A proposal for M2-brane–anti-M2-brane action

We propose a manifestly SO(8)$\mathit{SO}(8)$ invariant BF type Lagrangian for describing the dynamics of M2-brane–anti-M2-brane system in flat spacetime. When one of the scalars which satisfies a free-scalar equation takes a large expectation value, the M2-brane–anti-M2-brane action reduces to the tachyon DBI action of D2-brane–anti-D2-brane system in flat spacetime.     

Towards a Loop Quantum Gravity and Yang–Mills unification

We propose a new method of unifying gravity and the Standard Model by introducing a spin-foam model. We realize a unification between an SU(2)$\mathit{SU}(2)$ Yang–Mills interaction and 3D   general relativity by considering a constrained Spin(4)∼SO(4)$\mathrm{Spin}(4)\sim \mathit{SO}(4)$ Plebanski action. The theory is quantized à la   spin-foam by implementing the analogue of the simplicial constraints for the Spin(4)$\mathrm{Spin}(4)$ symmetry, providing a way to couple Yang–Mills fields to spin-foams. A natural 4D extension of the theory is introduced. We also present a way to recover 2-point correlation functions between the connections as a first way to implement scattering amplitudes between particle states, aiming to connect Loop Quantum Gravity to new physical predictions.     

What is the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model from F-theory?

We construct gauge theory of SU(3)×SU(2)×U(1)$\mathit{SU}(3)\times \mathit{SU}(2)\times U(1)$ by spectral cover from F-theory and ask how the Standard Model is extended under minimal assumptions on Higgs sector. For the requirement on different numbers between Higgs pairs and matter generations (respectively one and three) distinguished by R-parity, we choose a universal G  -flux obeying SO(10)$\mathit{SO}(10)$ but slightly breaking _E6$E_6$ unification relation. This condition forces distinction between up and down Higgs fields, suppression of proton decay operators up to dimension five, and existence and dynamics of a singlet related to μ-parameter.     

The 't Hooft–Polyakov monopole in the presence of a 't Hooft operator

We present explicit BPS field configurations representing one non-Abelian monopole with one minimal weight 't Hooft operator insertion. We explore the SO(3)$\mathit{SO}(3)$ and SU(2)$\mathit{SU}(2)$ gauge groups. In the case of SU(2)$\mathit{SU}(2)$ gauge group the minimal 't Hooft operator can be completely screened by the monopole. If the gauge group is SO(3)$\mathit{SO}(3)$, however, such screening is impossible. In the latter case we observe a different effect of the gauge symmetry enhancement in the vicinity of the 't Hooft operator.     

Matrix regularization of embedded 4-manifolds

We consider products of two 2-manifolds such as S²×S²$S^2\times S^2$, embedded in Euclidean space and show that the corresponding 4-volume preserving diffeomorphism algebra can be approximated by a tensor product SU(N)⊗SU(N)$\mathit{SU}(N)\otimes \mathit{SU}(N)$ i.e. functions on a manifold are approximated by the Kronecker product of two SU(N)$\mathit{SU}(N)$ matrices.     

Rational r-matrices,higher rank Lie algebras and integrable proton–neutron BCS models

We study integrable cases of pairing BCS hamiltonians containing several types of fermions. We prove that there exist three classes of such integrable models associated with classical rational r  -matrices and Lie algebras gl(2m)$\mathit{gl}(2m)$, sp(2m)$\mathit{sp}(2m)$ and so(2m)$\mathit{so}(2m)$ correspondingly. We diagonalize the constructed hamiltonians by means of the algebraic Bethe ansatz. In the partial case of two types of fermions (m=2$m=2$) the obtained models may be interpreted as N=Z$N=Z$ proton–neutron integrable models. In particular, in the case of sp(4)$\mathit{sp}(4)$ we recover the famous integrable proton–neutron model of Richardson.     

