In this note, we establish several interesting connections between the supergroup gauge theories and the super integrable systems, i.e. gauge theories with supergroups as their gauge groups and integrable systems defined on superalgebras. In particular, we construct the super-characteristic polynomials of super-Toda lattice and elliptic double Calogero-Moser system by considering certain orbifolded instanton partition functions of their corresponding supergroup gauge theories. We also derive an exotic generalization of sl(2) XXX spin chain arising from the instanton partition function of SQCD with supergauge group, and study its Bethe ansatz equation.
As a step to understand general patterns of integrability in 1+1 quantum field theories with supergroup symmetry, we study in details the case of $OSP(1/2)$. Our results include the solutions of natural generalizations of models with ordinary group symmetry: the $UOSP(1/2)_{k}$ WZW model with a current current perturbation, the $UOSP(1/2)$ principal chiral model, and the $UOSP(1/2)\otimes UOSP(1/2)/UOSP(1/2)$ coset models perturbed by the adjoint. Graded parafermions are also discussed. A pattern peculiar to supergroups is the emergence of another class of models, whose simplest representative…
We construct the anti-de Sitter supergravity in three dimensions associated with the supergroup $SU(1,1|2)\times SU(1,1|2)$. The field content and the action are inferred using the fact that $AdS$ supergravity theories in three dimensions are Chern-Simons theories.
We study the realization of supergroup gauge theories using negative branes in string theory. We show that negative branes are intimately connected with the possibility of timelike compactification and exotic spacetime signatures previously studied by Hull. Isolated negative branes dynamically generate a change in spacetime signature near their worldvolumes, and are related by string dualities to a smooth M-theory geometry with closed timelike curves. Using negative D3 branes, we show that $SU(0|N)$ supergroup theories are holographically dual to an exotic variant of type IIB string theory on …
We study the super instanton solution in the gauge theory with U$(n_{+}| n_{-})$ gauge group. Based on the ADHM construction generalized to the supergroup theory, we derive the instanton partition function from the super instanton moduli space through the equivariant localization. We derive the Seiberg-Witten geometry and its quantization for the supergroup gauge theory from the instanton partition function, and study the connection with classical and quantum integrable systems. We also argue the brane realization of the supergroup quiver gauge theory, and possible connection to the non-superg…
We show that in the context of topological string theories N branes and M anti-branes give rise to Chern-Simons gauge theory with the gauge supergroup $U(N|M)$. We also identify a deformation of the theory which corresponds to brane/anti-brane annihilation. Furthermore we show that when $N=M$ all open string states are BRST trivial in the deformed theory.
We consider topological field theories that compute the Reidemeister-Milnor-Turaev torsion in three dimensions. These are the psl(1|1) and the U(1|1) Chern-Simons theories, coupled to a background complex flat gauge field. We use the 3d mirror symmetry to derive the Meng-Taubes theorem, which relates the torsion and the Seiberg-Witten invariants, for a three-manifold with arbitrary first Betti number. We also present the Hamiltonian quantization of our theories, find the modular transformations of states, and various properties of loop operators. Our results for the U(1|1) theory are in genera…
We discuss the 5d AGT correspondence of supergroup gauge theories with A-type supergroups. We introduce two intertwiners called positive and negative intertwiners to compute the instanton partition function. The positive intertwiner is the ordinary Awata-Feigin-Shiraishi intertwiner while the negative intertwiner is an intertwiner obtained by using central charges with negative levels. We show that composition of them gives the basic Nekrasov factors appearing in supergroup partition functions. We explicitly derive the instanton partition functions of supergroup gauge theories with A and D-typ…
We study the boundary conditions in the topologically twisted Chern-Simons matter theories with the Lie 3-algebraic structure. We find that the supersymmetric boundary conditions and the gauge invariant boundary conditions can be unified as the complexified gauge invariant boundary conditions which lead to the supergroup WZW models. We propose that the low-energy effective field theories on the two-dimensional intersection of multiple M2-branes on a holomorphic curve inside K3 with two non-parallel M5-branes on the K3 are supergroup WZW models from the topologically twisted BLG-model and the A…
