Looking through the QCD Conformal Window with Perturbation Theory
Lorenzo Di Pietro, Marco Serone
备注：
38 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables. Fixed a typo in the non-perturbative contribution to the error. Plots revised, one more plot added. Main results essentially unchanged. Supersedes published version
We study the conformal window of QCD using perturbation theory, starting from the perturbative upper edge and going down as much as we can towards the strongly coupled regime. We do so by exploiting the available five-loop computation of the $\overline{\rm MS}$ $β$-function and employing Borel resummation techniques both for the ordinary perturbative series and for the Banks-Zaks conformal expansion. Large-$n_f$ results are also used. We argue that the perturbative series for the $\overline{\rm MS}$ $β$-function is most likely asymptotic and non-Borel resummable, yet Borel resummation techniques allow to improve on ordinary perturbation theory. We find substantial evidence that QCD with $n_f=12$ flavours flows in the IR to a conformal field theory. Though the evidence is weaker, we find indications that also $n_f=11$ might sit within the conformal window. We also compute the value of the mass anomalous dimension $γ$ at the fixed point and compare it with the available lattice results. The conformal window might extend for lower values of $n_f$, but our methods break down for $n_f<11$, where we expect that non-perturbative effects become important. A similar analysis is performed in the Veneziano limit.
We propose a novel constraint on the gauge dynamics of strongly interacting gauge theories stemming from the a theorem. The inequality we suggest is used to provide a lower bound on the conformal window of four dimensional gauge theories.
Via large and small $N_c$ relations we derive nonperturbative results about the conformal window of two-index theories. Using Schwinger-Dyson methods as well as four-loops results we estimate subleading corrections and show that naive large number of colors extrapolations are unreliable when $N_c$ is less than about six. Nevertheless useful nonperturbative inequalities for the size of the conformal windows, for any number of colors, can be derived. By further observing that the adjoint conformal window is independent of the number of colors we argue, among other things, that: The large $N_c$ t…
We study the nonperturbative dynamics of nonsupersymmetric asymptotically free gauge theories with fermionic matter in distinct representations of the SO(N) and Sp(2N) gauge groups. We use different analytic methods to unveil the associated conformal windows for the relevant matter representations. We propose a direct test for confronting and establishing the validity of the analytic methods used to constrain the conformal windows. By comparing the resulting windows for SU, Sp and SO a pleasing universal picture emerges.
We use the worldline formalism to derive a universal relation for the lower boundary of the conformal window in non-supersymmetric QCD-like theories. The derivation relies on the convergence of the expansion of the fermionic determinant in terms of Wilson loops. The expansion shares a similarity with the lattice strong coupling expansion and the genus expansion in string theory. Our result relates the lower boundary of the conformal window in theories with different representations and different gauge groups. Finally, we use SQCD to estimate the boundary of the conformal window in QCD-like the…
The dynamics with an infrared stable fixed point in the conformal window in QCD like theories (with a relatively large number of fermion flavors) is studied. The dependence of masses of colorless bound states on a bare fermion mass is described. In particular it is shown that in such dynamics, glueballs are much lighter than bound states composed of fermions, if the value of the infrared fixed point is not too large. This yields a clear signature for the conformal window, which is in particular can be useful for lattice computer simulations of these gauge theories.
We study the conformal window of gauge theories containing fermionic matter fields, where the gauge group is any of the exceptional groups with the fermions transforming according to the fundamental and adjoint representations and the orthogonal groups where the fermions transform according to a spinorial representation. We investigate the phase diagram using a purely perturbative four loop analysis, the all-orders beta function and the ladder approximation.
