Phenomenology and conformal field theory or can string theory predict the weak mixing angle?

We show that the weak mixing angle θ_w is the same for continuously connected classical vacua of the heterotic string which have chiral fermions in their massless spectra. We also show that the world-sheet quantum field theory for any classical vacuum with spacetime supersymmetry possesses an N = 2 superconformal invariance.     

Effects of topology on the light front

We discuss how to construct theta vacua in the light-front field theories using the 1+1 dimensional Abelian Higgs model as an example. Unlike the non-gauged scalar field, zero modes of the Higgs field are in general dynamical as well as the gauge-field zero mode. While symmetry breaking is discussed in semi-classical treatment of the zero modes, the theta vacua are introduced in the quantum level by use of the large gauge symmetry.     

Electron fractionalization in two-dimensional graphenelike structures

Electron fractionalization is intimately related to topology. In one-dimensional systems, fractionally charged states exist at domain walls between degenerate vacua. In two-dimensional systems, fractionalization exists in quantum Hall fluids, where time-reversal symmetry is broken by a large external magnetic field. Recently, there has been a tremendous effort in the search for examples of fractionalization in two-dimensional systems with time-reversal symmetry. In this Letter, we show that fractionally charged topological excitations exist on graphenelike structures, where quasiparticles are described by two flavors of Dirac fermions and time-reversal symmetry is respected. The topological zero modes are mathematically similar to fractional vortices in p-wave superconductors. They correspond to a twist in the phase in the mass of the Dirac fermions, akin to cosmic strings in particle physics.     

Microscopic knowledge from macroscopic physics in string theory

Many questions about the detailed microscopic properties of string theories can be addressed by focusing on the interactions of the massless states after integrating out the massive modes. We explain the connection of this wilsonian approach in spacetime to the wilsonian view of the renormalization group on the world-sheet, and use this viewpoint to resolve a number of problems. The difference between the Ricci-flat and non-Ricci flat compactifications on Calabi-Yau spaces is clarified. A detailed understanding of some subtleties in the calculations of zero momentum amplitudes resolves a confusion which has arisen concerning axion decoupling and non-renormalization theorems. We show that in compactifications of the heterotic string on any (2,2) superconformal model (with world-sheet parity), every charged matter field is accompanied by a modulus of the compact space. Thus there are no isolated vacua with charged fields. It is shown that classical solutions with broken supersymmetry are never continously connected to vacua with unbroken supersymmetry at tree level. We also show that if supersymmetry is preserved at tree level, one cannot break supersymmetry with vanishing or very small cosmological constant at arbitrarily weak coupling.     

Yang-Mills cosmologies and collapsing gravitational sphalerons

Cosmological solutions with a homogeneous Yang-Mills field which oscillates and passes between topologically distinct vacua are discussed. These solutions are used to model the collapsing Bartnik-McKinnon gravitational sphaleron and the associated anomalous production of fermions. The Dirac equation is analyzed in these backgrounds. It is shown explicity that a fermion energy level crosses from the negative to positive energy spectrum as the gauge field evolves between the topologically distinct vacua. The cosmological solutions are also generalized to include an axion field.     

Quantum electrodynamics with anisotropic scaling: Heisenberg-Euler action and Schwinger pair production in the bilayer graphene

We discuss quantum electrodynamics emerging in the vacua with anisotropic scaling. Systems with anisotropic scaling were suggested by Hořava in relation to the quantum theory of gravity. In such vacua, the space and time are not equivalent, and moreover they obey different scaling laws, called the anisotropic scaling. Such anisotropic scaling takes place for fermions in bilayer graphene, where if one neglects the trigonal warping effects the massless Dirac fermions have quadratic dispersion. This results in the anisotropic quantum electrodynamics, in which electric and magnetic fields obey different scaling laws. Here we discuss the Heisenberg-Euler action and Schwinger pair production in such anisotropic QED.     

