New observables in topological instantonic field theories

Instantonic theories are quantum field theories where all correlators are determined by integrals over the finite-dimensional space (space of generalized instantons). We consider novel geometrical observables in instantonic topological quantum mechanics that are strikingly different from standard evaluation observables. These observables allow jumps of special type for the trajectory (at the point of insertion of such observables). They do not (anti)commute with evaluation observables and raise the dimension of the space of allowed configurations, while the evaluation observables lower this dimension. We study these observables in geometric and operator formalisms. Simple examples are explicitly computed; they depend on the linking of points.     

Dyons in topological field theories

We examine a class of topological field theories defined by Lagrangians that under certain conditions can be written as the sum of two characteristic numbers or winding numbers. Therefore, the action or the energy is a topological invariant and stable under perturbations. The sufficient conditions required for stability take the form of first-order field equations, analogous to the self-duality and Bogomol'nyi equations in Yang-Mills(-Higgs) theory. Solutions to the first-order equations automatically satisfy the full field equations. We show the existence of nontrivial, nonsingular, minimum energy spherically symmetric dyon solutions and that they are stable. We also discuss evidence for a dual field theory to Yang-Mills-Higgs in topological field theory. The existence of dual field theories and electric monopoles is predicted by Montonen and Olive.     

Electric monopoles in topological field theories

A tensor product generalization ofB ∧F theories is proposed that has a Bogomol'nyi structure. Nonsingular, stable, finite-energy particle-like solutions to the Bogomol'nyi equations are studied. Unlike Yang-Mills(-Higgs) theory, the Bogomol'nyi structure does not appear as a perfect square in the Lagrangian. Consequently, the Bogomol'nyi energy can be obtained in more than one way. The added flexibility permits electric monopole solutions.     

On topological field theories and duality

Topologically non-trivial effects appearing in the discussion of duality transformations in higher genus manifolds are discussed in a simple example. Their relation with the properties of Topological Field Theories is established.     

One-point functions in perturbed boundary conformal field theories

We consider the one-point functions of bulk and boundary fields in the scaling Lee–Yang model for various combinations of bulk and boundary perturbations. The one-point functions of the bulk fields are analysed using the truncated conformal space approach and the form-factor expansion. Good agreement is found between the results of the two methods, though we find that the expression for the general boundary state given by Ghoshal and Zamolodchikov has to be corrected slightly. For the boundary fields we use thermodynamic Bethe ansatz equations to find exact expressions for the strip and semi-infinite cylinder geometries. We also find a novel off-critical identity between the cylinder partition functions of models with differing boundary conditions, and use this to investigate the regions of boundary-induced instability exhibited by the model on a finite strip.     

Hidden fermionic symmetry in conformal topological field theories

We point out that bosonic conformal coset modelsG _l ×G _k /G _l+k for all semi-simple Lie algebrasG have a hidden fermionic symmetry atl=0 (the central charge=0) and may be interpreted as twisted versions of some superconformal theories.     

Multi-instantons, supersymmetry and topological field theories

In this letter we argue that instanton-dominated Green's functions in N=2 Super Yang–Mills theories can be equivalently computed either using the so-called constrained instanton method or making reference to the topological twisted version of the theory. Defining an appropriate BRST operator (as a supersymmetry plus a gauge variation), we also show that the expansion coefficients of the Seiberg–Witten effective action for the low-energy degrees of freedom can be written as integrals of total derivatives over the moduli space of self-dual gauge connections.     

Batalin-Vilkovisky algebras and two-dimensional topological field theories

By a Batalin-Vilkovisky algebra, we mean a graded commutative algebraA, together with an operator :A A ₊₁ such that ² = 0, and [,a]–a is a graded derivation ofA for allaA. In this article, we show that there is a natural structure of a Batalin-Vilkovisky algebra on the cohomology of a topological conformal field theory in two dimensions. We make use of a technique from algebraic topology: the theory of operads.The author is partially supported by a fellowship of the Sloan Foundation and a research grant of the NSF     

Morse theory interpretation of topological quantum field theories

Topological quantum field theories are interpreted as a generalized form of Morse theory. This interpretation is applied to formulate the simplest topological quantum field theory: topological quantum mechanics. The only non-trivial topological invariant corresponding to this theory is computed and identified with the Euler characteristic. Using field theoretical methods this topological invariant is calculated in different ways and in the process a proof of the Gauss-Bonnet-Chern-Avez formula as well as some results of degenerate Morse theory are obtained.     

A discrete approach to topological quantum field theories

First, we describe a rather general scheme for constructing three-dimensional euclidean topological quantum field theories, whose basic building blocks are provided by the representation theory of a certain class of (bi-)algebras. Secondly, we discuss in some detail examples, where the algebra is either the function algebra of a finite group, the group algebra of a finite group or a deformation of the enveloping algebra of a classical simple Lie group.     

Local observables in non-abelian gauge theories

Labelling of the physical states of a non-abelian gauge theory on a lattice in terms of local observables is considered. The labelling is in terms of local color electric field observables and (separately) local color magnetic field observables. Matter fields are also included. Non-local observables required when space is multiply connected, are specified. The non-abelian version of Stokes' theorem is considered. Relevance to the continuum theory is discussed in detail.     

Precision observables and electroweak theories

We compute the bounds from precision observables on alternative theories of electroweak symmetry breaking. We show that a cutoff as large as 3 TeV can be accommodated by the present data, without any new particles or unnatural fine tuning.     

Quasi-quantum groups as internal symmetries of topological quantum field theories

We show that every topological quantum field theory (understood as a functor) has an associated quasi-quantum group of internal symmetries.     

The CPT-theorem in two-dimensional theories of local observables

Let be a von Neumann algebra with cyclic and separating vector , and letU(a) be a continuous unitary representation ofR with positive generator and as fixed point. If these unitaries induce for positive arguments endomorphisms of then the modular group act as dilatations on the group of unitaries. Using this it will be shown that every theory of local observables in two dimensions, which is covariant under translation only, can be imbedded into a theory of local observables covariant under the whole Poincaré group. This theory is also covariant under the CPT-transformation.     

Resurgent analysis of localizable observables in supersymmetric gauge theories

Journal of High Energy Physics - The coset Sp(2, ℝ)/U(1) is parametrized by two real scalar fields. We generalize the formalism of auxiliary tensor (bispinor) fields in U(1) self-dual...     

A combinatorial approach to topological quantum field theories and invariants of graphs

The combinatorial state sum of Turaev and Viro for a compact 3-manifold in terms of quantum 6j-symbols is generalized by introducing observables in the form of coloured graphs. They satisfy braiding relations and allow for surgeries and a discussion of cobordism theory. Application of these techniques give the dimension and an explicit basis for the vector space of the topological quantum field theory associated to any Riemann surface with arbitrary coloured punctures.Dedicated to H. Araki and E. Lieb on the occasion of their 60^th birthdaysSupported by DFG, SFB 288 Differentialgeometrie und Quantenphysik     

Robustness of a perturbed topological phase

We investigate the stability of the topological phase of the toric code model in the presence of a uniform magnetic field by means of variational and high-order series expansion approaches. We find that when this perturbation is strong enough, the system undergoes a topological phase transition whose first- or second-order nature depends on the field orientation. When this transition is of second order, it is in the Ising universality class except for a special line on which the critical exponent driving the closure of the gap varies continuously, unveiling a new topological universality class.