We investigate generic properties of the conformal phase transition in gauge theories featuring Higgs-like fundamental particles. These theories provide an excellent arena to properly investigate conformal dynamics and discover novel features. We show that the phase transition at the boundary of the Higgs conformal window is not smooth but a jumping one for the known perturbative examples. In addition the general conditions under which the transition is either jumping or smooth are provided. Jumping implies that the massive spectrum of the theory will jump at the phase transition. It, however,…
We investigate the properties of near-conformal dynamics in a sector of large charge when approaching the lower boundary of the conformal window from the chirally broken phase. To elucidate our approach we use the time-honored example of the phenomenologically relevant SU(2) color theory featuring $N_f$ Dirac fermions transforming in the fundamental representation of the gauge group. In the chirally broken phase we employ the effective pion Lagrangian featuring also a pseudo-dilaton to capture a possible smooth conformal-to-non-conformal phase transition. We charge the baryon symmetry of the L…
We propose a five-dimensional framework for modeling the background geometry associated to ordinary Yang-Mills (YM) as well as to nonsupersymmetric gauge theories possessing an infrared fixed point with fermions in various representations of the underlying gauge group. The model is based on the improved holographic approach, on the string theory side, and on the conjectured all-orders beta function for the gauge theory one. We first analyze the YM gauge theory. We then investigate the effects of adding flavors and show that, in the holographic description of the conformal window, the geometry …
We analyze a beta function with the analytic form of Novikov-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov result in the five dimensional gravity-dilaton environment. We show how dilaton inherits poles and fixed points of such beta function through the zeros and points of extremum in its potential. Super Yang-Mills and supersymmetric QCD are studied in detail and Seiberg's electric-magnetic duality in the dilaton potential is explicitly demonstrated. Non-supersymmetric proposals of similar functional form are tested and new insights into the conformal window as well as determinations of scheme-independent value…
We propose an ansatz for the nonperturbative beta function of a generic non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with or without fermions in an arbitrary representation of the gauge group. While our construction is similar to the recently proposed Ryttov-Sannino all order beta function, the essential difference is that it allows for the existence of an unstable ultraviolet fixed point in addition to the predicted Bank-Zaks -like infrared stable fixed point. Our beta function preserves all of the tested features with respect to the non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories. We predict the conformal wi…
We investigate the conformal window of four-dimensional gauge theories with fermionic matter fields in multiple representations. Of particularly relevant examples are the ultra-violet complete models with fermions in two distinct representations considered in the context of composite Higgs and top partial-compositeness. We first discuss various analytical approaches to unveil the lower edge of the conformal window and their extension to the multiple matter representations. In particular, we argue that the scheme-independent series expansion for the anomalous dimension of a fermion bilinear at …
We study the conformal window of asymptotically free gauge theories containing $N_f$ flavors of fermion matter transforming to the vector and two-index representations of $SO(N),~SU(N)$ and $Sp(2N)$ gauge groups. For $SO(N)$ we also consider the spinorial representation. We determine the critical number of flavors $N_f^{\rm cr}$, corresponding to the lower end of the conformal window, by using the conjectured critical condition on the anomalous dimension of the fermion bilinear at an infrared fixed point, $γ_{\barψψ}=1$ or equivalently $γ_{\barψψ}(2-γ_{\barψψ})=1$. To compute the anomalous dim…
We derive an estimate of the lower boundary of the conformal window of SP(2N) and SO(N) gauge theories with fermionic matter in several different representations. We calculate the index of topological excitations for these groups on the manifold R3 * S1, from which we deduce the scale of the generation of the mass gap of the theory. This is then used to approximate the critical value of the number of species for the onset of conformality on R4. We also provide a detailed comparison with other estimates of the conformal window.
