Christian Canete | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Quantum (non)equivalence of dual massive $p$-form gauge theories

Gauge theories of massive $p$-forms are connected by various dualities, which hold classically but may be broken at the quantum level. One example is the $BF$ theory of topologically coupled $p$- and $(d-p-1)$-forms in $d$ dimensions, where the coupling between forms results in a manifestly gauge invariant mass term for either form when the other is integrated out classically. We perform the path integral quantisation of this theory; by integrating out one of the forms, the resulting determinants are sensitive to the topology of spacetime, and counterterms must be introduced to renormalise their divergences. We compute these determinants in terms of the topological numbers of spacetime, showing explicitly how the quantum duality of the massive theories is broken on topologically non-trivial backgrounds. This is directly related to the quantum breaking of the massless duality between the form that was integrated out and the longitudinal modes of its partner. In particular, the difference of counterterms is proportional to the Euler characteristic of spacetime. The existence of gravitational instantons suggests that these dualities may be broken even in Minkowski space in the presence of topological fluctuations.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Emergent Dark Matter

We entertain the possibility that the phenomena typically attributed to dark matter may have a fundamentally emergent nature, rather than arising from new particle degrees of freedom. To illustrate this idea, we consider a field-theoretic model of a three-form gauge field coupled to a cosmological fluid composed of ordinary matter and radiation. In the absence of interactions, the 3-form gauge theory describes only a global, non-propagating state, which can be associated with dark energy. However, when coupled to the cosmic fluid, the theory gives rise to an emergent, dynamical in-medium state. We identify this emergent state of the 3-form gauge field with dark matter. Thus, our proposal provides a unified framework for the dark sector of the universe within the context of an interacting three-form gauge theory. Furthermore, we speculate that the three-form field may have a gravitational origin, potentially supported by the lepton-number asymmetry in the primordial plasma. If this scenario is correct, conventional direct and indirect searches for dark matter would likely be futile.

hep-ph↗