For $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory without matter it is demonstrated that there is a class of renormalization schemes, in which the exact Novikov, Shifman, Vainshtein, and Zakharov (NSVZ) formula for the renormalization group $β$-function, defined in terms of the renormalized coupling constant, is valid. These schemes are related with each other by finite renormalizations forming a one-parameter commutative subgroup of general renormalization group transformations. The analogy between the exact $β$-function in $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory without matter and the $β$-function of quantum chromodynamics in the C-scheme is discussed.
We demonstrate the existence of non-abelian non-topological solitons such as Q-balls in the spectrum of Wess-Zumino models with non-abelian global symmetries. We conveniently name them Q-superballs and identify them for short as Q-sballs. More specifically, we show that in contrast to the non-supersymmetric case, they arise in renormalizable potentials with cubic self-interactions of only one dimensionful parameter and for the entire parameter space of the model available. We solve the field equations and present the explicit form of the Q-sball solution. We compute its main physical propertie…
We demonstrate electric-magnetic duality in N=1 supersymmetric non-Abelian gauge theories in four dimensions by presenting two different gauge theories (different gauge groups and quark representations) leading to the same non-trivial long distance physics. The quarks and gluons of one theory can be interpreted as solitons (non-Abelian magnetic monopoles) of the elementary fields of the other theory. The weak coupling region of one theory is mapped to a strong coupling region of the other. When one of the theories is Higgsed by an expectation value of a squark, the other theory is confined. Ma…
In this paper we investigate the nature of the transition from Abelian to non-Abelian confinement (i.e. crossover vs. phase transition). To this end we consider the basic N=2 model where non-Abelian flux tubes (strings) were first found: supersymmetric QCD with the U(N) gauge group and N_f=N flavors of fundamental matter (quarks). The Fayet-Iliopoulos term ξtriggers the squark condensation and leads to the formation of non-Abelian strings. There are two adjustable parameters in this model: ξand the quark mass difference Δm. We obtain the phase diagram on the (ξ, Δm) plane. At large ξand small …
We present a covariant, supersymmetric and kappa-symmetric action for non-Abelian multiwave system (nAmW) in D=3 AdS superspace. Its flat superspace limit provides a simplest counterpart of the recently proposed action for 11 dimensional system of N nearly coincident M-waves (multiple M0-branes), which is presently known for the case of flat target superspace only.
Fermionic zero modes around non-abelian vortices are shown that they constitute two $N=2$, $d=1$ supersymmetric quantum mechanics algebras. These two algebras can be combined under certain circumstances to form a central charge extended $N=4$ supersymmetric quantum algebra. We thoroughly discuss the implications of the existence of supersymmetric quantum mechanics algebras, in the quantum Hilbert space of the fermionic zero modes.
We generalize the standard product integral formalism to incorporate Grassmann valued matrices and show that the resulting supersymmetric product integrals provide a natural framework for describing supersymmetric Wilson Lines and Wilson Loops. We use this formalism to establish the supersymmetric version of the non-Abelian Stokes theorem.
New non-abelian supersymmetric generalizations of the four-dimensional Born-Infeld action are constructed in N=1 and N=2 superspace, to all orders in the gauge superfield strength. The proposed actions are dictated by simple (manifestly supersymmetric and gauge-covariant) non-linear constraints.
We present an N=1 supersymmetric generalization of the Maximal Abelian Gauge (MAG) in its superfield and component-field formulations, and discuss its Faddeev-Popov quantization, the associated BRST symmetry and the corresponding Slavnov-Taylor identity in superspace approach.
We present a N=2 supersymmetric action for the Born Infeld theory in the non abelian case. We quantize the theory in N=1 superspace and compute divergences at one-loop. The result is discussed in the N=4 case.