Particle picture in external fields,quantum holonomy,and gauge anomaly

We formulate a path integral of chiral gauge theories by means of the canonical quantization of fermions in time-dependent background gauge fields. The expression of the path integral is composed of two parts. One is due to the nontrivial holonomy of the fermionic Fock vacua and the other is the conventional form which is used in the perturbation theory. The nontrivial holonomy part is expected to be a nonlocal counter term. We show a possibility of the perturbative calculation     

Finite-volume form factors in semi-classical approximation

A semi-classical approach is used to obtain Lorentz covariant expressions for the form factors between the kink states of a quantum field theory with degenerate vacua. Implemented on a cylinder geometry it provides an estimate of the spectral representation of correlation functions in a finite volume. Illustrative examples of the applicability of the method are provided by the sine-Gordon and the broken φ⁴ theories in 1+1 dimensions.     

Fermions on colliding branes

We study the behaviour of five-dimensional fermions localized on branes, which we describe by domain walls, when two parallel branes collide in a five-dimensional Minkowski background spacetime. We find that most fermions are localized on both branes as a whole even after collision. However, how much fermions are localized on which brane depends sensitively on the incident velocity and the coupling constants unless the fermions exist on both branes.     

A Comment on the Light-Cone Vacuum in 1+1 Dimensional Super-Yang–Mills Theory

The discrete light-cone quantization (DLCQ) of a supersymmetric gauge theory in 1+1 dimensions is discussed, with particular attention given to the inclusion of the gauge zero mode. Interestingly, the notorious zero-mode problem is now tractable because of special supersymmetric cancellations. In particular, we show that anomalous zero-mode contributions to the currents are absent, in contrast to what is observed in the nonsupersymmetric case. An analysis of the vacuum structure is provided by deriving the effective quantum mechanical Hamiltonian of the gauge zero mode. It is shown that the inclusion of the zero modes of the adjoint scalars and fermions is crucial for probing the phase properties of the vacua. We find that the ground-state energy is zero and thus consistent with unbroken supersymmetry and conclude that the light-cone Fock vacuum is unchanged with or without the presence of matter fields.     

Thermal Phase in Bubbling Geometries

We use matrix model to study thermal phase in bubbling half-BPS type IIB geometries with SO(4)×SO(4) symmetry. Near the horizon limit, we find that thermal vacua of bubbling geometries have disjoint parts, and each part is one kind of phase of the thermal system. We connect the thermal dynamics of bubbling geometries with one-dimensional fermions thermal system. Finally, we try to give a new possible way to resolve information loss puzzle.     

Vacuum stability and supersymmetry

Radiative effects are shown to cause breakdown of the semiclassical ground state in a massless theory of fermions and spinless bosons when the coupling of fermions to bosons is larger than the boson self-coupling. Supersymmetry forms the boundary, in coupling constant space, separating theories with and without stable semiclassical vacua.     

Fermion states on domain-wall junctions and the flavor number

In this paper we address the problem of localizing fermion states on stable domain-wall junctions. The study focus on the consequences of intersecting six independent 8d domain walls to form 4d junctions in a ten-dimensional spacetime. This is related to the mechanism of relaxing to three space dimensions through the formation of domain-wall junctions. The model is based on six bulk real scalar fields, the φ ⁴ model in its broken phase, the prototype of the Higgs field, and is such that the fermion and scalar modes bound to the domain walls are the zero mode and a single massive bound state, which can be regarded as a two-level system, at least at sufficiently low energy. Inside the junction, we use the fact that some states are statistically more favored to address the possibility of constraining the flavor number of the elementary fermions.     

A Model of the Electron in a 6-Dimensional Spacetime

The electron is considered as a massless point-particle which moves in a spacetime with (3+3) dimensions subjected to a field that attracts it towards the (3+1) standard spacetime. This field is assumed to be described by the radial time component of the e.m. 6-potential and to be due to the vacuum polarization arising when the charge of the electron is removed from the (3+1) spacetime. The pertinent Klein-Gordon equitation in 6 dimensions is solved and the right values for the electron magnetic moment and spin are derived. The rest mass of the electron, as it appears in the standard (3+1) spacetime, is obtained as an integration constant from the motion in the two extra time dimensions. The very simple form assumed as a first approximation for the attractive potential does not give quantized rest masses.     