We consider 5d supersymmetric gauge theories with unitary groups in the $Ω$-background and study codim-2/4 BPS defects supported on orthogonal planes intersecting at the origin along a circle. The intersecting defects arise upon implementing the most generic Higgsing (geometric transition) to the parent higher dimensional theory, and they are described by pairs of 3d supersymmetric gauge theories with unitary groups interacting through 1d matter at the intersection. We explore the relations between instanton and generalized vortex calculus, pointing out a duality between intersecting defects s…
We derive a relation between correlation functions of supergroup WZNW models and conformal field theories with extended superconformal symmetry. The supergroups considered have a bosonic subgroup of the form SL(2) x A for some Lie group A. The corresponding conformal field theory is a super Liouville field theory coupled with the WZNW model on A. An example is a correspondence between the PSU(1,1|2) WZNW model and small N=4 super Liouville field theory. The OSP(n|2) WZNW model is related to a superconformal field theory with SO(n) extended superconformal symmetry of the Knizhnik-Bershadsky typ…
We consider Yang-Mills theory with $N=2$ super translation group in $d=10$ auxiliary dimensions as the structure group. The gauge theory is defined on a direct product manifold $Σ_2\times H^2$, where $Σ_2$ is a two-dimensional Lorentzian manifold and $H^2$ is the open disc in $\mathbb{R}^2$ with the boundary $S^1=\partial H^2$. We show that in the adiabatic limit, when the metric on $H^2$ is scaled down, the Yang-Mills action supplemented by the $d=5$ Chern-Simons term becomes the Green-Schwarz superstring action. More concretely, the Yang-Mills action in the infrared limit flows to the kineti…
We study states of large charge density in integrable conformal coset models. For the O(2) coset, we consider two different S-matrices, one corresponding to a Thirring mass perturbation and the other to the continuation to O(2+epsilon). The former leads to simplification in the conformal limit; the latter gives a more complicated description of the O(2) system, with a large zero mode sector in addition to the right- and left-movers. We argue that for the conformal O(2+2M|2M) supergroup coset, the S-matrix is given by the analog of the O(2+epsilon) construction.
We study the partition function of the orientifold ABJM theory, which is a superconformal Chern-Simons theory associated with the orthosymplectic supergroup. We find that the partition function associated with any orthosymplectic supergroup can be realized as the partition function of a Fermi gas system whose density matrix is identical to that associated with the corresponding unitary supergroup with a projection to the even or odd chirality. Furthermore we propose an identity which gives directly all of the Gopakumar-Vafa invariants for the worldsheet instanton effects in the chirally projec…
We review recent progress in determining the partition function of the ABJM theory in the large N expansion, including all of the perturbative and non-perturbative corrections. Especially, we will focus on how these exact expansions are obtained from various beautiful relations to Fermi gas system, topological string theory, integrable model and supergroup.
We study an integrable noncompact superspin chain model that emerged in recent studies of the dilatation operator in the N=1 super-Yang-Mills theory. It was found that the latter can be mapped into a homogeneous Heisenberg magnet with the quantum space in all sites corresponding to infinite-dimensional representations of the SL(2|1) group. We extend the method of the Baxter Q-operator to spin chains with supergroup symmetry and apply it to determine the eigenspectrum of the model. Our analysis relies on a factorization property of the R-operators acting on the tensor product of two generic inf…
This is a very brief review of relations between Seiberg-Witten theories and integrable systems with emphasis on the perturbative prepotentials presented at the E.S.Fradkin Memorial Conference.
The review studies connections between integrable many-body systems and gauge theories. It is shown how the degrees of freedom in integrable systems are related with topological degrees of freedom in gauge theories. The relations between families of integrable systems and N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories are described. It is explained that the degrees of freedom in the many-body systems can be identified with collective coordinates of D-branes, solitons in string theory.
We present a geometric formulation of super $p$--brane theories in which the Wess--Zumino term is $(p+1)$--th order in the supersymmetric currents, and hence is manifestly supersymmetric. The currents are constructed using a supergroup manifold corresponding to a generalization of a superalgebra which we found sometime ago. Our results generalize Siegel's analogous reformulation of the Green--Schwarz superstring. The new superalgebras we construct underly the free differential superalgebras introduced by de Azcárraga and Townsend a few years ago.