Mechanical analogues of spin Hamiltonians and dynamics

Bloch et al. mapped the precession of the spin-half in a magnetic field of variable magnitude and direction to the rotations of a rigid sphere rolling on a curved surface utilizing SU(2)–SO(3)$\mathit{SU}(2)\text{–}\mathit{SO}(3)$ isomorphism. This formalism is extended to study the behaviour of spin–orbit interactions and the mechanical analogy for Rashba–Dresselhauss spin–orbit interaction in two dimensions is presented by making its spin states isomorphic to the rotations of a rigid sphere rolling on a ring. The change in phase of spin is represented by the angle of rotation of sphere after a complete revolution. In order to develop the mechanical analogy for the spin filter, we find that perfect spin filtration of down spin makes the sphere to rotate at some unique angles and the perfect spin filtration of up spin causes the rotations with certain discrete frequencies.     

Discrete gauge symmetries in discrete MSSM-like orientifolds

Motivated by the necessity of discrete _ZN${\mathbb{Z}}_N$ symmetries in the MSSM to insure baryon stability, we study the origin of discrete gauge symmetries from open string sector U(1)$U(1)$?s in orientifolds based on rational conformal field theory. By means of an explicit construction, we find an integral basis for the couplings of axions and U(1)$U(1)$ factors for all simple current MIPFs and orientifolds of all 168 Gepner models, a total of 32 990 distinct cases. We discuss how the presence of discrete symmetries surviving as a subgroup of broken U(1)$U(1)$?s can be derived using this basis. We apply this procedure to models with MSSM chiral spectrum, concretely to all known U(3)×U(2)×U(1)×U(1)$U(3)\times U(2)\times U(1)\times U(1)$ and U(3)×Sp(2)×U(1)×U(1)$U(3)\times \mathit{Sp}(2)\times U(1)\times U(1)$ configurations with chiral bi-fundamentals, but no chiral tensors, as well as some SU(5)$\mathit{SU}(5)$ GUT models. We find examples of models with _Z2${\mathbb{Z}}_2$ (R-parity) and _Z3${\mathbb{Z}}_3$ symmetries that forbid certain B and/or L violating MSSM couplings. Their presence is however relatively rare, at the level of a few percent of all cases.     

Differential operator realizations of superalgebras and free field representations of corresponding current algebras

Based on the particular orderings introduced for the positive roots of finite-dimensional basic Lie superalgebras, we construct the explicit differential operator representations of the osp(2r|2n)$\mathit{osp}(2r|2n)$ and osp(2r+1|2n)$\mathit{osp}(2r+1|2n)$ superalgebras and the explicit free field realizations of the corresponding current superalgebras ospk_(2r|2n)$\mathit{osp}{(2r|2n)}_k$ and ospk_(2r+1|2n)$\mathit{osp}{(2r+1|2n)}_k$ at an arbitrary level k. The free field representations of the corresponding energy–momentum tensors and screening currents of the first kind are also presented.     

Generalizing minimal supergravity

In Grand Unified Theories (GUTs), the Standard Model (SM) gauge couplings need not be unified at the GUT scale due to the high-dimensional operators. Considering gravity mediated supersymmetry breaking, we study for the first time the generic gauge coupling relations at the GUT scale, and the general gaugino mass relations which are valid from the GUT scale to the electroweak scale at one loop. We define the index k   for these relations, which can be calculated in GUTs and can be determined at the Large Hadron Collider and the future International Linear Collider. Thus, we give a concrete definition of the GUT scale in these theories, and suggest a new way to test general GUTs at future experiments. We also discuss five special scenarios with interesting possibilities. With our generic formulae, we present all the GUT-scale gauge coupling relations and all the gaugino mass relations in the SU(5)$\mathit{SU}(5)$ and SO(10)$\mathit{SO}(10)$ models, and calculate the corresponding indices k. Especially, the index k   is 5/3 in the traditional SU(5)$\mathit{SU}(5)$ and SO(10)$\mathit{SO}(10)$ models that have been studied extensively so far. Furthermore, we discuss the field theory realization of the U(1)$U(1)$ flux effects on the SM gauge kinetic functions in F-theory GUTs, and calculate their indices k as well.     

Modifications to the properties of the Higgs boson

We explore the impact of new SU(3)×SU(2)×U(1)$\mathit{SU}(3)\times \mathit{SU}(2)\times U(1)$ invariant interactions characterized by a scale of order a TeV on Higgs boson properties. The Higgs production rate and branching ratios can be very different from their standard model values. We also discuss the possibility that these new interactions contribute to acceptable unification of the gauge couplings.     

