arXiv subjects

Eric Sharpe

Publications and source records attributed to Eric Sharpe.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

GLSMs, joins, and nonperturbatively-realized geometries

In this work we give a gauged linear sigma model (GLSM) realization of pairs of homologically projective dual Calabi-Yaus that have recently been constructed in the mathematics literature. Many of the geometries can be realized mathematically in terms of joins. We discuss how joins can be described in terms of GLSMs and how the associated Calabi-Yaus arise as phases in the GLSMs. Due to strong-coupling phenomena in the GLSM, the geometries are realized via a mix of perturbative and non-perturbative effects. We apply two-dimensional gauge dualities to construct dual GLSMs. Geometries that are realized perturbatively in one GLSM, are realized non-perturbatively in the dual, and vice versa.

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arXiv2019

More nonabelian mirrors and some two-dimensional dualities

In this paper we extend the nonabelian mirror proposal of two of the authors from two-dimensional gauge theories with connected gauge groups to the case of O(k) gauge groups with discrete theta angles. We check our proposed extension by counting and comparing vacua in mirrors to known dual two-dimensional (S)O(k) gauge theories. The mirrors in question are Landau-Ginzburg orbifolds, and for mirrors to O(k) gauge theories, the critical loci of the mirror superpotential often intersect fixed-point loci, so that to count vacua, one must take into account twisted sector contributions. This is a technical novelty relative to mirrors of gauge theories with connected gauge groups, for which critical loci do not intersect fixed-point loci and so no orbifold twisted sector contributions are pertinent. The vacuum computations turn out to be a rather intricate test of the proposed mirrors, in particular as untwisted sector states in the mirror to one theory are often exchanged with twisted sector states in the mirror to the dual. In cases with nontrivial IR limits, we also check that central charges computed from the Landau-Ginzburg mirrors match those expected for the IR SCFTs.

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arXiv2019

Global aspects of moduli spaces of 2d SCFTs

The Bagger-Witten line bundle is a line bundle over moduli spaces of two-dimensional SCFTs, related to the Hodge line bundle of holomorphic top-forms on Calabi-Yau manifolds. It has recently been a subject of a number of conjectures, but concrete examples have proven elusive. In this paper we collect several results on this structure, including a proposal for an intrinsic geometric definition over moduli spaces of Calabi-Yau manifolds and some additional concrete examples. We also conjecture a new criterion for UV completion of four-dimensional supergravity theories in terms of properties of the Bagger-Witten line bundle.

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arXiv2019

Hidden exceptional symmetry in the pure spinor superstring

The pure spinor formulation of superstring theory includes an interacting sector of central charge $c_λ=22$, which can be realized as a curved $βγ$ system on the cone over the orthogonal Grassmannian $\text{OG}^{+}(5,10)$. We find that the spectrum of the $βγ$ system organizes into representations of the $\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{e}_6$ affine algebra at level $-3$, whose $\mathfrak{so}(10)_{-3}\oplus {\mathfrak u}(1)_{-4}$ subalgebra encodes the rotational and ghost symmetries of the system. As a consequence, the pure spinor partition function decomposes as a sum of affine $\mathfrak{e}_6$ characters. We interpret this as an instance of a more general pattern of enhancements in curved $βγ$ systems, which also includes the cases $\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{so}(8)$ and $\mathfrak{e}_7$, corresponding to target spaces that are cones over the complex Grassmannian $\text{Gr}(2,4)$ and the complex Cayley plane $\mathbb{OP}^2$. We identify these curved $βγ$ systems with the chiral algebras of certain $2d$ $(0,2)$ CFTs arising from twisted compactification of 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFTs on $S^2$.

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arXiv2019

Categorical Equivalence and the Renormalization Group

In this article we review how categorical equivalences are realized by renormalization group flow in physical realizations of stacks, derived categories, and derived schemes. We begin by reviewing the physical realization of sigma models on stacks, as (universality classes of) gauged sigma models, and look in particular at properties of sigma models on gerbes (equivalently, sigma models with restrictions on nonperturbative sectors), and decomposition, in which two-dimensional sigma models on gerbes decompose into disjoint unions of ordinary theories. We also discuss stack structures on examples of moduli spaces of SCFTs, focusing on elliptic curves, and implications of subtleties there for string dualities in other dimensions. In the second part of this article, we review the physical realization of derived categories in terms of renormalization group flow (time evolution) of combinations of D-branes, antibranes, and tachyons. In the third part of this article, we review how Landau-Ginzburg models provide a physical realization of derived schemes, and also outline an example of a derived structure on a moduli spaces of SCFTs.