We consider two dimensional non linear sigma models on few symmetric superspaces, which are supergroup manifolds of coset type. For those spaces where one loop beta function vanishes, two loop beta function is calculated and is shown to be zero. Vanishing of beta function in all orders of perturbation theory is shown for the principal chiral models on group supermanifolds with zero Killing form. Sigma models on symmetric (super) spaces on supergroup manifold $G/H$ are known to be classically integrable. We investigate a possibility to extend an argument of absence of quantum anomalies in non l…
We propose scattering matrices for N=1 supersymmetric integrable quantum field theories in 1+1 dimensions which involve unstable particles in their spectra. By means of the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz we analyze the ultraviolet behaviour of some of these theories and identify the effective Virasoro central charge of the underlying conformal field theories.
Considering matter coupled supersymmetric Chern-Simons theories in three dimensions we extend the Gaiotto-Witten mechanism of supersymmetry enhancement $\mathcal{N}_3=3\to \mathcal{N}_3=4$ from the case where the hypermultiplets span a flat HyperKähler manifold to that where they live on a curved one. We derive the precise conditions of this enhancement in terms of generalized Gaiotto-Witten identities to be satisfied by the tri-holomorphic moment maps. An infinite class of HyperKähler metrics compatible with the enhancement condition is provided by the Calabi metrics on $T^\star \mathbb{P}^{n…
A brief survey of recent results in the study of boundary integrable quantum field theories, indicating some currently open problems. Based on lectures given at the 2000 Eotvos Summer School in Physics on `Nonperturbative QFT methods and their applications'.
We show that integrable vertex and RSOS models with trigonometric Boltzmann weights and appropriate inhomogeneities provide a convenient lattice regularization for massive field theories and for the recently studied massless field theories that interpolate between two non trivial conformal field theories. Massive and massless S matrices are computed from the lattice Bethe ansatz.
This note gives a brief review of the integrable structures presented in the Seiberg-Witten approach to the N=2 SUSY gauge theories with emphasize on the case of the gauge theories with matter hypermultiplets included (described by spin chains). The web of different N=2 SUSY theories is discussed.
In this paper the relation between 2d topological gauge theories and Bethe Ansatz equations is reviewed. In addition we present some new results and clarifications. We hope the relations discussed here are particular examples of more general relations between quantum topological fields theories in dimensions $d\leq 4$ and quantum integrable systems.
We discuss $5d$ and $6d$ supersymmetric gauge theories in the target-space with compactified directions and with the matter hypermultiplets in fundamental representations in the framework of integrable systems. In particular, we consider the prepotentials of these theories and derive explicit formulas for their perturbative parts.
I report on work on a Lagrangian formulation for the simplest 1+1 dimensional integrable hierarchies. This formulation makes the relationship between conformal field theories and (quantized) 1+1 dimensional integrable hierarchies very clear.
We calculate the vacuum expectation values of local fields for the two-parameter family of integrable field theories introduced and studied by Fateev. Using this result we propose an explicit expression for the vacuum expectation values of local operators in parafermionic sine-Gordon models and in integrable perturbed SU(2) coset conformal field theories.
In this work we pursue the singular-vector analysis of the integrable perturbations of conformal theories that was initiated in hep-th/9603088. Here we consider the detailed study of the N=1 superconformal theory and show that all integrable perturbations can be identified from a simple singular-vector argument. We identify these perturbations as theories based on affine Lie superalgebras and show that the results we obtain relating two perturbations can be understood by the extension of affine Toda duality to these theories with fermions. We also discuss how this duality is broken in specific…
We conjecture the factorized scattering description for OSP(m/2n)/OSP(m-1/2n) supersphere sigma models and OSP(m/2n) Gross Neveu models. The non-unitarity of these field theories translates into a lack of `physical unitarity' of the S matrices, which are instead unitary with respect to the non-positive scalar product inherited from the orthosymplectic structure. Nevertheless, we find that formal thermodynamic Bethe ansatz calculations appear meaningful, reproduce the correct central charges, and agree with perturbative calculations. This paves the way to a more thorough study of these and othe…
The exact solutions to quantum string and gauge field theories are discussed and their formulation in the framework of integrable systems is presented. In particular I consider in detail several examples of appearence of solutions to the first-order integrable equations of hydrodynamical type and stress that all known examples can be treated as partial solutions to the same problem in the theory of integrable systems.