We investigate the effects of four-fermion interactions on the phase diagram of strongly interacting theories for any representation as function of the number of colors and flavors. We show that the conformal window, for any representation, shrinks with respect to the case in which the four-fermion interactions are neglected. The anomalous dimension of the mass increases beyond the unity value at the lower boundary of the new conformal window. We plot the new phase diagram which can be used, together with the information about the anomalous dimension, to propose ideal models of walking technic…
Interacting fixed points in four-dimensional gauge theories coupled to matter are investigated using perturbation theory up to three loop order. It is shown how fixed points, scaling exponents, and anomalous dimensions are obtained as a systematic power series in a small parameter. The underlying ordering principle is explained and contrasted with conventional perturbation theory and Weyl consistency conditions. We then determine the conformal window with asymptotic safety from the complete next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbation theory. Limits for the conformal window arise due to fixed…
We discuss holographic QCD in the Veneziano limit (the V-QCD models), concentrating on phenomena near the "conformal" phase transition taking place at a critical value of the ratio x = N_f/N_c. In particular, we review the results for the S-parameter, the technidilaton, and the masses of the mesons.
In both QCD and supersymmetric QCD (SQCD) with N_f flavors there are conformal windows where the theory is asymptotically free in the ultraviolet while the infrared physics is governed by a non-trivial fixed-point. In SQCD, the lower N_f boundary of the conformal window, below which the theory is confining is well understood thanks to duality. In QCD there is just a sufficient condition for confinement based on superconvergence. Studying the Banks-Zaks expansion and analyzing the conditions for the perturbative coupling to have a causal analyticity structure, it is shown that the infrared fixe…
We present the conformal windows of SU(N) supersymmetric and nonsupersymmetric gauge theories with vector-like matter transforming according to higher irreducible representations of the gauge group. We determine the fraction of asymptotically free theories expected to develop an infrared fixed point and find that it does not depend on the specific choice of the representation. This result is exact in supersymmetric theories while it is an approximate one in the nonsupersymmetric case. The analysis allows us to size the unparticle world related to the existence of underlying gauge theories deve…
We show that for four dimensional gauge theories in the conformal window, the Euler anomaly, known as the $a$-function, can be computed from a $2$-point function of the trace of the energy momentum tensor making it more amenable to lattice simulations. Concretely, we derive an expression for the $a$-function as an integral over the renormalisation scale of quantities related to $2$- and $3$-point functions of the trace of the energy momentum tensor.The crucial ingredients are that the square of the field strength tensor is an exactly marginal operator at the Gaussian fixed point and that the r…
A novel strong interaction beyond the standard model could provide a dynamical explanation of electroweak symmetry breaking. Experimental results strongly constrain properties of models that realise this mechanism. Whether these constraints are obeyed by any strongly interacting quantum field theory is a non-perturbative problem that needs to be addressed by first-principle calculations. Monte Carlo simulations of lattice regularised gauge theories is a powerful tool that enables us to address this question. Recently various lattice investigations have appeared that have studied candidate mode…
We use the exact expression for the S parameter in the perturbative region of the conformal window to establish its dependence on the explicit introduction of fermion masses. We demonstrate that the relative ordering with which one sends to zero either the fermion mass or the external momentum leads to drastically different limiting values of S. Our results apply to any fermion matter representation and can be used as benchmark for the determination of certain relevant properties of the conformal window of any generic vector like gauge theory with fermionic matter. We finally suggest the exist…
We extend the phase diagram of SU(N) gauge-fermion theories as function of number of flavours and colours to the region in which asymptotic freedom is lost. We argue, using large $N_f$ results, for the existence of an ultraviolet interacting fixed point at sufficiently large number of flavours opening up to a second ultraviolet conformal window in the number of flavours vs colours phase diagram. We first review the state-of-the-art for the large $N_f$ beta function and then estimate the lower boundary of the ultraviolet window. The theories belonging to this new region are examples of safe non…
The dynamics with an infrared stable fixed point in the conformal window in QCD like theories with a relatively large number of fermion flavors is reviewed. The emphasis is on the description of a clear signature for the conformal window, which in particular can be useful for lattice computer simulations of these gauge theories.
Using the superconformal (SC) indices techniques, we construct Seiberg type dualities for $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric field theories outside the conformal windows. These theories are physically distinguished by the presence of chiral superfields with small or negative $R$-charges.