We present a supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (USSM-A) with an anomalous U(1) and Stueckelberg axions for anomaly cancellation, generalizing similar non-supersymmetric constructions. The model, built by a bottom-up approach, is expected to capture the low-energy supersymmetric description of axionic symmetries in theories with gauged anomalous abelian interactions, previously explored in the non-supersymmetric case for scenarios with intersecting branes. The choice of a USSM-like superpotential, with one extra singlet superfield and an extra abelian symmetry, allows a physical ax…
We discuss perturbative four-dimensional compactifications of both the SO(32) heterotic and the Type I string on smooth Calabi-Yau manifolds endowed with general non-abelian and abelian bundles. We analyse the generalized Green-Schwarz mechanism for multiple anomalous U(1) factors and derive the generically non-universal one-loop threshold corrections to the gauge kinetic function as well as the one-loop corrected Fayet-Iliopoulos terms. The latter can be interpreted as a stringy one-loop correction to the Donaldson-Uhlenbeck-Yau condition. Applying S-duality, for the Type I string we obtain t…
We define a class of supersymmetric defect loop operators in N = 2 gauge theories in 2+1 dimensions. We give a prescription for computing the expectation value of such operators in a generic N = 2 theory on the three-sphere using localization. We elucidate the role of defect loop operators in IR dualities of supersymmetric gauge theories, and write down their transformation properties under the SL(2, Z) action on conformal theories with abelian global symmetries.
Recently Seiberg has conjectured a duality symmetry connecting different theories of the supersymmetric QCD type. We provide support for this conjecture by analyzing a flat direction of the theory along which the two dual theories go over to the same theory in the IR.
Non-Abelian strings are considered in {\em non}-supersymmetric theories with fermions in various appropriate representations of the gauge group U($N$). We derive the electric charge quantization conditions and the index theorems counting fermion zero modes in the string background both for the left-handed and right-handed fermions. In both cases, we observe a non-trivial $N$ dependence.
We review an iterative construction of the supersymmetric non-abelian Born-Infeld action. We obtain the action through second order in the fieldstrength. Kappa-invariance fixes the ordenings which turn out to deviate from the symmetrized trace proposal.
Using the natural curvature invariants as building blocks in a superfield construction, we show that the use of a symmetric trace is mandatory if one is to reproduce the square root structure of the non-Abelian Dirac-Born-Infeld Lagrangian in the bosonic sector. We also discuss the BPS relations in connection with our supersymmetry construction.
Confinement in non-Abelian gauge theories, such as QCD, is often explained using an analogy to type II superconductivity. In this analogy the existence of the ``Meissner'' effect for quarks with respect to the QCD vacuum is an important element. Here we show that using the ideas of Abelian projection it is possible to arrive at an effective London equation from a non-Abelian gauge theory. (London's equation gave a phenomenological description of the Meissner effect prior to the Ginzburg-Landau or BCS theory of superconductors). The Abelian projected gauge field acts as the E&M field in normal …
We discuss the construction of non-Abelian black holes and globally regular monopole solutions to N=2, d=4 EYM theories. Special emphasis is put on how the attractor mechanism works for the non-Abelian black holes.
Chiral p-forms are, in fact, present in many supersymmetric and supergravity models in two, six and ten dimensions. In this work, the dual projection procedure, which is essentially equivalent to a canonical transformation, is used to diagonalize some theories in D=2 (0-forms). The dual projection performed here provides an alternative way of gauging the chiral components without the necessity of constraints. It is shown, through the dual projection, that the nonmover field (the noton) initially introduced by Hull to cancel out the Siegel anomaly, has non-Abelian, PST and supersymmetric formul…
In this work, we propose the N=2 and N=4 supersymmetric extensions of the Lorentz-breaking Abelian Chern-Simons term. We formulate the question of the Lorentz violation in 6 and 10 dimensions to obtain the bosonic sectors of N=2, and N=4, supersymmetries, respectively. From this, we carry out an analysis in N=1, D=4 superspace and, in terms of N=1, superfields, we are able to write down the N=2 and N=4 supersymmetric versions of the Lorentz-violating action term.
