We analyze the spectrum of the exactly duality and gauge invariant higher-derivative double field theory. While this theory is based on a chiral CFT and does not correspond to a standard string theory, our analysis illuminates a number of issues central in string theory. The full quadratic action is rewritten as a two-derivative theory with additional fields. This allows for a simple analysis of the spectrum, which contains two massive spin-2 ghosts and massive scalars, in addition to the massless fields. Moreover, in this formulation, the massless or tensionless limit $α'\rightarrow \infty$ is non-singular and leads to an enhanced gauge symmetry. We show that the massive modes can be integrated out exactly at the quadratic level, leading to an infinite series of higher-derivative corrections. Finally, we present a ghost-free massive extension of linearized double field theory, which employs a novel mass term for the dilaton and metric.
We study several cases of IR enhancements of global symmetry in four dimensions. In particular, we consider a sequence of $Spin(n+4)$ supersymmetric gauge theories ($8\geq n\geq 1$) with $n$ vectors and spinor matter with $32$ components. We show that the subgroup of the flavor symmetry of these theories rotating the matter in the spinor representations in the UV, when proper gauge singlet fields are added, enhances to the commutant of $SU(2)$ in $E_{9-n}$. We discuss several other interesting cases of enhanced symmetries and the interplay between symmetry enhancement and self-duality. We also…
We examine the proposal that the dimensional reduction of the effective action of perturbative string theory on a circle, should be invariant under T-duality transformations. The T-duality transformations are the standard Buscher rules plus some higher covariant derivatives. By explicit calculations at order $α'$ for metric, dilaton and B-field, we show that the T-duality constraint can fix both the effective action and the higher derivative corrections to the Buscher rules up to an overall factor. The corrections depend on the scheme that one uses for the effective action. We have found the e…
We compute the tree-level $H^2R^3$ couplings of type II strings and provide some basic tests of the couplings by considering both K3 and Calabi-Yau threefold compactifications. Curiously, additional kinematical structures show up at tree level that are not present in the one-loop couplings. This has interesting implications for type II supersymmetry as well as $SL(2, \mathbb Z)$ duality in type IIB strings.
We dimensionally reduce the spacetime action of bosonic string theory, and that of the bosonic sector of heterotic string theory after truncating the Yang-Mills gauge fields, on a $d$-dimensional torus including all higher-derivative corrections to first order in $α'$. A systematic procedure is developed that brings this action into a minimal form in which all fields except the metric carry only first order derivatives. This action is shown to be invariant under ${\rm O}(d,d,\mathbb{R})$ transformations that acquire $α'$-corrections through a Green-Schwarz type mechanism. We prove that, up to …
We study the electromagnetic (EM) duality from $6$ derivative theory with homogeneous disorder. We find that with the change of the sign of the coupling parameter $γ_1$ of the $6$ derivative theory, the particle-vortex duality with homogeneous disorder holds more well than that without homogeneous disorder. The properties of quasinormal modes (QNMs) of this system are also explored. Similarly, for large $γ_1$, with the change of the sign of $γ_1$, the correspondence between the low frequency poles of the original theory and the ones of its dual theory, which is strongly violated in the absence…
We investigate higher-derivative extensions of Einstein-Maxwell theory that are invariant under electromagnetic duality rotations, allowing for non-minimal couplings between gravity and the gauge field. Working in a derivative expansion of the action, we characterize the Lagrangians giving rise to duality-invariant theories up to the eight-derivative level, providing the complete list of operators that one needs to include in the action. We also characterize the set of duality-invariant theories whose action is quadratic in the Maxwell field strength but which are non-minimally coupled to the …
Comments on higher-derivative corrections in the AdS/CFT duality
Department of Particle and Nuclear Physics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies)（SOKENDAI（高级研究大学）粒子与核物理系）；Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mie University（三重大学机械工程系）；KEK Theory Center, Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization（高能加速器研究机构粒子与核研究所KEK理论中心）
We demonstrate the existence of an exactly marginal deformation, with derivative coupling, about the free theory of a $(2+1)$-dimensional charged, Lifshitz scalar with dynamic critical exponent $z=4$ and particle-hole asymmetry. We show that the other classically scale invariant interactions (consistent with translational and rotational invariance) break the scale symmetry at the quantum level and find a trace identity for the stress-energy-momentum tensor complex. We conjecture the existence of bound states of $(N+1)$-particles, as a manifestation of broken scale invariance, when we turn on a…
In ${\cal N}=5, 6, 8$ supergravities there are hidden symmetries of equations of motion, described by duality groups $SU(1,5), \, SO^*(12), \, E_{7(7)}$ respectively. UV divergences and known candidate counterterms violate the deformed duality symmetry current conservation. Extra higher derivative terms in the action are required to restore duality. We study the effect of a two-vector part of the counterterm for ${\cal N}\geq 5$ supergravities using the universality of the symplectic structure of extended supergravities. We construct a compact form of a deformed action with infinite number of …
Here we discuss color-kinematics duality for higher-derivative QCD-like amplitudes. We explicitly show that the duality still holds in this case and it can be instrumental in constructing the associated quadratic-gravity amplitudes by using the double-copy prescription. This allows one to drastically simplify calculations. We also evaluate some tree-level Compton scattering amplitudes in higher-derivative Yang-Mills and quadratic gravity coupled with matter. Furthermore, we illustrate the application of generalized unitarity method for both cases by studying a specific one-loop amplitude.