We study the SU(3) gauge theory with twelve flavours of fermions in the fundamental representation as a prototype of non-Abelian gauge theories inside the conformal window. Guided by the pattern of underlying symmetries, chiral and conformal, we analyze the two-point functions theoretically and on the lattice, and determine the finite size scaling and the infinite volume fermion mass dependence of the would-be hadron masses. We show that the spectrum in the Coulomb phase of the system can be described in the context of a universal scaling analysis and we provide the nonperturbative determinati…
A physical characterization of Landau singularities is emphasized, which should trace the lower boundary N_f^* of the conformal window in QCD and supersymmetric QCD. A natural way to disentangle ``perturbative'' from ``non-perturbative'' contributions to amplitudes below N_f^* is suggested. Assuming an infrared fixed point persists in the perturbative part of the QCD coupling even below N_f^* leads to the condition γ(N_f^*)=1, where γis the critical exponent. Using the Banks-Zaks expansion, one gets 4<N_f^*<6. This result is incompatible with the existence of an analogue of Seiberg duality in …
We investigate the theoretical predictions for thrust distribution in the electron positron annihilation to three-jets process at NNLO for different values of the number of flavors, $N_f$. To determine the distribution along the entire renormalization group flow from the highest energies to zero energy we consider the number of flavors near the upper boundary of the conformal window. In this regime of number of flavors the theory develops a perturbative infrared interacting fixed point. We then consider also the QED thrust obtained as the limit $N_c \rightarrow 0$ of the number of colors. In t…
Direct gauge mediation models using the Intriligator-Seiberg-Shih (ISS) metastable vacua suffer from the Landau pole problem of the standard model gauge couplings and the existence of R symmetry forbidding gaugino masses. These problems may be solved by using the recently proposed SUSY breaking models in a conformal window of the vector-like $SU(N_C)$ gauge theory with gauge singlets. In this paper we propose a model of gauge mediation based on the SUSY-breaking model in the conformal window, and study the dynamics for the SUSY breaking. In the model, there are massive vector-like bifundamenta…
We give a superspace description of D=3, N=8 supergravity. The formulation is off-shell in the sense that the equations of motion are not implied by the superspace constraints (but an action principle is not given). The multiplet structure is unconventional, which we connect to the existence of a "Dragon window", that is modules occurring in the supercurvature but not in the supertorsion. According to Dragon's theorem this cannot happen above three dimensions. We clarify the relevance of this window for going on the conformal shell, and discuss some aspects of coupling to conformal matter.
A physical characterization of Landau singularities is emphasized, which should trace the lower boundary N_f^* of the conformal window in QCD and supersymmetric QCD. A natural way to disentangle ``perturbative'' from ``non-perturbative'' contributions below N_f^* is suggested. Assuming an infrared fixed point is present in the perturbative part of the QCD coupling even in some range below N_f^* leads to the condition gamma(N_f^*)=1, where gamma is the critical exponent. This result is incompatible with the existence of an analogue of Seiberg free dual magnetic phase in QCD. Using the Banks-Zak…
We study four-dimensional gauge theories coupled to fermions in the fundamental and meson-like scalars. All requisite beta functions are provided for general gauge group and fermion representation. In the regime where asymptotic freedom is absent, we determine all interacting fixed points using perturbation theory up to three loop in the gauge and two loop in the Yukawa and quartic couplings. We find that the conformal window of ultraviolet fixed points is narrowed-down by finite-$N$ corrections beyond the Veneziano limit. We also find a new infrared fixed point whose main features such as sca…
We discuss in the planar approximation the effect of double-trace deformations on CFT's. We show that this large class of models posses a conformal window describing a non-trivial flow between two fixed points of the renormalization group, and reveal the presence of a resonance which we associate to the remnant of a dilaton pole. As the conformal window shrinks to zero measure the theory undergoes a conformal phase transition separating a symmetric from a nonsymmetric phase. The recently conjectured strongly coupled branch of non-supersymmetric, non-abelian gauge theories with a large number o…