Dyonic non-Abelian local/semi-global vortex strings are studied in detail in supersymmetric/non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills-Higgs theories. While the BPS tension formula is known to be the same as that for the BPS dyonic instanton, we find that the non-BPS tension formula is approximated very well by the well-known tension formula of the BPS dyon. We show that this mysterious tension formula for the dyonic non-BPS vortex stings can be understood from the perspective of a low energy effective field theory. Furthermore, we propose an efficient method to obtain an effective theory of a single vorte…
In the last decade it became clear that methods and techniques based on supersymmetry provide deep insights in quantum chromodynamics and other supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric gauge theories at strong coupling. In this review we summarize major advances in the critical (Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfeld-saturated, BPS for short) solitons in supersymmetric theories and their implications for understanding basic dynamical regularities of non-supersymmetric theories. After a brief introduction in the theory of critical solitons (including a historical introduction) we focus on three topics: (i)…
In this work we present an algebraic proof of the renormazibility of the super-Yang-Mills action quantized in a generalized supersymmetric version of the maximal Abelian gauge. The main point stated here is that the generalized gauge depends on a set of infinity gauge parameters in order to take into account all possible composite operators emerging from the dimensionless character of the vector superfield. At the end, after the removal of all ultraviolet divergences, it is possible to specify values to the gauge parameters in order to return to the original supersymmetric maximal Abelian gaug…
We study N=2 supersymmetric Abelian gauge model with the Fayet-Iliopoulos term and an arbitrary number of chiral matter multiplets in two dimensions. By analyzing the instanton contribution we compute the non-perturbative corrections to the mass spectrum of the theory and the quantum deformation of the classical vacua space. In contrast to known examples the non-perturbative bosonic potential is saturated by the one-instanton contribution and can be directly found within the semiclassical expansion around the one-instanton saddle point.
We determine the non-abelian Born-Infeld action, including fermions, as it results from the four-point tree-level open superstring scattering amplitudes at order alpha'^2. We find that, after an appropriate field redefinition all terms at this order can be written as a symmetrised trace. We confront this action with the results that follow from kappa-symmetry and conclude that the recently proposed non-abelian kappa-symmetry cannot be extended to cubic orders in the Born-Infeld curvature.
We generalise the study of constraints imposed by supersymmetry on the Berry connection to transformations with component fields in representations of an internal symmetry group G. Since the fields act as co-ordinates of the underlying space one finds a non-trivial extension to its structure and, correspondingly, there are new non-abelian constraints on the Berry connection. The specific case of G=SU(2) is shown to constrain the connection to behave as a magnetic monopole over su(2), its Lie algebra.
A Lagrangian formulation is given extending to N = 1 supersymmetry the motion of a charged point particle with spin in a non-abelian external field. The classical formulation is constructed for any external static non-abelian SU(N) gauge potential. As an illustration, a specific gauge is fixed enabling canonical quantization and the study of the supersymmetric non-abelian Landau problem. The spectrum of the quantum Hamiltonian operator follows in accordance with the supersymmetric structure.
We apply the functional renormalization group approach to a $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge model with one chiral superfield coupled to a vector $U(1)$ superfield. We find that the nonrenormalization theorem still works at leading order in the supercovariant derivative expansion of the fields. We also find the beta functions and we study the behavior of its fixed points in the local potential approximation. Regulators are also discussed.
We derive non-Abelian localization formulae for supersymmetric Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory with matters on a Seifert manifold M, which is the three-dimensional space of a circle bundle over a two-dimensional Riemann surface Σ, by using the cohomological approach introduced by Kallen. We find that the partition function and the vev of the supersymmetric Wilson loop reduces to a finite dimensional integral and summation over classical flux configurations labeled by discrete integers. We also find the partition function reduces further to just a discrete sum over integers in some cases, and ev…
We consider the supersymmetric vector multiplet in a purely quantum framework. We obtain some discrepancies with respect to the literature in the expression of the super-propagator and we prove that the model is consistent only for positive mass. The gauge structure is constructed purely deductive and leads to the necessity of introducing scalar ghost superfields, in analogy to the usual gauge theories. The construction of a consistent supersymmetric gauge theory based on the vector model depends crucially one the definition of gauge invariance. We find some significant difficulties to impose …
We construct a Lagrangian formulation of \Nf supersymmetric mechanics with hyper-Kähler sigma models in a bosonic sector in the non-Abelian background gauge field. The resulting action includes a wide class of \Nf supersymmetric mechanics describing the motion of an isospin-carrying particle over spaces with non-trivial geometry. In two examples we discuss in details, the background fields are identified with the field of BPST instantons in the flat and Taub-NUT spaces.
