Noncommutative Wess–Zumino–Witten actions and their Seiberg–Witten invariance

We analyze the noncommutative two-dimensional Wess–Zumino–Witten model and its properties under Seiberg–Witten transformations in the operator formulation. We prove that the model is invariant under such transformations even for the noncritical (non-chiral) case, in which the coefficients of the kinetic and Wess–Zumino terms are not related. The pure Wess–Zumino term represents a singular case in which this transformation fails to reach a commutative limit. We also discuss potential implications of this result for bosonization.     

On the level-dependence of Wess–Zumino–Witten three-point functions

Three-point functions of Wess–Zumino–Witten models are investigated. In particular, we study the level-dependence of three-point functions in the models based on algebras su(3) and su(4). We find a correspondence with Berenstein–Zelevinsky triangles. Using previous work connecting those triangles to the fusion multiplicities, and the Gepner–Witten depth rule, we explain how to construct the full three-point functions. We show how their level-dependence is similar to that of the related fusion multiplicity. For example, the concept of threshold level plays a prominent role, as it does for fusion.     

On Wess–Zumino gauge

In the relation between the linear (L) supersymmetry (SUSY) representation and the nonlinear (NL) SUSY representation we discuss the role of the Wess–Zumino gauge. We show in two-dimensional spacetime that a spontaneously broken LSUSY theory with mass and Yukawa interaction terms for a minimal off-shell vector supermultiplet is obtained from a general superfield without imposing any special gauge conditions in N=2$N=2$ NL/L SUSY relation.     

Wess–Zumino supersymmetric phase and superconductivity in graphene

Supersymmetry is expected to exist in nature at high energies, but must be spontaneously broken at ordinary energy scales. The required energy scale in elementary particle physics is currently inaccessible, but condensed matter could furnish low energy realizations of supersymmetry. In graphene, electrons behave as ‘relativistic’ massless fermions in 1+2$1+2$ dimensions. Here we propose phenomenologically, assuming that some microscopic parameters can be fine-tuned in graphene, the existence of a supersymmetric Wess–Zumino phase. The supersymmetry breaking leads to a superconductor phase, described by a relativistic Ginzburg–Landau phenomenology.     

Chern–Simons,Wess–Zumino and other cocycles from Kashiwara–Vergne and associators

Descent equations play an important role in the theory of characteristic classes and find applications in theoretical physics, e.g., in the Chern–Simons field theory and in the theory of anomalies. The second Chern class (the first Pontrjagin class) is defined as \(p= \langle F, F\rangle \) where F is the curvature 2-form and \(\langle \cdot , \cdot \rangle \) is an invariant scalar product on the corresponding Lie algebra \(\mathfrak g\). The descent for p gives rise to an element \(\omega =\omega _3+\omega _2+\omega _1+\omega _0\) of mixed degree. The 3-form part \(\omega _3\) is the Chern–Simons form. The 2-form part \(\omega _2\) is known as the Wess–Zumino action in physics. The 1-form component \(\omega _1\) is related to the canonical central extension of the loop group LG. In this paper, we give a new interpretation of the low degree components \(\omega _1\) and \(\omega _0\). Our main tool is the universal differential calculus on free Lie algebras due to Kontsevich. We establish a correspondence between solutions of the first Kashiwara–Vergne equation in Lie theory and universal solutions of the descent equation for the second Chern class p. In more detail, we define a 1-cocycle C which maps automorphisms of the free Lie algebra to one forms. A solution of the Kashiwara–Vergne equation F is mapped to \(\omega _1=C(F)\). Furthermore, the component \(\omega _0\) is related to the associator \(\Phi \) corresponding to F. It is surprising that while F and \(\Phi \) satisfy the highly nonlinear twist and pentagon equations, the elements \(\omega _1\) and \(\omega _0\) solve the linear descent equation.     

Can supersymmetry breaking lead to electroweak symmetry breaking via formation of scalar bound states?

The recent discovery of the putative 125 GeV Higgs boson has motivated a number of attempts to reconcile its relatively large mass with the predictions of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). Some approaches invoked large trilinear supersymmetry breaking terms _At$A_t$ between stops and one of the elementary Higgs fields. We consider the possibility that electroweak symmetry breaking may be triggered by supersymmetry breaking with a large _At$A_t$, large enough to generate a composite field with the same quantum numbers as the Higgs boson and with a non-vanishing vacuum expectation value. In the resulting vacuum, the usual relation between the gauge couplings and the Higgs self-coupling does not apply, and there is no reason to expect the same upper bound on the mass of the lightest Higgs boson. In a simple model where the bound state is assumed to have no mixing with the other fields, we calculate the critical coupling _At$A_t$ necessary for symmetry breaking using the lowest-order Bethe–Salpeter (BS) equation. Study of the BS equation is complicated by the structure of its lowest-order kernel, which is a crossed box graph, but we find an accurate approximation to its solution. In a realistic model, the mixing of the bound state with the fundamental Higgs boson creates a symmetry-breaking seesaw. We outline the steps toward a realistic model.     