The exact decomposition of gauge variables in lattice Yang–Mills theory

In this Letter, we consider lattice versions of the decomposition of the Yang–Mills field a la Cho–Faddeev–Niemi, which was extended by Kondo, Shinohara and Murakami in the continuum formulation. For the SU(N)$\mathit{SU}(N)$ gauge group, we propose a set of defining equations for specifying the decomposition of the gauge link variable and solve them exactly without using the ansatz adopted in the previous studies for SU(2)$\mathit{SU}(2)$ and SU(3)$\mathit{SU}(3)$. As a result, we obtain the general form of the decomposition for SU(N)$\mathit{SU}(N)$ gauge link variables and confirm the previous results obtained for SU(2)$\mathit{SU}(2)$ and SU(3)$\mathit{SU}(3)$.     

Self-duality of the compactified Ruijsenaars–Schneider system from quasi-Hamiltonian reduction

The Delzant theorem of symplectic topology is used to derive the completely integrable compactified Ruijsenaars–Schneider _IIIb${\mathrm{III}}_{\mathrm{b}}$ system from a quasi-Hamiltonian reduction of the internally fused double SU(n)×SU(n)$\mathit{SU}(n)\times \mathit{SU}(n)$. In particular, the reduced spectral functions depending respectively on the first and second SU(n)$\mathit{SU}(n)$ factor of the double engender two toric moment maps on the _IIIb${\mathrm{III}}_{\mathrm{b}}$ phase space CP(n−1)$\mathbb{C}P(n-1)$ that play the roles of action-variables and particle-positions. A suitable central extension of the SL(2,Z)$\mathit{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$ mapping class group of the torus with one boundary component is shown to act on the quasi-Hamiltonian double by automorphisms and, upon reduction, the standard generator S   of the mapping class group is proved to descend to the Ruijsenaars self-duality symplectomorphism that exchanges the toric moment maps. We give also two new presentations of this duality map: one as the composition of two Delzant symplectomorphisms and the other as the composition of three Dehn twist symplectomorphisms realized by Goldman twist flows. Through the well-known relation between quasi-Hamiltonian manifolds and moduli spaces, our results rigorously establish the validity of the interpretation [going back to Gorsky and Nekrasov] of the _IIIb${\mathrm{III}}_{\mathrm{b}}$ system in terms of flat SU(n)$\mathit{SU}(n)$ connections on the one-holed torus.     

Fixed point resolution in extensions of permutation orbifolds

We determine the simple currents and fixed points of the orbifold theory CFT⊗CFT/Z₂$\mathit{CFT}\otimes \mathit{CFT}/{\mathbb{Z}}_2$, given the simple currents and fixed point of the original CFT  . We see in detail how this works for the SUk₍₂₎$\mathit{SU}{(2)}_k$ WZW model, focusing on the field content (i.e. h  -spectrum of the primary fields) of the theory. We also look at the fixed point resolution of the simple current extended orbifold theory and determine the SJ$S^J$ matrices associated to each simple current for SU₂₍₂₎$\mathit{SU}{(2)}_2$ and for the B_1(n)$B{(n)}_1$ and D_1(n)$D{(n)}_1$ series.     

Random ballistic growth and diffusion in symmetric spaces

Sequential ballistic deposition (BD) with next-nearest-neighbor (NNN) interactions in a N  -column box is viewed as a time-ordered product of (N×N)$(N\times N)$-matrices consisting of a single _sl2${\mathit{sl}}_2$-block which has a random position along the diagonal. We relate the uniform BD growth with the diffusion in the symmetric space _HN=SL(N,R)/SO(N)$H_N=\mathit{SL}(N,R)/\mathit{SO}(N)$. In particular, the distribution of the maximal height of a growing heap is connected with the distribution of the maximal distance for the diffusion process in _HN$H_N$. The coordinates of _HN$H_N$ are interpreted as the coordinates of particles of the one-dimensional Toda chain. The group-theoretic structure of the system and links to some random matrix models are also discussed.