Using Faddeev-Senjanovic path integral quantization for constrained Hamilton system, we quantize SU(n) N=2 supersymmetric gauge field system with non-abelian Chern-Simons topological term in 2+1 dimensions, and use consistency of a gauge condition naturally to deduce another gauge condition. Further, we get the generating functional of Green function in phase space, deduce the angular momentum based on the global canonical Noether theorem at quantum level, obtain the fractional spin of this supersymmetric system, and show that the total angular momentum has the orbital angular momentum and spi…
Recently we discovered and discussed non-Abelian duality in the quark vacua of N=2 super-Yang-Mills theory with the U(N) gauge group and N_f flavors (N_f>N). Both theories from the dual pair support non-Abelian strings which confine monopoles. Now we introduce an N=2-breaking deformation, a mass term μ{\mathcal A}^2 for the adjoint fields. Starting from a small deformation we eventually make it large which enforces complete decoupling of the adjoint fields. We show that the above non-Abelian duality fully survives in the limit of N=1 SQCD, albeit some technicalities change. For instance, non-A…
By taking into account the effect of the would be Chern-Simons term, we calculate the quantum correction to the Chern-Simons coefficient in supersymmetric Chern-Simons Higgs theories with matter fields in the fundamental representation of SU(n). Because of supersymmetry, the corrections in the symmetric and Higgs phases are identical. In particular, the correction is vanishing for N=3 supersymmetric Chern-Simons Higgs theories. The result should be quite general, and have important implication for the more interesting case when the Higgs is in the adjoint representation.
The Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) multi-wall solutions are constructed in supersymmetric U(N_C) gauge theories in five dimensions with N_F(>N_C) hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation. Exact solutions are obtained with full generic moduli for infinite gauge coupling and with partial moduli for finite gauge coupling. The generic wall solutions require nontrivial configurations for either gauge fields or off-diagonal components of adjoint scalars depending on the gauge. Effective theories of moduli fields are constructed as world-volume gauge theories. Nambu-Goldstone and quasi…
Recently N. Seiberg has shown that certain N=1 supersymmetric Yang -- Mills theories have the property that their infrared physics can be equivalently described by {\it two different} gauge theories, with the strong coupling region of one corresponding to the weak coupling region of the other. This duality leads to interesting results about the infrared dynamics of these theories. We generalize Seiberg's ideas to a new class of models for which a similar duality allows one to obtain rather detailed dynamical information about the long distance physics.
We define an iterative procedure to obtain a non-abelian generalization of the Born-Infeld action. This construction is made possible by the use of the severe restrictions imposed by kappa-symmetry. We have calculated all bosonic terms in the action up to terms quartic in the Yang-Mills field strength and all fermion bilinear terms up to terms cubic in the field strength. Already at this order the fermionic terms do not satisfy the symmetric trace-prescription.
We review recent results on the BPS multi-wall solutions in supersymmetric U(N_C) gauge theories in five dimensions with N_F(>N_C) hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation. Total moduli space of the BPS non-Abelian walls is found to be the complex Grassmann manifold SU(N_F)/[SU(N_C)xSU(N_F-N_C)xU(1)]. Exact solutions are obtained with full generic moduli for infinite gauge coupling. A 1/4 BPS equation is also solved, giving vortices together with the non-Abelian walls and monopoles in the Higgs phase attached to the vortices. The full moduli space of the 1/4 BPS solutions is found to …
The quantum Yang-Mills theory describing dual ($\tilde g$) and non-dual ($g$) charges and revealing the generalized duality symmetry was developed by analogy with the Zwanziger formalism in QED.
