PhD thesis, Univ. de Santiago de Chile, 2020 (supervisor: Mikhail Plyushchay); 161 pages; Based on arXiv:1707.07357, arXiv:1711.00616, arXiv:1809.08527, arXiv:1902.00538, arXiv:1912.11752 and arXiv:2002.04341
Hidden symmetries, described by higher order in momenta integrals of motion that generate nonlinear algebras, are explored at the level of classical and quantum mechanics in a variety of physical systems related to conformal and superconformal invariance.
Invited talk at the conference "Fundamental Interactions: From Symmetries to Black Holes" in honor of Francois Englert, 24 - 27 March, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Field theories with p-form gauge potentials can possess ``hidden'' symmetries leaving the field strengths invariant on-shell without being gauge symmetries on-shell. The relevance of such symmetries to supersymmetric models is discussed. They provide central charges of supersymmetry algebras, play a particular role in duality relations, and lead to peculiar interactions. A multiplet of N=2 supersymmetry in four dimensions with two hidden central charges is presented.
We review briefly a stream of ideas concerning the role of quantum groups as hidden symmetries in conformal field theories, paying particular attention to the field theoretical representations of quantum groups based on Coulomb gas methods. An extensive bibliography is also included.
We study the hidden symmetries arising in the dimensional reduction of d=5, N=2 supergravity to three dimensions. Extending previous partial results for the bosonic part, we give a derivation that includes fermionic terms, shedding light on the appearance of the local hidden symmetry SO(4) in the reduction.
We discuss hidden symmetries of three-dimensional field configurations revealed at the one-particle level by the use of pseudoclassical particle models. We argue that at the quantum field theory level, these can be naturally explained in terms of manifest symmetries of the reduced phase space Hamiltonian of the corresponding field systems.
We observe and study new non-linear global space-time symmetries of the full ghost+matter action of RNS superstring theory. We show that these surprising new symmetries are generated by the special worldsheet currents (vertex operators) of RNS superstring theory, violating the equivalence of superconformal ghost pictures. We review the questions of BRST invariance and non-triviality of picture-dependent vertex operators and show their relation to hidden space-time symmetries and hidden space-time dimensions. In particular, we relate the space-time transformations, induced by the picture-depend…
We determine the most general time-independent Noether symmetries of two-field cosmological models with rotationally-invariant scalar manifold metrics. In particular, we show that such models can have hidden symmetries, which arise if and only if the scalar manifold metric has Gaussian curvature $-3/8$, i.e. when the model is of elementary $α$-attractor type with a fixed value of the parameter $α$. In this case, we find explicitly all scalar potentials compatible with hidden Noether symmetries, thus classifying all models of this type. We also discuss some implications of the corresponding con…
We examine the precise structure of the loop algebra of `dressing' symmetries of the Principal Chiral Model, and discuss a new infinite set of abelian symmetries of the field equations which preserve a symplectic form on the space of solutions.
A worldvolume action for membrane is considered to study the target space local symmetries. We introduce a set of generators of canonical transformations to exhibit the target space symmetries such as the general coordinate transformation and the gauge transformation of antisymmetric tensor field. Similar results are derived for type IIB string with manifestly S-duality-invariant worldsheet action.
We investigate hidden symmetries of P,T-invariant system of topologically massive U(1) gauge fields. For this purpose, we propose a pseudoclassical model giving rise to this field system at the quantum level. The model contains a parameter, which displays a quantization property at the classical and the quantum levels and demonstrates a nontrivial relationship between continuous and discrete symmetries. Analyzing the integrals of motion of the pseudoclassical model, we identify U(1,1) symmetry and S(2,1) supersymmetry as hidden symmetries of the corresponding quantum system. Representing the h…
In this review we discuss hidden symmetries of toroidal compactifications of eleven-dimensional supergravity. We recall alternative versions of this theory which exhibit traces of the hidden symmetries when still retaining the massive Kaluza-Klein states. We reconsider them in the broader perspective of M-theory which incorporates a more extended variety of BPS states. We also argue for a new geometry that may underly these theories. All our arguments point towards an extension of the number of space-time coordinates beyond eleven.
We study the presence of abelian discrete symmetries in globally consistent orientifold compactifications based on rational conformal field theory. We extend previous work [1] by allowing the discrete symmetries to be a linear combination of U(1) gauge factors of the visible as well as the hidden sector. This more general ansatz significantly increases the probability of finding a discrete symmetry in the low energy effective action. Applied to globally consistent MSSM-like Gepner constructions we find multiple models that allow for matter parity or Baryon triality.