Reversal of Klein reflection by magnetic barriers in bilayer graphene

Massless Dirac fermions in monolayer graphene exhibit total transmission when normally incident on a scalar potential barrier, a consequence of the Klein paradox originally predicted by O Klein for relativistic electrons obeying the 3 + 1 dimensional Dirac equation. For bilayer graphene, charge carriers are massive Dirac fermions and, due to different chiralities, electron and hole states are not coupled to each other. Therefore, the wavefunction of an incident particle decays inside a barrier as for the non-relativistic Schr?dinger equation. This leads to exponentially small transmission upon normal incidence. We show that, in the presence of magnetic barriers, such massive Dirac fermions can have transmission even at normal incidence. The general consequences of this behavior for multilayer graphene consisting of massless and massive modes are mentioned. We also briefly discuss the effect of a bias voltage on such magnetotransport.     

Spontaneously broken Lorentz invariance from the dynamics of a heavy sterile neutrino

A relativistic theory for neutrino superluminality is presented (in principle, the same mechanism applies also to other fermions). The theory involves the standard-model particles and one additional heavy sterile neutrino with an energy-scale close to or above the electroweak one, all particles propagating in the usual 3 + 1 spacetime dimensions. Lorentz violation results from spontaneous symmetry breaking in the sterile-neutrino sector. The theory tries, as far as possible, to be consistent with the existing experimental data from neutrino physics and to keep the number of assumptions minimal. There are clear experimental predictions which can be tested.     

Domain wall solutions with Abelian gauge fields

We study kink (domain wall) solutions in a model consisting of two complex scalar fields coupled to two independent Abelian gauge fields in a Lagrangian that has U(1)×U(1) gauge plus discrete symmetry. We find consistent solutions such that while the U(1) symmetries of the fields are preserved while in their respective vacua, they are broken on the domain wall. The gauge field solutions show that the domain wall is sandwiched between domains with constant magnetic fields.     

Generalised splitting of spacetime

Normally, when a spacetime splitting is considered the ADM 3+1 split is brought to mind. In this paper, the idea of spacetime splitting is extended to include anm + n splitting of spacetime. The global spacetime has dimension (m + n) and the foliating spaces have dimensionm. There aren independent normals to each of these foliating spaces, thus givingn different extrinsic curvatures. The generalised Gauss-Weingarten and the generalised Gauss-Codazzi equations associated with this splitting are derived. These generalised equations reduce to the familar ADM equations when a 3+1 split is considered. The generalised equations are found to have a particularly elegant form when an orthogonal splitting of spacetime is examined.     

Baryon structure from Lattice QCD

We present recent lattice results on the baryon spectrum, nucleon electromagnetic and axial form factors, nucleon to △ transition form factors as well as the △ electromagnetic form factors. The masses of the low lying baryons and the nucleon form factors are calculated using two degenerate flavors of twisted mass fermions down to pion mass of about 270 MeV. We compare to the results of other collaborations. The nucleon to △ transition and △ form factors are calculated in a hybrid scheme, which uses staggered sea quarks and domain wall valence quarks. The dominant magnetic dipole nucleon to △ transition form factor is also evaluated using dynamical domain wall fermions. The transverse density distributions of the △ in the infinite momentum frame are extracted using the form factors determined from lattice QCD.     

The role of surface variables in the vacuum structure of Yang-Mills theory

The structure of the vacuum in the SU(2) Yang-Mills theory is discussed for general gauges. The original discussions given by Callan et al. and Jackiw and Rebbi are restricted to a particular class of gauge conditions. We show that the periodic vacua and the “vacuum seizing” in the presence of massless fermions can be realized in any gauge by recognizing the independent dynamical role of surface variables defined at spatial infinity.