We present a new (variant) formulation of N=1 supersymmetric compensator mechanism for an arbitrary non-Abelian group in four dimensions. We call this `variant supersymmetric non-Abelian Proca-Stueckelberg formalism'. Our field content is economical, consisting only of the two multiplets: (i) A Non-Abelian vector multiplet (A_μ^I, λ^I, C_{μνρ}{}^I) and (ii) A compensator tensor multiplet (B_{μν}{}^I, χ^I, φ^I). The index I is for the adjoint representation of a non-Abelian gauge group. The C_{μνρ}{}^I is originally an auxiliary field Hodge-dual to the conventional auxiliary field D^I. The φ^I …
We review recent results on solitons in supersymmetric (SUSY) non-Abelian gauge theories, focusing on our papers: hep-th/0405194, hep-th/0405129, and hep-th/0404198. We construct the BPS multi-wall solutions in supersymmetric U(N_C) gauge theories in five dimensions with N_F(>N_C) hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation. Exact solutions are obtained with full generic moduli for infinite gauge coupling. Total moduli space of the BPS non-Abelian walls is found to be the complex Grassmann manifold SU(N_F) / [SU(N_C)\times SU(N_F-N_C) \times U(1)]. A 1/4 BPS equation is also studied whic…
We consider a general non-Abelian renormalizable ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge theory, regularized by higher covariant derivatives without breaking the BRST invariance, and calculate one-loop divergences for a general form of higher derivative regulator and of the gauge fixing term. It is demonstrated that the momentum integrals giving the one-loop $β$-function are integrals of double total derivatives independently of a particular choice of the higher derivative term. Evaluating them we reproduce the well-known result for the one-loop $β$-function. Also we find that the three-point ghost …
We study the dynamics of non-Abelian vortex strings supported in ${\mathcal N}=2$ supersymmetric QCD with the U$(N)$ gauge group and $N_f=N$ quark flavors deformed by the mass $μ$ of the adjoint matter. In the limit of large $μ$ the bulk four-dimensional theory flows to ${\mathcal N}=1$ supersymmetric QCD. The dynamics of orientational zero modes of the non-Abelian string is described by the world sheet CP$(N-1)$ model. At $μ=0$ this model has ${\mathcal N}= \left(2,2\right) $ supersymmetry while at large $μ$ it flows to the non-supersymmetric CP$(N-1)$ model. We solve the world sheet model in…
We construct and study the first supersymmetric black-hole and black-string solutions of non-Abelian-gauged N=1,d=5 supergravity (N=1,d=5 Super-Einstein-Yang-Mills theory) with non-trivial SU(2) gauge fields: BPST instantons for black holes and BPS monopoles of different kinds ('t~Hooft-Polyakov, Wu-Yang and Protogenov) for black strings and also for certain black holes that are well defined solutions only for very specific values of all the moduli. Instantons, as well as colored monopoles do not contribute to the masses and tensions but do contribute to the entropies. The construction is base…
Non-Abelian flux tubes (strings) are well studied in N=2 supersymmetric QCD in (3+1) dimensions. In addition to translational zero modes they have also orientational moduli associated with rotations of their fluxes inside a non-Abelian group. The dynamics of the orientational moduli is described by the two dimensional CP(N-1) model living on the world sheet of the non-Abelian string. In this paper we consider a deformation of N=2 supersymmetric QCD with the U(N) gauge group and N_f=N quark flavors with a mass term $μ$ of the adjoint matter. In the limit of large $μ$ the theory flows to an N=1 …
A summary is reported on our previous publications about four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric Spin(10) gauge theory with chiral superfields in the spinor and vector representations in the non-Abelian Coulomb phase. Carrying out the method of a-maximization, we studied decoupling operators in the infrared and the renormalization flow of the theory. We also give a brief review on the non-Abelian Coulomb phase of the theory after recalling the unitarity bound and the a-maximization procedure in four-dimensional conformal field theory. This is a review article invited to International Journal of Mo…
We compute two-loop low-energy effective actions in Abelian Chern-Simons matter models with N=2 and N=3 supersymmetry up to four-derivative order. Calculations are performed with a slowly-varying gauge superfield background. Though the gauge superfield propagator depends on the gauge fixing parameter, it is shown that the obtained results are independent of this parameter. In the massless case the considered models are superconformal. We demonstrate that the superconformal symmetry strongly restricts the form of two-loop quantum corrections to the effective actions such that the obtained terms…
With the help of M-theory configuration of N=1 supersymmetric QCD, we analyze the strong coupling moduli of N=1 theory and its relation with S-duality transformation in N=2 supersymmetric QCD. As a result we confirm that two type-IIA descriptions for N=1 supersymmetric QCD, one of them being strong coupling description and another being weak, correspond to a single M-theory description for N=1 supersymmetric QCD. The existence of singlet fields is also discussed.