Hidden symmetries in a covariant Hamiltonian formulation are investigated involving gauge covariant equations of motion. The special role of the Stackel-Killing tensors is pointed out. A reduction procedure is used to reduce the original phase space to another one in which the symmetries are divided out. The reverse of the reduction procedure is done by stages performing the unfolding of the gauge transformation followed by the Eisenhart lift in connection with scalar potentials.
Representations of a group $G$ in vector spaces over a field $K$ form a category. One can reconstruct the given group $G$ from its representations to vector spaces as the full group of monoidal automorphisms of the underlying functor. This is a special example of Tannaka-Krein theory. This theory was used in recent years to reconstruct quantum groups (quasitriangular Hopf algebras) in the study of algebraic quantum field theory and other applications. We show that a similar study of representations in spaces with additional structure (super vector spaces, graded vector spaces, comodules, braid…
The study of hidden symmetries within Dirac's formalism does not possess a systematic procedure due to the lack of first-class constraints to act as symmetry generators. On the other hand, in the Faddeev-Jackiw approach, gauge and reparametrization symmetries are generated by the null eigenvectors of the sympletic matrix and not by constraints, suggesting the possibility of dealing systematically with hidden symmetries throughout this formalism. It is shown in this paper that indeed hidden symmetries of noninvariant or gauge fixed systems are equally well described by null eigenvectors of the …
Many two-dimensional classical field theories have hidden symmetries that form an infinite-dimensional algebra. For those examples that correspond to effective descriptions of compactified superstring theories, the duality group is expected to be a large discrete subgroup of the hidden symmetry group. With this motivation, we explore the hidden symmetries of principal chiral models and symmetric space models.
We study particle dynamics in a space-time invariant under the $DISIM_b(2)$ group - the deformation of the $ISIM(2)$ symmetry group of very special relativity. We find that the Lorentz violation leads to the creation of higher order (hidden) symmetries which are connected to those broken at the space-time level. Through the perspective of the conserved quantities of the special relativistic case the Lorentz violation is linked to specific non-commutative relations in phase-space.
We organize the eight variables of the four-dimensional bosonic string ({\dot X}^μ, X'^μ) into a 2 x 2 x 2 hypermatrix a_{AA'A''} and show that in signature (2,2) the Nambu-Goto Lagrangian is given by \sqrt{Det a} where Det is Cayley's hyperdeterminant. This is invariant not only under [SL(2,R)]^{3} but also under interchange of the indices A, A' and A''. This triality reveals hitherto hidden discrete symmetries of the Nambu-Goto action.
The ten dimensional heterotic string effective action with graviton, dilaton and antisymmetric tensor fields is dimensionally reduced to two spacetime dimensions. The resulting theory, with some constraints on backgrounds, admits infinite sequence of conserved nonlocal currents. It is shown that generators of the infinitesimal transformations associated with these currents satisfy Kac-Moody algebra.
It is known for ten years that self-dual Yang-Mills theory is the effective field theory of the open N=2 string in 2+2 dimensional spacetime. We uncover an infinite set of abelian rigid string symmetries, corresponding to the symmetries and integrable hierarchy of the self-dual Yang-Mills equations. The twistor description of the latter naturally connects with the BRST approach to string quantization, providing an interpretation of the picture phenomenon in terms of the moduli space of string backgrounds.
We study the role of Chern--Simons couplings for the appearance of enhanced symmetries of Cremmer--Julia type in various theories. It is shown explicitly that for generic values of the Chern--Simons coupling there is only a parabolic Lie subgroup of symmetries after reduction to three space-time dimensions but that this parabolic Lie group gets enhanced to the full and larger Cremmer--Julia Lie group of hidden symmetries if the coupling takes a specific value. This is heralded by an enhanced isotropy group of the metric on the scalar manifold. Examples of this phenomenon are discussed as well …
We study the hidden symmetries of the fermionic sector of D=11 supergravity, and the role of K(E10) as a generalised `R-symmetry'. We find a consistent model of a massless spinning particle on an E10/K(E10) coset manifold whose dynamics can be mapped onto the fermionic and bosonic dynamics of D=11 supergravity in the near space-like singularity limit. This E10-invariant superparticle dynamics might provide the basis of a new definition of M-theory, and might describe the `de-emergence' of space-time near a cosmological singularity.
We construct the Lax connection of the Green-Schwarz superstring in AdS_5 x S^5 within the Hamiltonian formalism and obtain precisely that used in 0810.4136. It differs in a crucial way from the Bena-Polchinski-Roiban connection by terms proportional to the Hamiltonian constraints. These extra terms ensure firstly that the integrals of motion are all first class and secondly that the Lax connection is flat in the strong sense.