Gauge-theoretic invariants for topological insulators: a bridge between Berry,Wess–Zumino,and Fu–Kane–Mele

We establish a connection between two recently proposed approaches to the understanding of the geometric origin of the Fu–Kane–Mele invariant \(\mathrm {FKM}\in \mathbb {Z}_2\), arising in the context of two-dimensional time-reversal symmetric topological insulators. On the one hand, the \(\mathbb {Z}_2\) invariant can be formulated in terms of the Berry connection and the Berry curvature of the Bloch bundle of occupied states over the Brillouin torus. On the other, using techniques from the theory of bundle gerbes, it is possible to provide an expression for \(\mathrm {FKM}\) containing the square root of the Wess–Zumino amplitude for a certain U(N)-valued field over the Brillouin torus. We link the two formulas by showing directly the equality between the above-mentioned Wess–Zumino amplitude and the Berry phase, as well as between their square roots. An essential tool of independent interest is an equivariant version of the adjoint Polyakov–Wiegmann formula for fields \(\mathbb {T}^2 \rightarrow U(N)\), of which we provide a proof employing only basic homotopy theory and circumventing the language of bundle gerbes.     

Charge independence breaking and charge symmetry breaking in the nucleon–nucleon interaction from effective field theory

We discuss charge symmetry and charge independence breaking in an effective field theory approach for few-nucleon systems. We systematically introduce strong isospin-violating and electromagnetic operators in the theory. The charge dependence observed in the nucleon–nucleon scattering lengths is due to one-pion exchange and one electromagnetic four-nucleon contact term. This gives a parameter free expression for the charge dependence of the corresponding effective ranges, which is in agreement with the rather small and uncertain empirical determinations. We also compare the low energy phase shifts of the nn and the np system. We present a classification scheme for corrections to the leading order results and show that power counting explains previously made phenomenological observations.     

The relationship between four-dimensional θ=π Yang－Mills theory and the two-dimensional Wess－Zumino－Novikov－Witten model

Used the dimensional reduction in the sense of Parisi and Sourlas, the gauge fixing term of the four-dimensional Yang－Mills field without the theta term is reduced to a two-dimensional principal chiral model. By adding the θ term (θ=π), the two-dimensional principal chiral model changes into the two-dimensional level 1 Wess－Zumino－Novikov－Witten model. The non-trivial fixed point indicates that Yang－Mills theory at θ=π is a critical theory without mass gap and confinement.     

Universal seesaw from left–right and Peccei–Quinn symmetry breaking

To generate the lepton and quark masses in the left–right symmetric models, we can consider a universal seesaw scenario by integrating out heavy fermion singlets which have the Yukawa couplings with the fermion and Higgs doublets. The universal seesaw scenario can also accommodate the leptogenesis with Majorana or Dirac neutrinos. We show that the fermion singlets can obtain their heavy masses from the Peccei–Quinn symmetry breaking.     

Natural inflation and flavor mixing from Peccei–Quinn symmetry breaking

We propose a left–right symmetric model to simultaneously give natural inflation and flavor mixing from a Peccei–Quinn symmetry breaking at the Planck scale. Our model can be embedded into SO(10)$\mathit{SO}(10)$ grand unification theories.     

$$\,$$ Fu–Kane–Mele invariant as Wess–Zumino action of the sewing matrix

We show that the Fu–Kane–Mele invariant of the 2d time-reversal invariant crystalline insulators is equal to the properly normalized Wess–Zumino action of the so-called sewing-matrix field defined on the Brillouin torus. Applied to 3d, the result permits a direct proof of the known relation between the strong Fu–Kane–Mele invariant and the Chern–Simons action of the non-Abelian Berry connection on the bundle of valence states.     

Wess–Zumino Currents on S3 × R Spacetime

Based on the group theory powerful techniques, as a rigorous tool for treating fields on S ³ × R spacetime, which is the manifold of SU(2), we put the supersymmetric Wess–Zumino model on the S ³ × R background. After deriving the system of Klein–Gordon–Dirac-type equations, for the scalar and Majorana fields, we get in the corresponding current, besides the supercurrent, an additional term due to the coupling of spin to gravity. Finally, considerations on the solutions of the fields equations are made, pointing out significant differences from the Minkowskian case.     

Electroweak symmetry breaking and beyond the Standard Model physics — A review

In this talk, I shall first discuss the Standard Model Higgs mechanism and then highlight some of its deficiencies making a case for the need to go beyond the Standard Model (BSM). The BSM tour will be guided by symmetry arguments. I shall pick up four specific BSM scenarios, namely, supersymmetry, little Higgs, gauge-Higgs unification, and the Higgsless approach. The discussion will be confined mainly on their electroweak symmetry breaking aspects.