Recently we observed a crossover transition (in the Fayet-Iliopoulos parameter) from weak to strong coupling in N=2 supersymmetric QCD with the U(N) gauge group and N_f > N quark flavors. At strong coupling this theory can be described by a dual non-Abelian weakly coupled SQCD with the dual gauge group U(N_f-N) and N_f light dyon flavors. Both theories support non-Abelian strings. We continue the study of confinement dynamics in these theories, in particular, metamorphoses of excitation spectra, from a different side. A number of results obtained previously are explained, enhanced and suppleme…
We present a variant formulation of N=1 supersymmetric compensator mechanism for an arbitrary non-Abelian group in four dimensions. This formulation resembles our previous variant supersymmetric compensator mechanism in 4D. Our field content consists of the three multiplets: (i) A Non-Abelian Yang-Mills multiplet (A_μ^I, λ^I, C_{μνρ}^I), (ii) a tensor multiplet (B_{μν}^I, χ^I, φ^I) and an extra vector multiplet (K_μ^I, ρ^I, C_{μνρ}^I) with the index I for the adjoint representation of a non-Abelian gauge group. The C_{μνρ}^I is originally an auxiliary field dual to the conventional auxiliary f…
The timelike supersymmetric solutions of N=2, D=4 gauged supergravity coupled to an arbitrary number of abelian vector multiplets are classified using spinorial geometry techniques. We show that the generalized holonomy group for vacua preserving N supersymmetries is GL((8-N)/2,C) $\ltimes$ N/2 C^((8-N)/2) $\subseteq$ GL(8,R), where N=0,2,4,6,8. The spacetime turns out to be a fibration over a three-dimensional base manifold with U(1) holonomy and nontrivial torsion. Our results can be used to construct new supersymmetric AdS black holes with nontrivial scalar fields turned on.
We investigate a new identity for Green functions using the higher covariant derivative regularization. It relates some coefficients in the vertex function of the matter superfield, in which one of external matter lines is not chiral. The calculation in the first nontrivial order (for the two-loop vertex function) reveals that the new identity is also valid for the non-Abelian Yang--Mills theory with matter fields. The new identity is shown to appear because three-loop integrals, defining the Gell-Mann--Low function are factorized into integrals of total derivatives.
This monograph is derived from a series of six lectures I gave at the Centre de Recherches Mathematiques in Montreal, in March and June 2000, while titulary of the Aisenstadt Chair.
A semi-classical check of the Goddard-Nuyts-Olive (GNO) generalized duality conjecture for gauge theories with adjoint Higgs fields is performed for the case where the unbroken gauge group is non-abelian. The monopole solutions of the theory transform under the non-abelian part of the unbroken global symmetry and the associated component of the moduli space is a Lie group coset space. The well-known problems in introducing collective coordinates for these degrees-of-freedom are solved by considering suitable multi-monopole configurations in which the long-range non-abelian fields cancel. In th…
We consider N =1 supersymmetric QCD with the gauge group U(N) and N_f=N quark flavors. To get rid of flat directions we add a meson superfield. The theory has no adjoint fields and, therefore, no 't Hooft-Polyakov monopoles in the quasiclassical limit. We observe a non-Abelian Meissner effect: condensation of color charges (squarks) gives rise to confined monopoles. The very fact of their existence in N =1 supersymmetric QCD without adjoint scalars was not known previously. Our analysis is analytic and is based on the fact that the N =1 theory under consideration can be obtained starting from …
We consider 5-dimensional gauged supergravity coupled to Abelian vector multiplets, and we look for supersymmetric solutions for which the 4-dimensional Kähler base space admits a holomorphic isometry. Taking advantage of this isometry, we are able to find several supersymmetric solutions for the ST$[2,n_v+1]$ special geometric model with arbitrarily many vector multiplets. Among these there are three families of solutions with $n_v+2$ independent parameters, which for one of the families can be seen to correspond to $n_v+1$ electric charges and one angular momentum. These solutions generalize…