We report on recent developments regarding the supersymmetric Free Differential Algebra describing the vacuum structure of $D=11$ supergravity. We focus on the emergence of a hidden superalgebra underlying the theory, explaining the group-theoretical role played by the nilpotent fermionic generator naturally appearing for consistency of the construction. We also discuss the relation between this hidden superalgebra and other superalgebras of particular relevance in the context of supergravity and superstring, involving a fermionic generator with 32 components.
We study the action of picture-changing and spectral flow operators on a ground ring of ghost number zero operators in the chiral BRST cohomology of the closed N=2 string and describe an infinite set of symmetry charges acting on physical states. The transformations of physical string states are compared with symmetries of self-dual gravity which is the effective field theory of the closed N=2 string. We derive all infinitesimal symmetries of the self-dual gravity equations in 2+2 dimensional spacetime and introduce an infinite hierarchy of commuting flows on the moduli space of self-dual metr…
We discuss infinite-dimensional hidden symmetry algebras (and hence an infinite number of conserved nonlocal charges) of the N-extented self-dual super Yang-Mills equations for general N\leq4 by using the supertwistor correspondence. Furthermore, by enhancing the supertwistor space, we construct the N-extended self-dual super Yang-Mills hierarchies, which describe infinite sets of graded Abelian symmetries. We also show that the open topological B-model with the enhanced supertwistor space as target manifold will describe the hierarchies. Furthermore, these hierarchies will in turn -- by a sup…
In this paper, two things are done. First, we analyze the compatibility of Dirac fermions with the hidden duality symmetries which appear in the toroidal compactification of gravitational theories down to three spacetime dimensions. We show that the Pauli couplings to the p-forms can be adjusted, for all simple (split) groups, so that the fermions transform in a representation of the maximal compact subgroup of the duality group G in three dimensions. Second, we investigate how the Dirac fermions fit in the conjectured hidden overextended symmetry G++. We show compatibility with this symmetry …
The SU(2) collective coordinates expansion of the Born-Infeld\break Skyrmion Lagrangian is performed. The classical Hamiltonian is computed from this special Lagrangian in approximative way: it is derived from the expansion of this non-polynomial Lagrangian up to second-order variable in the collective coordinates. This second-class constrained model is quantized by Dirac Hamiltonian method and symplectic formalism. Although it is not expected to find symmetries on second-class systems, a hidden symmetry is disclosed by formulating the Born-Infeld Skyrmion %model as a gauge theory. To this end…
Erik Verlinde recently proposed an idea about the thermodynamic origin of gravity. Though this is a beautiful idea which may resolve many long standing problems in the theories of gravity, it also raises many other problems. In this article I will comment on some of the problems of Verlinde's proposal with special emphasis on the thermodynamical origin of the principle of relativity. It is found that there is a large group of hidden symmetries of thermodynamics which contains the Poincare group of the spacetime for which space is emergent. This explains the thermodynamic origin of the principl…
We study four dimensional N=1 gauge theories that arise on the worldvolume of D3-branes probing complex cones over del Pezzo surfaces. Global symmetries of the gauge theories are made explicit by using a correspondence between bifundamental fields in the quivers and divisors in the underlying geometry. These global symmetries are hidden, being unbroken when all inverse gauge couplings of the quiver theory vanish. In the broken phase, for finite gauge couplings, only the Cartan subalgebra is manifest as a global symmetry. Superpotentials for these models are constructed using global symmetry in…
The covariant quantization of massless D=11 superparticle (M0-brane) in its twistor-like Lorentz harmonic formulation is used to clarify the origin and some properties of the Berkovits pure spinor approach to quantum superstring and to search for hidden symmetries of D=11 supergravity. In the twistor like Lorentz harmonic formulation, the SO(16) symmetry is seen already at the classical level. The quantization produces the linearized supergravity multiplet as 128+128=256 component Majorana spinor of SO(16) and also shows an indirect argument in favor of the possible E8 symmetry.