We study the holographic Dynamic AdS/QCD description of a SU($N_c$) non-abelian gauge theory with $N_f$ fermions in the fundamental representation which also have Nambu-Jona-Lasinio interactions included using Witten's multi-trace prescription. In particular here we study aspects of the dynamics in and near the conformal window of the gauge theory as described by the two loop running of the gauge theory. If the number of flavours is such that the IR fixed point lies with the anomalous dimension, $γ$, of the quark bilinear above one then chiral symmetry breaking occurs. Here we display a spiral…
We propose an alternative paradigm to the conjectured Miransky scaling potentially underlying the physics describing the transition from the conformally broken to the conformally restored phase when tuning certain parameters such as the number of flavors in gauge theories. According to the new paradigm the physical scale and henceforth also the massive spectrum of the theory jump at the lower boundary of the conformal window. In particular we propose that a theory can suddenly jump from a Quantum Chromodynamics type spectrum, at the lower boundary of the conformal window, to a conformal one wi…
$O(n) \times O(m)$ symmetric Landau-Ginzburg models in $d=3$ dimension possess a rich structure of the renormalization group and its understanding offers a theoretical prediction of the phase diagram in frustrated spin models with non-collinear order. Depending on $n$ and $m$, they may show chiral/anti-chiral/Heisenberg/Gaussian fixed points within the same universality class. We approach all the fixed points in the conformal bootstrap program by examining the bound on the conformal dimensions for scalar operators as well as non-conserved current operators with consistency crosschecks. For lar…
We explore the inflationary dynamics leading to formation of closed domain walls in course of evolution of an axion like particle (ALP) field whose Peccei-Quinn-like phase transition occurred well before inflationary epoch. Evolving after inflation, the domain walls may leave their imprint in stochastic gravitational waves background, in the frequency range accessible for the pulsar timing array measurements. We derive the characteristic strain power spectrum produced by the distribution of the closed domain walls and relate it with the recently reported NANOGrav signal excess. We found that t…
We discuss various aspects of Conformal Field Theories on the Lattice. We mainly investigate the SU(3) gauge theory with N_f degenerate fermions in the fundamental representation, employing the one-plaquette gauge action and the Wilson fermion action. First we make a brief review of our previous works and thereby clarify the reason why we conjecture that the conformal window is 7 le N_f le 16. Secondly, we introduce a new concept, "conformal theories with an IR cutoff" and point out that any numerical simulation on a lattice is bounded by an IR cutoff Lambda_{IR}. Then we make predictions that…
We first quantize the action proposed by Casalbuoni and Gomis in [Phys. Rev. D \textbf{90}, 026001 (2014)], an action that describes two massless relativistic scalar particles interacting via a conformally invariant potential. The spectrum is a continuum of massive states that may be interpreted as unparticles. We then obtain in a similar way the mass operator for a deformed action in which two terms are introduced that break the conformal symmetry: a mass term and an extra position-dependent coupling constant. A simple Ansatz for the latter leads to a mass operator with linear confinement in …
We review the hot QCD transition with varying number of flavors, from two till the onset of the conformal window. We discuss the universality class for $N_f=2$, along the critical line for two massless light flavors, and a third flavor whose mass serves as an interpolator between $N_f = 2$ and $N_f=3$. We identify a possible scaling window for the 3D $O(4)$ universality class transition, and its crossover to a mean field behaviour. We follow the transition from $N_f=3$ to larger $N_f$, when it remains of first order, with an increasing coupling strength; we summarize its known properties, incl…
Inspired by the model of Jarvinen and Kiritsis, we present a simple holographic model for the on set of chiral symmetry breaking at the edge of the conformal window in QCD in the Veneziano limit. Our most naive model enforces the QCD two loop running coupling on a D3/D7 holographic brane system. The mass of the holographic field, describing the chiral condensate in the model, is driven below the BF bound when the running is sufficiently strong, triggering chiral symmetry breaking for N_f/N_c<2.9. This model though contains too great a remnant of supersymmetry and does not correctly encode the …
Recently, we developed an effective theory of pions and a light dilatonic meson for gauge theories with spontaneously broken chiral symmetry that are close to the conformal window. The pion mass term in this effective theory depends on an exponent $y$. We derive the transformation properties under dilatations of the renormalized fermion mass, and use this to rederive $y=3-γ_m^*$, where $γ_m^*$ is fixed-point value of the mass anomalous dimension at the sill of the conformal window. This value for $y$ is consistent with the trace anomaly of the underlying near-conformal gauge theory.