We show that the temperature and entropy of a BTZ black hole are invariant under T-duality to next to leading order in $M_\star^{-2}$, $M_\star$ being the scale suppressing higher-curvature/derivative terms in the Lagrangian. We work in the framework of a two-parameter family of theories exhibiting T-duality, which includes (but goes beyond) String Theory. Interestingly enough, the AdS/CFT correspondence enforces quantization conditions on these parameters. In the particular case of bosonic/heterotic string theory, our results extend those of a classical paper by Horowitz and Welch. For generi…
We explore the role of the dilaton field on higher derivative supergravity within the framework of Double Field Theory and use it to fix the Lorentz non covariant field redefinitions connecting the metric and dilaton fields with the duality multiplets.
Higher-derivative interactions and transformation rules of the fields in the effective field theories of the massless string states are strongly constrained by space-time symmetries and dualities. Here we use an exact formulation of ten dimensional ${\cal N}=1$ supergravity coupled to Yang-Mills with manifest T-duality symmetry to construct the first order $α'$-corrections of the heterotic string effective action. The theory contains a supersymmetric and T-duality covariant generalization of the Green-Schwarz mechanism that determines the modifications to the leading order supersymmetry transf…
We consider interesting Seiberg dualities for $Usp$ gauge theories with an antisymmetric, $8$ fundamentals and no superpotential. We reduce to three dimensions and systematically analyze deformations triggered by real and complex masses, reaching a plethora of $\mathcal{N}\!=\!2$ dualities for $U(N)$ and $Usp(2N)$ gauge theories, possibly with monopole superpotentials and Chern-Simons interactions. Special cases of these "exceptional dualities" are: supersymmetry enhancement dualities, "duality appetizers" and many known dualities relating rank-$1$ gauge groups. The $4d$ $\mathcal{N}\!=\!1$ $U…
As an extension of the Ivanov-Zupnik approach to self-dual nonlinear electrodynamics in four dimensions [1,2], we reformulate U(1) duality-invariant nonlinear models for a gauge $(2p-1)$-form in $d=4p$ dimensions as field theories with manifestly U(1) invariant self-interactions. This reformulation is suitable to generate arbitrary duality-invariant nonlinear systems including those with higher derivatives.
We study a system of $n$ Abelian vector fields coupled to $\frac 12 n(n+1)$ complex scalars parametrising the Hermitian symmetric space $\mathsf{Sp}(2n, {\mathbb R})/ \mathsf{U}(n)$. This model is Weyl invariant and possesses the maximal non-compact duality group $\mathsf{Sp}(2n, {\mathbb R})$. Although both symmetries are anomalous in the quantum theory, they should be respected by the logarithmic divergent term (the ``induced action'') of the effective action obtained by integrating out the vector fields. We compute this induced action and demonstrate its Weyl and $\mathsf{Sp}(2n, {\mathbb R…
We propose a mapping between geometry and kinematics that implies the classical equivalence of any theory of massless bosons -- including spin and exhibiting arbitrary derivative or potential interactions -- to a nonlinear sigma model (NLSM) with a momentum-dependent metric in field space. From this kinematic metric we construct a corresponding kinematic connection, covariant derivative, and curvature, all of which transform appropriately under general field redefinitions, even including derivatives. We show explicitly how all tree-level on-shell scattering amplitudes of massless bosons are eq…
We study the conductivity from higher derivative electrodynamics in a holographic quantum critical phase (QCP). Two key features of this model are observed. First, a rescaling for the Euclidean frequency by a constant is needed when fitting the quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) data for the $O(2)$ QCP. We conclude that it is a common characteristic of the higher derivative electrodynamics. Second, both the Drude-like peak at low frequency and the pronounced peak can simultaneously emerge. They are more evident for the relevant operators than for the irrelevant operators. In addition, our result also f…
It is known that, in the static gauge, the world-volume and the transverse Kaluza-Klein (KK) reductions of the O-plane effective actions on a circle satisfy the T-duality constraint for arbitrary base space background. In this paper we show that due to the presence of the second fundamental form in the D-brane couplings at order $α'$ and higher, the T-duality is satisfied only for a subclass of couplings for arbitrary base space background. They are $m=0$ couplings where $m$ is the number of $\tilde{B}$-field (without derivative on it). For $m>0$ couplings, the base space metric must be block-…