It is well-known that principal chiral models and symmetric space models in two-dimensional Minkowski space have an infinite-dimensional algebra of hidden symmetries. Because of the relevance of symmetric space models to duality symmetries in string theory, the hidden symmetries of these models are explored in some detail. The string theory application requires including coupling to gravity, supersymmetrization, and quantum effects. However, as a first step, this paper only considers classical bosonic theories in flat space-time. Even though the algebra of hidden symmetries of principal chiral…
In this paper we have analyzed the improved version of the Gauge Unfixing (GU) formalism of the massive Carroll-Field-Jackiw model, which breaks both the Lorentz and gauge invariances, to disclose hidden symmetries to obtain gauge invariance, the key stone of the Standard Model. In this process, as usual, we have converted this second-class system into a first-class one and we have obtained two gauge invariant models. We have verified that the Poisson brackets involving the gauge invariant variables, obtained through the GU formalism, coincide with the Dirac brackets between the original secon…
Apart from a few remarks on lattice systems with global or gauge symmetries, most of this talk is devoted to some interesting ancient examples of symmetries and their breakdowns in elasticity theory and hydrodynamics. Since Galois Theory is in many ways the origin of group theory as a tool to analyse (hidden) symmetries, a brief review of this profound mathematical theory is also given.
We construct generating technique for 5D minimal and $U(1)^3$ supergravities based on hidden symmetries arising in dimensional reduction to three dimensions. In the three-vector case the symmetry is SO(4,4), and the minimal case corresponds to contraction of this group to $G_{2(2)}$. The matrix representation is presented applicable to both cases and the generating transformations preserving an asymptotic structure are listed. Our transformations contain enough free parameters to construct the general charged black ring in $U(1)^3$ theory starting with known solutions. To avoid a complicated i…
Attempts to solve Yang-Mills theory must eventually face the problem of analyzing the theory at intermediate values of the coupling constant. In this regime neither perturbation theory nor the gravity dual are adequate, and one must consider the full string theory in the appropriate background. We suggest that in some nontrivial cases the world sheet theory may be exactly solvable. For the Green-Schwarz superstring on AdS_5 x S^5 we find an infinite set of nonlocal classically conserved charges, of the type that exist in integrable field theories.
We generalize the notion of hidden conformal symmetry in Kerr/CFT to Kerr-(A)dS black holes in arbitrary dimensions. We build the SL(2, R) generators directly from the Killing tower, whose Killing tensors and Killing vectors enforce the separability of the equations of motion. Our construction amounts to an explicit relationship between hidden conformal symmetries and Killing tensors: we use the Killing tower to build a novel tensor equation connecting the SL(2,R) Casimir with the radial Klein-Gordon operator. For asymptotically flat black holes in four and five dimensions we recover previousl…
These are introductory notes on the study of the Dirac equation in curved spacetime and its relation to hidden symmetries of the dynamics. We present general results on the relation between special spacetime tensors and hidden symmetries, both for the full Dirac equation and for its semi-classical limit, the spinning particle. A concrete application of the general results is provided by the case of rotating higher dimensional black holes with cosmological constant, which we discuss. For these metrics the Dirac equation is separable and the relation between this and hidden symmetries is explain…
In this paper, we discuss hidden symmetries in rotating black hole spacetimes. We start with an extended introduction which mainly summarizes results on hidden symmetries in four dimensions and introduces Killing and Killing-Yano tensors, objects responsible for hidden symmetries. We also demonstrate how starting with a principal CKY tensor (that is a closed non-degenerate conformal Killing-Yano 2-form) in 4D flat spacetime one can "generate" 4D Kerr-NUT-(A)dS solution and its hidden symmetries. After this we consider higher-dimensional Kerr-NUT-(A)dS metrics and demonstrate that they possess …
Recently it was shown by Castro, Maloney and Strominger (CMS) that 4D Kerr black holes have a "hidden" conformal symmetry. Using some old results of Cvetic and Larsen, I show that this result is very likely to hold also for the most general black holes in five dimensions arising from heterotic/type II string theory. In particular, we show how the wave equation in these geometries in the "near region" can be written in terms of SL(2,R) X SL(2,R) Casimirs. For the special case when the black hole has two spins but no U(1) charges, detailed matches for entropy and absorption cross sections betwee…
We demonstrate that the rotating black holes in an arbitrary number of dimensions and without any restrictions on their rotation parameters possess the same `hidden' symmetry as the 4-dimensional Kerr metric. Namely, besides the spacetime symmetries generated by the Killing vectors they also admit the (antisymmetric) Killing-Yano and symmetric Killing tensors.
The spin-1/2 XXZ Heisenberg chain with two types of boundary terms is considered. For the first type, the Hamiltonian is hermitian but not for the second type which includes the U_{q}[SU(2)] symmetric case. It is shown that for a certain `tuning' between the anisotropy angle and the boundary terms the spectra present unexpected degeneracies. These degeneracies are related to the structure of the irreducible representations of the Virasoro algebras for c<1.
