Engineering topics

Aitken, Kyle

Publications and source records attributed to Aitken, Kyle.

5 records

DOE OSTI2020

Generalization of QCD3 symmetry-breaking and flavored quiver dualities

We extend the recently proposed symmetry breaking scenario of QCD 3 to the so-called “master” (2 + 1)d bosonization duality, which has bosonic and fermionic matter on both ends. Using anomaly arguments, a phase diagram emerges with several novel regions. We then construct 2+1 dimensional dualities for flavored quivers using node-by-node dualization. Such dualities are applicable to theories which live on domain walls in QCD 4 -like theories with dynamical quarks. We also derive dualities for quivers based on orthogonal and symplectic gauge groups. Lastly, we support the conjectured dualities using holographic constructions, even though several aspects of this holographic construction remain mostly qualitative.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2018

Vacuum structure of Yang-Mills theory as a function of θ

It is believed that in SU(N) Yang-Mills theory observables are N -branched functions of the topological θ angle. This is supposed to be due to the existence of a set of locally-stable candidate vacua, which compete for global stability as a function of θ. We study the number of θ vacua, their interpretation, and their stability properties using systematic semiclassical analysis in the context of adiabatic circle compactification on $ \mathbb{R}$ 3 × S 1 . We find that while observables are indeed N-branched functions of θ, there are only ≈ N/2 locally-stable candidate vacua for any given θ. We point out that the different θ vacua are distinguished by the expectation values of certain magnetic line operators that carry non-zero GNO charge but zero ’t Hooft charge. Finally, we show that in the regime of validity of our analysis YM theory has spinodal points as a function of θ, and gather evidence for the conjecture that these spinodal points are present even in the $ \mathbb{R}$ 4 limit.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Novel 3d bosonic dualities from bosonization and holography

We use 3d bosonization dualities to derive new non-supersymmetric dualities between bosonic quiver theories in 2 + 1 dimensions. It is shown that such dualities are a natural non-Abelian generalization of the bosonic particle-vortex duality. A special case of such dualities is applicable to Chern-Simons theories living on interfaces in 3 + 1 dimensional SU(N) Yang-Mills theory across which the theta angle jumps. We also analyze such interfaces in a holographic construction which provides further evidence for novel dualities between quiver gauge theories and gauge theories with adjoint scalars. These conjectured dualities pass some stringent consistency tests.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Deconstructing S-Duality

We use the technique of deconstruction to lift dualities from 2+1 to 3+1 dimensions. In this work we demonstrate the basic idea by deriving S-duality of maximally supersymmetric electromagnetism in 3+1 dimensions from mirror symmetry in 2+1. We also study the deconstruction of a non-supersymmetric duality in 3+1 dimensions using Abelian bosonization in 2+1.

Aitken, Kyle↗

DOE OSTI2018

Master 3d bosonization duality with boundaries

We establish the action of the three-dimensional non-Abelian bosonization dualities in the presence of a boundary, which supports a non-anomalous two-dimensional theory. In particular, we generalize a prescriptive method for assigning duality consistent boundary conditions used originally for Abelian dualities to dual non-Abelian Chern-Simons-matter theories with SU and U gauge groups and fundamental matter sectors. The cases of single species matter sectors and those with both scalars and fermions in the dual theories are considered. Generalization of our methods to SO and USp Chern-Simons theories is also discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