We discuss various dualities, relating integrable systems and show that these dualities are explained in the framework of Hamiltonian and Poisson reductions. The dualities we study shed some light on the known integrable systems as well as allow to construct new ones, double elliptic among them. We also discuss applications to the (supersymmetric) gauge theories in various dimensions.
These lecture notes provide an elementary introduction to the study of massless integrable quantum field theory in 1+1 dimensions using ``massless scattering''. Some previously unpublished results are also presented, including a non-perturbative study of Virasoro conserved quantities.
I review the appearance of classical integrable systems as an effective tool for the description of non-perturbative exact results in quantum string and gauge theories. Various aspects of this relation: spectral curves, action-angle variables, Whitham deformations and associativity equations are considered separately demonstrating hidden parallels between topological 2d string theories and naively non-topological 4d theories. The proofs are supplemented by explicit illustrative examples.
In the leading log approximation and at large $N_C$ the interaction of two fermionic and one gluonic reggeons is described by an integrable system corresponding to an open spin chain.
I review three different problems occuring in two dimensional field theory: 1) classification of conformal field theories; 2) construction of lattice integrable realizations of the latter; 3) solutions to the WDVV equations of topological field theories. I show that a structure of Coxeter group is hidden behind these three related problems.
That the exact quantum S-matrix of $\text{T}\bar{\text{T}}$-deformed field theories is known has interesting consequences for their perturbative renormalisation. Recent investigations into the interplay between renormalisation and integrable deformations have focused on those cases where the (undeformed) seed theories are integrable. In this paper, we study the perturbative renormalisation of non-integrable $\text{T}\bar{\text{T}}$-deformed field theories, focusing on a theory of scalars with a quartic interaction. We show that in this theory, the 4-point 1-loop S-matrix exhibits features simi…
In this review we discuss interrelations between classical Hitchin integrable systems, monodromy preserving equations and topological field theories coming from N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories developed by Gukov, Kapustin and Witten. In particular, we define systems related to bundles with nontrivial characteristic classes and discuss relations of the characteristic classes with monopole configurations in the Yang-Mills theory.
We present part of our investigations on two dimensional N=1 and N=2 superconformal field theories. As a direct generalization we consider the SU(2) coset models, in particular their renormalization group properties. A search and possible implementation of additional symmetries in related integrable models are also presented.
The reduction of higher dimensional supergravities to low dimensional dilaton gravity theories is outlined. Then a recently proposed new class of integrable theories of 0+1 and 1+1 dimensional dilaton gravity coupled to any number of scalar fields is described in more detail. These models are reducible to systems of independent Liouville equations whose solutions are not independent because they must satisfy the energy and momentum constraints. The constraints are solved, thus giving the explicit analytic solution of the theory in terms of arbitrary chiral fields. In particular, these integrab…
After a short review of the algebraic setting of N=2 superconformal field theories, their chiral ring and their perturbations, I present some recent results on curious relations between the integrability of their perturbations and algebraic properties of their deformed chiral ring. (Lecture given at Hang-zhou, China, Sept 1993)
I review the appearence of integrable structures in the formulation of exact nonperturbative solutions to $4d$ supersymmetric quantum gauge theories. Various examples of ${\cal N}\geq 2$ SUSY Yang-Mills nonperturbative solutions are adequately described in terms of the (deformations of the) finite-gap solutions to integrable models: through the generating differential and the $τ$-function. One of the basic definitions of generating differential is discussed and its role in the theory of integrable systems is demonstrated.