The 2-dimensional space-time sine-Gordon field theory is extended algebraically within the n-dimensional space of extended complex numbers. This field theory is constructed in terms of an adapted extension of standard vertex operators. A whole set of non-local conserved charges is constructed and studied in this framework. Thereby, an algebraic non-perturbative description is possible for this n-1 parameters family of quantum field theories. Known results are obtained for specific values of the parameters, especially in relation to affine Toda field theories. Different (dual)-models can then b…
In this paper we recall a simple formulation of the stationary electrovacuum theory in terms of the famous complex Ernst potentials, a pair of functions which allows one to generate new exact solutions from known ones by means of the so-called nonlinear hidden symmetries of Lie-Backlund type. This formalism turned out to be very useful to perform a complete classification of all 4D solutions which present two spacetime symmetries or possess two Killing vectors. Curiously enough, the Ernst formalism can be extended and applied to stationary General Relativity as well as the effective heterotic …
The local SUSY symmetry of the loop dynamics of QCD is found. The remarkable thing is, there is no einbein-gravitino on this theory, which makes it a 1D topological supergravity, or locally SUSY quantum mechanics. Using this symmetry, we derive the large $N_c$ loop equation in momentum superloop space. Introducing as before the position operator $\Xμ$ we argue that the superloop equation is equivalent to invariance of correlation functions of products of these operators with respect to certain quadrilinear transformation. The applications to meson and glueball sectors as well as the chiral sym…
We propose a different approach to the analysis of symmetries in the near-horizon region of black holes. The idea is presented here for spherically symmetric black holes, for which we have shown that the generators of hidden symmetries can be extracted by solving the conformal Killing equation under certain assumptions. Our result is in agreement with that obtained in literature by the analysis of the wave equation in the near-horizon region.
By relating the two-dimensional U(N) Principal Chiral Model to a simple linear system we obtain a free-field parametrisation of solutions. Obvious symmetry transformations on the free-field data give symmetries of the model. In this way all known `hidden symmetries' and Bäcklund transformations, as well as a host of new symmetries, arise.
A framework associating quantum cosmological boundary conditions to minisuperspace hidden symmetries has been introduced in \cite{7}. The scope of the application was, notwithstanding the novelty, restrictive because it lacked a discussion involving realistic matter fields. Therefore, in the herein letter, we extend the framework scope to encompass elements from a scalar-tensor theory in the presence of a cosmological constant. More precisely, it is shown that hidden minisuperspace symmetries present in a pre-big bang model suggest a process from which boundary conditions can be selected.
We review here some general properties of antiferromagnetic Heisenberg spin chains, emphasizing and discussing the role of hidden symmetries in the classification of the various phases of the models. We present also some recent results that have been obtained with a combined use of Conformal Field Theory and of numerical Density Matrix Renormalization Group techniques.
In this dissertation we study hidden symmetries within the framework of string theory. There are two kinds of hidden symmetries investigated in this work: the first type is associated with dynamics of quantum fields and the second type is related to integrability of strings on various backgrounds. The goals of this thesis are twofold: extension of hidden symmetries known in general relativity to stringy backgrounds in higher dimensions and construction of new integrable string theories. In the context of the first goal we study hidden symmetries of stringy backgrounds, with and without supersy…
The moduli space of the Calabi-Yau three-folds, which play a role as superstring ground states, exhibits the same {\em special geometry} that is known from nonlinear sigma models in $N=2$ supergravity theories. We discuss the symmetry structure of special real, complex and quaternionic spaces. Maps between these spaces are implemented via dimensional reduction. We analyze the emergence of {\em extra} and {\em hidden} symmetries. This analysis is then applied to homogeneous special spaces and the implications for the classification of homogeneous quaternionic spaces are discussed.
Hidden theories coupled to the SM may provide emergent (dark) vectors, that are composites/bound-states of the hidden fields. This is motivated by paradigms emerging from the AdS/CFT correspondence but it is a more general phenomenon. We explore the general setup and find that UV interactions among currents or charged fields give rise to emergent vectors in the IR. We study the general properties of such vectors and argue that they can be generically different from fundamental dark photons that have been studied so far.
We generalize our previous lattice construction of the abelian bosonization duality in $2+1$ dimensions to the entire web of dualities as well as the $N_f=2$ self-duality, via the lattice implementation of a set of modular transformations in the theory space. The microscopic construction provides explicit operator mappings, and allows the manifestation of some hidden symmetries. It also exposes certain caveats and implicit assumptions beneath the usual application of the modular transformations to generate the web of dualities. Finally, we make brief comments on the non-relativistic limit of t…