We discuss duality in $N=1$ SUSY gauge theories in Seiberg's conformal window, $(3N_c/2)<N_f<3N_c$. The 't Hooft consistency conditions -- the basic tool for establishing the infrared duality -- are considered taking into account higher order $α$ corrections. The conserved (anomaly free) $R$ current is built to all orders in $α$. Although this current contains all orders in $α$ the 't Hooft consistency conditions for this current are shown to be one-loop. This observation thus justifies Seiberg's matching procedure. We also briefly discuss the inequivalence of the ``electric" and ``magnetic" t…
In search of non-trivial field theories in high dimensions, we study further the tensor representation of the $O(N)$-symmetric $ϕ^4$ field theory introduced by Herbut and Janssen (Phys. Rev. D. 93, 085005 (2016)), by using four-loop perturbation theory in two cubic interaction coupling constants near six dimensions. For infinitesimal values of the parameter $ε=(6-d)/2$ we find infrared-stable fixed point with two relevant quadratic operators for $N$ within the conformal windows $1<N<2.653$ and $2.999<N<4$, and compute critical exponents at this fixed point to the order $ε^4$. Taking the four-l…
In {\cal N} = 2 superconformal three-dimensional field theory the R-symmetry is determined by locally maximizing the free energy F on the three-sphere. Using F-maximization, we study the {\cal N} = 2 supersymmetric U(N_c) gauge theory coupled to N_f pairs of fundamental and anti-fundamental superfields in the Veneziano large N_c limit, where x = N_f / N_c is kept fixed. This theory has a superconformal window 1 \leq x \leq \infty, while for x < 1 supersymmetry is broken. As we reduce x we find "a crack in the superconformal window" - a critical value x_c \approx 1.45 where the monopole operato…
We develop a new technique, based on a low-energy theorem (LET) of NSVZ type derived in arXiv:1701.07833, for the nonperturbative investigation of SU(N) QCD with N${}_f$ massless quarks - or, more generally, of massless QCD-like theories - in phases where the beta function, $β(g)$, with $g=g(μ)$ the renormalized gauge coupling, admits an isolated zero, $g_*$, in the infrared (IR) or ultraviolet (UV). We point out that the LET sets constraints on 3-point correlators involving the insertion of $Tr\, F^2$, its anomalous dimension $γ_{F^2}$, and the anomalous dimensions of multiplicatively renorma…
We show that the anomalous dimension $γ_G$ of the scalar glueball operator contains information on the mechanism that leads to the onset of conformality at the lower edge of the conformal window in a non-Abelian gauge theory. In particular, it distinguishes whether the merging of an UV and an IR fixed point -- the simplest mechanism associated to a conformal phase transition and preconformal scaling -- does or does not occur. At the same time, we shed light on new analogies between QCD and its supersymmetric version. In SQCD, we derive an exact relation between $γ_G$ and the mass anomalous dim…
We introduce a new concept "conformal theories with an IR cutoff", after pointing out that the following two categories in SU(3) gauge theories with fundamental N_f fermions possess an IR fixed point: Large N_f QCD with N_f in the conformal window (referred as Conformal QCD) and small N_f QCD with N_f out of the conformal window at temperature T/Tc > 1 (referred as High Temperature QCD). In the conformal theories with an IR cutoff there exists the "conformal region'" together with the confining region and the deconfining region. We verify numerically on a lattice of the size 16^3 x64 the exist…
