arXiv subjects

Aditya Mehra

Publications and source records attributed to Aditya Mehra.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Galilean Kalb-Ramond Field

In this paper, we build the Galilean limit of the free Kalb-Ramond two-form and also study the symmetries. Two different methods are discussed. The first is an In\"on\"u-Wigner contraction. In this method, we take the scaling of space-time coordinates and the two-form field. The relativistic equations boil down to two inequivalent limits, electric and magnetic. In both, the equations of motion come out to be invariant under the full infinite-dimensional Galilean conformal algebra precisely in D=6. The second method is the null-reduction. In this, we start from a theory in D+1 dimensions and end up with a theory in D dimensions. This method yields a local Galilean Lagrangian. Here, the action is invariant under the global generators (boosts, rotations, translations and scale transformations) but not under higher Witt modes of the Galilean conformal algebra. We also calculate the two-point functions in both constructions from the boost, scale and rotation Ward identities, and by exhibiting the truncation that maps the null-reduction correlators onto those of the magnetic limit.

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arXiv2024

Galilean fluids from non-relativistic gravity

The $1/c$-expansion of general relativity appropriately sourced by matter can be used to derive an action principle for Newtonian gravity. The gravitational part of this action is known as non-relativistic gravity (NRG). It is possible to source NRG differently and in such a way that one can construct solutions that are not described by Newtonian gravity (as they do not admit a notion of absolute time). It is possible to include a negative cosmological constant such that NRG admits a non-relativistic AdS solution. This non-relativistic AdS vacuum has Killing vectors that form the Galilean conformal algebra and a boundary that admits a conformal class of Newton-Cartan geometries. This begs the question of whether there exists an analogue of the fluid/gravity correspondence for NRG. In this paper we derive a non-relativistic AdS brane solution of NRG and confirm that it corresponds to the $1/c^2$-expansion of the AdS black brane geometry. We perform a Galilean boost of the non-relativistic AdS brane and derive the associated boundary energy-momentum tensor. We then show that this is the energy-momentum tensor of a massless Galilean fluid and explain how this is linked to the conformal isometries of the boundary. Along the way, we also present several new results for the theory of non-relativistic gravity itself. In particular we present a rewriting that greatly shortens and simplifies the equations of motion of the NRG action.

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arXiv2024

3d Carrollian Chern-Simons theory and 2d Yang-Mills

With the goal of building a concrete co-dimension one holographically dual field theory for four dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes (4d AFS) as a limit of AdS$_4$/CFT$_3$, we begin an investigation of 3d Chern-Simons matter (CSM) theories in the Carroll regime. We perform a Carroll (speed of light $c\to0$) expansion of the relativistic Chern-Simons action coupled to a massless scalar and obtain Carrollian CSM theories, which we show are invariant under the infinite dimensional 3d conformal Carroll or 4d Bondi-van der Burg-Metzner-Sachs (BMS$_4$) symmetries, thus making them putative duals for 4d AFS. Concentrating on the leading-order electric Carroll CSM theory, we perform a null reduction of the 3d theory. Null reduction is a procedure to obtain non-relativistic theories from a higher dimensional relativistic theory. Curiously, null reduction of a Carrollian theory yields a relativistic lower-dimensional theory. We work with $SU(N) \times SU(M)$ CS theory coupled to bi-fundamental matter and show that when $N=M$, we obtain (rather surprisingly) a 2d Euclidean Yang-Mills theory after null reduction. We also comment on the reduction when $N \neq M$ and possible connections of the null-reduced Carroll theory to a candidate 2d Celestial CFT.

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arXiv2024

Carrollian expansion of Born-Infeld Electrodynamics

In this paper, we carry out a detailed investigation of Born-Infeld Electrodynamics in the Carrollian limit. We explore these theories by looking at expansion in a small c limit at the level of Lagrangian. Particularly, we study the symmetries and correlation functions in the presence of non-linear interactions.

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arXiv2023

One-Loop Quantum Effects in Carroll Scalars

Carrollian field theories at the classical level possess an infinite number of space-time symmetries, namely the supertranslations. In this article, we inquire whether these symmetries for interacting Carrollian scalar field theory survive in the presence of quantum effects. For interactions polynomial in the field, the answer is in the affirmative. We also study a renormalization group flow particularly tailored to respect the manifest Carroll invariance and analyze the consequences of introducing Carroll-breaking deformations. The renormalization group flow, with perturbative loop-level effects taken into account, indicates a new fixed point apart from the Gaussian ones.

