We determine the spectrum and correlation functions of Liouville theory with a central charge less than (or equal) one. This completes the definition of Liouville theory for all complex values of the central charge. The spectrum is always spacelike, and there is no consistent timelike Liouville theory. We also study the non-analytic conformal field theories that exist at rational values of the central charge. Our claims are supported by numerical checks of crossing symmetry. We provide Python code for computing Virasoro conformal blocks, and correlation functions in Liouville theory and (generalized) minimal models.
Using derivatives of primary fields (null or not) with respect to the conformal dimension, we build infinite families of non-trivial logarithmic representations of the conformal algebra at generic central charge, with Jordan blocks of dimension $2$ or $3$. Each representation comes with one free parameter, which takes fixed values under assumptions on the existence of degenerate fields. This parameter can be viewed as a simpler, normalization-independent redefinition of the logarithmic coupling. In the example of the vacuum module at central charge zero, this parameter characterizes a Jordan b…
We construct correlators in the $W_4$ Toda 2d conformal field theory for a particular class of representations and demonstrate a relation to a $W_2$ (Virasoro) theory with different central charge. The relevance of the classical limits of the constructed 3-point functions and braiding matrices to problems in 4d conformal theories is discussed.
On the three-point functions in timelike N=1 Liouville CFT
School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study（高等研究院自然科学院）；Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Physique Théorique（巴黎萨克雷大学、法国国家科学研究中心、法国原子能和替代能源委员会、理论物理研究所）
The path integral of Liouville theory is well understood only when the central charge $c\in [25, \infty)$. Here, we study the analytical continuation the lattice Liouville path integral to generic values of $c$, with a particular focus on the vicinity of $c\in (-\infty, 1]$. We show that the $c\in [25, \infty)$ lattice path integral can be continued to one over a new integration cycle of complex field configurations. We give an explicit formula for the new integration cycle in terms of a discrete sum over elementary cycles, which are a direct generalization of the inverse Gamma function contou…
While the Euclidean two-dimensional gravitational path integral is in general highly fluctuating, it admits a semiclassical two-sphere saddle if coupled to a matter CFT with large and positive central charge. In Weyl gauge this gravity theory is known as timelike Liouville theory, and is conjectured to be a non-unitary two-dimensional CFT. We explore the semiclassical limit of timelike Liouville theory by calculating the two-sphere partition function from the perspective of the path integral to three-loop order, extending the work in 2106.01665. We also compare our result to the conjectured al…
Noncritical Conformal Gravity and Four-Dimensional Liouville Theory
National Taiwan University（台湾大学）；National Center for Theoretical Sciences（国家理论科学中心）；Nambu Yoichiro Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (NITEP), Osaka Metropolitan University（大阪公立大学南阳一郎理论与实验物理研究所（NITEP））；Institute of Fundamental Physics and Quantum Technology, Department of Physics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University（宁波大学物理科学与技术学院物理学与量子技术基础物理研究所）
AGT conjecture connects Nekrasov instanton partition function of 4D quiver gauge theory with 2D Liouville conformal blocks. We re-investigate this connection using the central extension of spherical Hecke algebra in q-coordinate representation, q being the instanton expansion parameter. Based on AFLT basis together with interwiners we construct gauge conformal state and demonstrate its equivalence to the Liouville conformal state, with careful attention to the proper scaling behavior of the state. Using the colliding limit of regular states, we obtain the formal expression of irregular conform…
Liouville strings in AdS$_3$: the worldsheet story
Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics Department of Physics, New York University（纽约大学宇宙学与粒子物理中心物理系）；Departamento de Física, Universidad de Buenos Aires, FCEN-UBA Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires, IFIBA-CONICET（布宜诺斯艾利斯大学物理系、理学院、布宜诺斯艾利斯物理研究所）
We study the path integral solution of a system of particle moving in certain class of PT symmetric non-Hermitian and non-central potential. The Hamil- tonian of the system is converted to a separable Hamiltonian of Liouville type in parabolic coordinates and is further mapped into a Hamiltonian corresponding to two 2-dimensional simple harmonic oscillators (SHOs). Thus the explicit Green's functions for a general non-central PT symmetric non hermitian potential are cal- culated in terms of that of 2d SHOs. The entire spectrum for this three dimensional system is shown to be always real leadin…
Virasoro Conformal Blocks and modular functor from Liouville CFT
Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University（北京大学北京国际数学研究中心）；Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de mathématiques d’Orsay（巴黎萨克雷大学，法国国家科学研究中心，奥赛数学实验室）；University of Helsinki, Department of Mathematics and Statistics（赫尔辛基大学数学与统计系）；Aix-Marseille University, Institut de Mathématiques de Marseille (I2M), and Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)（艾克斯-马赛大学，马赛数学研究所（I2M），法国大学研究院（IUF））
Line Defects in Liouville Conformal Field Theory: Localized Cosmological Constants and Decohered Hyperbolic Geometries
Leinweber Institute for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley（加州大学伯克利分校雷恩韦伯理论物理研究所与物理系）；Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, New York University（纽约大学宇宙学与粒子物理中心）
We construct the most general theory of 2D Einstein-dilaton gravity coupled with $U(1)$ gauge fields that contains all the 2-derivative and the 4-derivative interactions allowed by the diffeomorphism invariance. We renormalise the 2D action and obtain the vacuum solution as well as the black hole solution. The vacuum solution in the UV is dominated by Lifshitz$_2$ with dynamical exponent ($z=\frac{7}{3}$) while on the other hand, the spacetime curvature diverges as we move towards the deep IR limit. We calculate the holographic stress tensor and the central charge for the boundary theory. Our …
Motivated by recent works on the connection between 2D quantum gravity and timelike Liouville theory, we revisit the latter and clarify some aspects of the computation of its partition function: We present a detailed computation of the Liouville partition function on the fluctuating sphere at finite values of the central charge. The results for both the spacelike theory and the timelike theory are given, and their properties analyzed. We discuss the derivation of the partition function from the DOZZ formula, its derivation using the Coulomb gas approach, a semiclassical computation of it using…
We study non-perturbative quantum aspects of $T\bar{T}$-deformation of a free $O(N)$ vector model by employing the large $N$ limit. It is shown that bound states of the original field appear and inevitably become negative-norm states. In particular, the bound states can be regarded as the states of the conformal mode in a gravitational theory, where the Liouville action is induced with the coefficient proportional to the minus of central charge. To make the theory positive-definite, some modification is required so as to preserve diffeomorphism invariance due to the Faddeev-Popov ghosts with a…
Super Liouville theory on the torus: bootstrap and the super Virasoro minimal string
Syracuse University（雪城大学）；Institute for Advanced Study（高等研究院）；University of California, Davis（加州大学戴维斯分校）；École Normale Supérieure（巴黎高等师范学院）；Université PSL（巴黎文理研究大学）；CNRS（法国国家科学研究中心）；Sorbonne Université（索邦大学）；Université Paris Cité（巴黎西岱大学）
In conformal field theories (CFTs) of dimension $d>3$, two-dimensional (2d) conformal defects are characterised in part by central charges defined via the defect's contribution to the trace anomaly. However, in general for interacting CFTs these central charges are difficult to calculate. For superconformal 2d defects in supersymmetric (SUSY) CFTs (SCFTs), we show how to compute these defect central charges from the SUSY partition function either on $S^d$ with defect along $S^2$, or on $S^1 \times S^{d-1}$ with defect along $S^1 \times S^1$. In the latter case we propose that defect central ch…
