher gauge theory. The latter guarantees mathematical consistency of our constructions and we review crucial aspects of this framework, such as $L_\infty$-algebras and corresponding kinematical data given by higher connections. We then show that there is a mathematically consistent non-Abelian extension of the self-dual string equation which satisfies many physical expectations. Our construction favors a particular higher gauge group leading us to higher p…
We consider Chern-Simons actions of Abelian tensor hierarchy of $p$-form gauge fields in four-dimensional ${\cal N}=1$ supergravity. Using conformal superspace formalism, we solve the constraints on the field strengths of the $p$-form gauge superfields in the presence of the tensor hierarchy. The solutions are expressed by the prepotentials of the $p$-form gauge superfields. We show the internal and superconformal transformation laws of the prepotentials. The descent formalism for the Chern-Simons actions is exhibited.
In this paper we study the four-point correlation function of the energy-momentum supermultiplet in theories with N=4 superconformal symmetry in four dimensions. We present a compact form of all component correlators as an invariant of a particular abelian subalgebra of the N=4 superconformal algebra. This invariant is unique up to a single function of the conformal cross-ratios which is fixed by comparison with the correlation function of the lowest half-BPS scalar operators. Our analysis is independent of the dynamics of a specific theory, in particular it is valid in N=4 super Yang-Mills th…
We consider Abelian tensor hierarchy in four-dimensional ${\cal N}=1$ supergravity in the conformal superspace formalism, where the so-called covariant approach is used to antisymmetric tensor fields. We introduce $p$-form gauge superfields as superforms in the conformal superspace. We solve the Bianchi identities under the constraints for the superforms. As a result, each of form fields is expressed by a single gauge invariant superfield. The action of superforms is shown with the invariant superfields. We also show the relation between the superspace formalism and the superconformal tensor c…
We use F-theory to study gauge algebra preserving transitions of 6d supergravity theories that are connected by superconformal points. While the vector multiplets remain unchanged, the hyper- and tensor multiplet sectors are modified. In 6d F-theory models, these transitions are realized by tuning the intersection points of two curves, one of them carrying a non-Abelian gauge algebra, to a (4,6,12) singularity, followed by a resolution in the base. The six-dimensional supergravity anomaly constraints are strong enough to completely fix the possible non-Abelian representations and to restrict t…
We present $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal $\mathsf{U}(1)$ duality-invariant models for an Abelian vector multiplet coupled to conformal supergravity. In a Minkowski background, such a nonlinear theory is expected to describe (the planar part of) the low-energy effective action for the $\mathcal{N}=4$ $\mathsf{SU}(N)$ super-Yang-Mills (SYM) theory on its Coulomb branch where (i) the gauge group $\mathsf{SU}(N)$ is spontaneously broken to $\mathsf{SU}(N-1) \times \mathsf{U}(1)$; and (ii) the dynamics is captured by a single $\mathcal{N}=2$ vector multiplet associated with the $\mathsf{U}(1)$ fac…
The computation of the emitted radiation by an accelerated external particle can be addressed in a gauge theory with the insertion of a Wilson loop. With the addition of conformal symmetry this problem is consistently formalized in terms of correlation functions in presence of the Wilson loop, which are constrained by defect CFT techniques. In theories with extended supersymmetry we can also resort to supersymmetric localization on a four-sphere. By using this set of tools, we review the close relation between the Bremsstrahlung function and the stress energy tensor one-point coefficient in ab…
We explore various geometrical aspects of an action for six-dimensional chiral 2-forms based on the formalism of 1903.12196. We elucidate the coupling to general backgrounds and construct the full supersymmetric completion to an abelian (2,0) superconformal lagrangian including matter. We investigate the non-standard diffeomorphism properties of the fields and their relation to the hamiltonian formulation. We also test the action by considering compactifications on a circle, K3 and a Riemann surface. The results are consistent with expectations for an action describing the low-energy physics o…
We study oscillating string solutions in the Klebanov-Witten and its non-Abelian T-dual background dualised along an SU(2) isometry. We find the string energy as the function of oscillation number and angular momentum. We show that for a particular set of T-dual co-ordinates both the background have equal string states. We also study the string states where the strings are expanding and contracting in the T-dual co-ordinate direction. We expect the presence of the superconformal field theory dual operators whose anomalous dimensions depend on T-dual co-ordinate.
We systematically analyze the large-$N$ limit of the superconformal index of $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal theories having a quiver description. The index of these theories is known in terms of unitary matrix integrals, which we calculate using the recently-developed technique of elliptic extension. This technique allows us to easily evaluate the integral as a sum over saddle points of an effective action in the limit where the rank of the gauge group is infinite. For a generic quiver theory under consideration, we find a special family of saddles whose effective action takes a universal form…