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arXiv2023

Towards Carrollian quantization: renormalization of Carrollian electrodynamics

Field-theoretic description of Carrollian theories has largely remained classical so far. In this paper, we attempt to study the renormalization of Carrollian gauge field theories via path integral techniques. The case of Carrollian electrodynamics minimally coupled to a massive Carrollian scalar is considered. We report potential problems such as IR divergences and mass shell singularity cropping up at the first order in the perturbation. Perhaps, the most important result that we report is how conventional arguments for gauge independence for mass and coupling are invalidated for a gauge theory in a Carrollian setting. As of now, the renormalization of Carrollian gauge field theories seems to suffer from unphysical ramifications. Possible cures to resolve these issues are suggested.

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arXiv2022

ModMax meets GCA

A maximally symmetric non-linear extension of Maxwell's theory in four dimensions called ModMax has been recently introduced in the literature. This theory preserves both electromagnetic duality and conformal invariance of the linear theory. In this short paper, we introduce a Galilean cousin of the ModMax theory, written in a covariant formalism, that is explicitly shown to be invariant under Galilean Conformal Symmetries. We discuss the construction of such a theory involving Galilean electromagnetic invariants, and show how the classical structure of the theory is invariant under the action of Galilean Conformal Algebra (GCA).

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arXiv2022

Galilean Gauge Theories from Null Reductions

The procedure of null reduction provides a concrete way of constructing field theories with Galilean invariance. We use this to examine Galilean gauge theories, viz. Galilean electrodynamics and Yang-Mills theories in spacetime dimensions 3 and 4. Different non-relativistic conformal symmetries arise in these contexts: Schr{\"o}dinger symmetry in $d=3$ and Galilean conformal symmetry in $d=4$. A canonical analysis further reveals that the symmetries enhance to their infinite dimensional versions in phase space and pick up central extensions. In addition, for the Abelian theory, we discuss non-relativistic electro-magnetic duality in $d=3$ and its difference with the $d=4$ version. We also mention some quantum aspects for both Abelian and non-Abelian theories.

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arXiv2021

Galilean Electrodynamics: Covariant formulation and Lagrangian

In this paper, we construct a single Lagrangian for both limits of Galilean electrodynamics. The framework relies on a covariant formalism used in describing Newton-Cartan geometry. We write down the Galilean conformal algebra and its representation in this formalism. We also show that the Lagrangian is invariant under the Galilean conformal algebra in d = 4 and calculate the energy-momentum tensor.

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arXiv2020

Interacting Conformal Carrollian Theories: Cues from Electrodynamics

We construct the free Lagrangian of the magnetic sector of Carrollian electrodynamics. The construction relies on Helmholtz integrability condition for differential equations in a self consistent algorithm, working hand in hand with imposing invariance under infinite dimensional Conformal Carroll algebra. It requires inclusion of new fields in the dynamics and the system is free of gauge redundancies. We next add interaction (quartic) terms to the free Lagrangian, strictly constrained by conformal invariance and Carrollian symmetry. The dynamical realization of the non-semi simple infinite dimensional symmetry algebra at the level of charge algebra is exact and free from central terms.

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arXiv2019

Field Theories on Null Manifolds

We argue that generic field theories defined on null manifolds should have an emergent BMS or conformal Carrollian structure. We then focus on a simple interacting conformal Carrollian theory, viz. Carrollian scalar electrodynamics. We look at weak (on-shell) and strong invariance (off-shell) of its equations of motion under conformal Carrollian symmetries. Helmholtz conditions are necessary and sufficient conditions for a set of equations to arise from a Lagrangian. We investigate whether the equations of motion of Carrollian scalar electrodynamics satisfy these conditions. Then we proposed an action for the electric sector of the theory. This action is the first example for an interacting conformal Carrollian Field Theory. The proposed action respects the finite and infinite conformal Carrollian symmetries in d = 4. We calculate conserved charges corresponding to these finite and infinite symmetries and then rewrite the conserved charges in terms of the canonical variables. We finally compute the Poisson brackets for these charges and confirm that infinite Carrollian conformal algebra is satisfied at the level of charges.