We review the Seiberg-Witten construction of low-energy effective actions and BPS spectra in SUSY gauge theories and its formulation in terms of integrable systems. It is also demonstrated how this formulation naturally appears from the compactified version of the theory with partially broken supersymmetry so that the integrable structures arise from the relation between bare and quantum variables and superpotentials of SUSY gauge theories. The Whitham integrable systems, literally corresponding to the uncompactified theory, are then restored by averaging over fast variables in the decompactif…
In this note we compute exact boundary spectra for D-instantons in sigma-models on the supergroup PSL(2|2). Our results are obtained through an explicit summation of the perturbative expansion for conformal dimensions to all orders in the curvature radius. The analysis exploits several remarkable properties of the perturbation series that arises from rescalings of the metric on PSL(2|2) relative to a fixed Wess-Zumino term. According to Berkovits, Vafa and Witten, the models are relevant in the context of string theory on AdS3 with non-vanishing RR-flux. The note concludes with a number of com…
We extend previously proposed generalized gauge theory formulation of Chern-Simons type and topological Yang-Mills type actions into Yang-Mills type actions. We formulate gauge fields and Dirac-Kähler matter fermions by all degrees of differential forms. The simplest version of the model which includes only zero and one form gauge fields accommodated with the graded Lie algebra of $SU(2|1)$ supergroup leads Weinberg-Salam model. Thus the Weinberg-Salam model formulated by noncommutative geometry is a particular example of the present formulation.
The structure of integrable field theories in the presence of defects is discussed in terms of boundary functions under the Lagrangian formalism. Explicit examples of bosonic and fermionic theories are considered. In particular, the boundary functions for the super sinh-Gordon model is constructed and shown to generate the Backlund transformations for its soliton solutions.
Relativistic integrable field theories like the sine-Gordon equation have an infinite set of conserved charges. In a light-front formalism these conserved charges are closely related to the integrable modified KdV hierarchy at the classical level. The latter hierarchy admits a family of symplectic structures which we argue can be viewed as deformations of the relativistic sine-Gordon symplectic structure. These deformed theories are integrable but no longer relativistic and the basic excitations of the theory, the solitons, have an interesting non-relativistic dispersion relation that in a cer…
Perturbations of $WD_n$ and $W_3$ conformal theories which generalize the $(1,2)$ perturbations of conformal minimal models are shown to be integrable by counting argument. $A_{2n-1,q}^{(2)}$ and $D_{4,q}^ {(3)}$ symmetries of corresponding S-matrices are conjectured and proved by explicit construction of conserved nonlocal charges in the $WD_3$ case with the proper quantum group of symmetry.
We study $N$=2 supersymmetric integrable theories with spontaneously-broken \Zn\ symmetry. They have exact soliton masses given by the affine $SU(n)$ Toda masses and fractional fermion numbers given by multiples of $1/n$. The basic such $N$=2 integrable theory is the $A_n$-type $N$=2 minimal model perturbed by the most relevant operator. The soliton content and exact S-matrices are obtained using the Landau-Ginzburg description. We study the thermodynamics of these theories and calculate the ground-state energies exactly, verifying that they have the correct conformal limits. We conjecture tha…
These lectures review some of the basic properties of $N=2$ superconformal field theories and the corresponding topological field theories. One of my basic aims is to show how the techniques of topological field theory can be used to compute effective \LG potentials for perturbed $N=2$ superconformal field theories. In particular, I will briefly discuss the application of these ideas to $N=2$ supersymmetric quantum integrable models. (Lectures given at the Summer School on High Energy Physics and Cosmology, Trieste, Italy, June 15th -- July 3rd, 1992. To appear in the proceedings.)
In this talk we discuss an elementary derivation of the semi-classical spectrum of neutral particles in two field theories with kink excitations. We also show that, in the non-integrable cases, each vacuum state cannot generically support more than two stable particles, since all other neutral exitations are resonances, which will eventually decay.
We generalize the exact field theoretic correspondence proposed in arXiv:1103.5726 and embed it into the context of refined topological string. The correspondence originally proposed from the common integrable structures in different field theories can be recast as a special limit of the refined geometric transition relating open and closed topological string partition functions. We realize the simplest examples of the correspondence explicitly in terms of open-closed geometric transition.
Two different theoretical formulations of the finite temperature effects have been recently proposed for integrable field theories. In order to decide which of them is the correct one, we perform for a particular model an explicit check of their predictions for the one-point function of the trace of the stress-energy tensor, a quantity which can be independently determined by the Thermodynamical Bethe Ansatz.