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arXiv2019

Field Theories with Conformal Carrollian Symmetry

Conformal Carrollian groups are known to be isomorphic to Bondi-Metzner-Sachs (BMS) groups that arise as the asymptotic symmetries at the null boundary of Minkowski spacetime. The Carrollian algebra is obtained from the Poincare algebra by taking the speed of light to zero, and the conformal version similarly follows. In this paper, we construct explicit examples of Conformal Carrollian field theories as limits of relativistic conformal theories, which include Carrollian versions of scalars, fermions, electromagnetism, Yang-Mills theory and general gauge theories coupled to matter fields. Due to the isomorphism with BMS symmetries, these field theories form prototypical examples of holographic duals to gravitational theories in asymptotically flat spacetimes. The intricacies of the limiting procedure lead to a plethora of different Carrollian sectors in the gauge theories we consider. Concentrating on the equations of motion of these theories, we show that even in dimensions d=4, there is an infinite enhancement of the underlying symmetry structure. Our analysis is general enough to suggest that this infinite enhancement is a generic feature of the ultra-relativistic limit that we consider.

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arXiv2017

Galilean Field Theories and Conformal Structure

We perform a detailed analysis of Galilean field theories, starting with free theories and then interacting theories. We consider non-relativistic versions of massless scalar and Dirac field theories before we go on to review our previous construction of Galilean Electrodynamics and Galilean Yang-Mills theory. We show that in all these cases, the field theories exhibit non-relativistic conformal structure (in appropriate dimensions). The surprising aspect of the analysis is that the non-relativistic conformal structure exhibited by these theories, unlike relativistic conformal invariance, becomes infinite dimensional even in spacetime dimensions greater than two. We then couple matter with Galilean gauge theories and show that there is a myriad of different sectors that arise in the non-relativistic limit from the parent relativistic theories. In every case, if the parent relativistic theory exhibited conformal invariance, we find an infinitely enhanced Galilean conformal invariance in the non-relativistic case. This leads us to suggest that infinite enhancement of symmetries in the non-relativistic limit is a generic feature of conformal field theories in any dimension.

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arXiv2016

Flat Holography: Aspects of the dual field theory

Assuming the existence of a field theory in D dimensions dual to (D+1)-dimensional flat space, governed by the asymptotic symmetries of flat space, we make some preliminary remarks about the properties of this field theory. We review briefly some successes of the 3d bulk - 2d boundary case and then focus on the 4d bulk - 3d boundary example, where the symmetry in question is the infinite dimensional BMS4 algebra. We look at the constraints imposed by this symmetry on a 3d field theory by constructing highest weight representations of this algebra. We construct two and three point functions of BMS primary fields and surprisingly find that symmetries constrain these correlators to be identical to those of a 2d relativistic conformal field theory. We then go one dimension higher and construct prototypical examples of 4d field theories which are putative duals of 5d Minkowski spacetimes. These field theories are ultra-relativistic limits of electrodynamics and Yang-Mills theories which exhibit invariance under the conformal Carroll group in D=4. We explore the different sectors within these Carrollian gauge theories and investigate the symmetries of the equations of motion to find that an infinite ultra-relativistic conformal structure arises in each case.

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arXiv2015

Galilean Yang-Mills Theory

We investigate the symmetry structure of the non-relativistic limit of Yang-Mills theories. Generalising previous results in the Galilean limit of electrodynamics, we discover that for Yang-Mills theories there are a variety of limits inside the Galilean regime. We first explicitly work with the $SU(2)$ theory and then generalise to $SU(N)$ for all $N$, systematising our notation and analysis. We discover that the whole family of limits lead to different sectors of Galilean Yang-Mills theories and the equations of motion in each sector exhibit hitherto undiscovered infinite dimensional symmetries, viz. infinite Galilean Conformal symmetries in $D=4$. These provide the first examples of interacting Galilean Conformal Field Theories (GCFTs) in $D>2$.

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arXiv2015

A Schr\"odinger approach to Newton-Cartan and Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravities

We define a `non-relativistic conformal method', based on a Schr\"odinger algebra with critical exponent z = 2, as the non-relativistic version of the relativistic conformal method. An important ingredient of this method is the occurrence of a complex compensating scalar field that transforms under both scale and central charge transformations. We apply this non-relativistic method to derive the curved space Newton-Cartan gravity equations of motion with twistless torsion. Moreover, we reproduce z = 2 Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity by classifying all possible Schr\"odinger invariant scalar field theories of a complex scalar up to second order in time derivatives.

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arXiv2014

Galilean Conformal Electrodynamics

Maxwell's Electrodynamics admits two distinct Galilean limits called the Electric and Magnetic limits. We show that the equations of motion in both these limits are invariant under the Galilean Conformal Algebra in D=4, thereby exhibiting non-relativistic conformal symmetries. Remarkably, the symmetries are infinite dimensional and thus Galilean Electrodynamics give us the first example of an infinitely extended Galilean Conformal Field Theory in D>2. We examine details of the theory by looking at purely non-relativistic conformal methods and also use input from the limit of the relativistic theory.

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