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arXiv2018

On the global moduli of Calabi-Yau threefolds

In this note we initiate a program to obtain global descriptions of Calabi-Yau moduli spaces, to calculate their Picard group, and to identify within that group the Hodge line bundle, and the closely-related Bagger-Witten line bundle. We do this here for several Calabi-Yau's obtained in [DW09] as crepant resolutions of the orbifold quotient of the product of three elliptic curves. In particular we verify in these cases a recent claim of [GHKSST16] by noting that a power of the Hodge line bundle is trivial -- even though in most of these cases the Picard group is infinite.

math.AG↗

arXiv2018

Landau-Ginzburg models for certain fiber products with curves

In this paper we describe a physical realization of a family of non-compact Kahler threefolds with trivial canonical bundle in hybrid Landau-Ginzburg models, motivated by some recent non-Kahler solutions of Strominger systems, and utilizing some recent ideas from GLSMs. We consider threefolds given as fiber products of compact genus g Riemann surfaces and noncompact threefolds. Each genus g Riemann surface is constructed using recent GLSM tricks, as a double cover of P^1 branched over a degree 2g + 2 locus, realized via nonperturbative effects rather than as the critical locus of a superpotential. We focus in particular on special cases corresponding to a set of Kahler twistor spaces of certain hyperKahler four-manifolds, specifically the twistor spaces of R^4, C^2/Z_k, and S^1 x R^3. We check in all cases that the condition for trivial canonical bundle arising physically matches the mathematical constraint.

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arXiv2018

B-branes and supersymmetric quivers in 2d

We study 2d $\mathcal{N}=(0,2)$ supersymmetric quiver gauge theories that describe the low-energy dynamics of D1-branes at Calabi-Yau fourfold (CY$_4$) singularities. On general grounds, the holomorphic sector of these theories---matter content and (classical) superpotential interactions---should be fully captured by the topological $B$-model on the CY$_4$. By studying a number of examples, we confirm this expectation and flesh out the dictionary between B-brane category and supersymmetric quiver: the matter content of the supersymmetric quiver is encoded in morphisms between B-branes (that is, Ext groups of coherent sheaves), while the superpotential interactions are encoded in the $A_\infty$ algebra satisfied by the morphisms. This provides us with a derivation of the supersymmetric quiver directly from the CY$_4$ geometry. We also suggest a relation between triality of $\mathcal{N}=(0,2)$ gauge theories and certain mutations of exceptional collections of sheaves. 0d $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric quivers, corresponding to D-instantons probing CY$_5$ singularities, can be discussed similarly.

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arXiv2017

Classical sheaf cohomology rings on Grassmannians

Let the vector bundle $\mathcal{E}$ be a deformation of the tangent bundle over the Grassmannian $G(k,n)$. We compute the ring structure of sheaf cohomology valued in exterior powers of $\mathcal{E}$, also known as the polymology. This is the first part of a project studying the quantum sheaf cohomology of Grassmannians with deformations of the tangent bundle, a generalization of ordinary quantum cohomology rings of Grassmannians. A companion physics paper [arXiv:1512.08586] describes physical aspects of the theory, including a conjecture for the quantum sheaf cohomology ring, and numerous examples.

math.AG↗

arXiv2016

Rigidly Supersymmetric Gauge Theories on Curved Superspace

In this note we construct rigidly supersymmetric gauged sigma models and gauge theories on certain Einstein four-manifolds, and discuss constraints on these theories. In work elsewhere, it was recently shown that on some nontrivial Einstein four-manifolds such as AdS$_4$, N=1 rigidly supersymmetric sigma models are constrained to have target spaces with exact Kähler forms. Similarly, in gauged sigma models and gauge theories, we find that supersymmetry imposes constraints on Fayet-Iliopoulos parameters, which have the effect of enforcing that Kähler forms on quotient spaces be exact. We also discuss general aspects of universality classes of gauged sigma models, as encoded by stacks, and also discuss affine bundle structures implicit in these constructions.

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arXiv2016

Toda-like (0,2) mirrors to products of projective spaces

One of the open problems in understanding (0,2) mirror symmetry concerns the construction of Toda-like Landau-Ginzburg mirrors to (0,2) theories on Fano spaces. In this paper, we begin to fill this gap by making an ansatz for (0,2) Toda-like theories mirror to (0,2) supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models on products of projective spaces, with deformations of the tangent bundle, generalizing a special case previously worked out for P1xP1. We check this ansatz by matching correlation functions of the B/2-twisted Toda-like theories to correlation functions of corresponding A/2-twisted nonlinear sigma models, computed primarily using localization techniques. These (0,2) Landau-Ginzburg models admit redundancies, which can lend themselves to multiple distinct-looking representatives of the same physics, which we discuss.

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arXiv2016

Quantum sheaf cohomology on Grassmannians

In this paper we study the quantum sheaf cohomology of Grassmannians with deformations of the tangent bundle. Quantum sheaf cohomology is a (0,2) deformation of the ordinary quantum cohomology ring, realized as the OPE ring in A/2-twisted theories. Quantum sheaf cohomology has previously been computed for abelian gauged linear sigma models (GLSMs); here, we study (0,2) deformations of nonabelian GLSMs, for which previous methods have been intractable. Combined with the classical result, the quantum ring structure is derived from the one-loop effective potential. We also utilize recent advances in supersymmetric localization to compute A/2 correlation functions and check the general result in examples. In this paper we focus on physics derivations and examples; in a companion paper, we will provide a mathematically rigorous derivation of the classical sheaf cohomology ring.

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arXiv2016

Localization of twisted $\mathcal{N}{=}(0,2)$ gauged linear sigma models in two dimensions

We study two-dimensional $\mathcal{N}{=}(0,2)$ supersymmetric gauged linear sigma models (GLSMs) using supersymmetric localization. We consider $\mathcal{N}{=}(0,2)$ theories with an $R$-symmetry, which can always be defined on curved space by a pseudo-topological twist while preserving one of the two supercharges of flat space. For GLSMs which are deformations of $\mathcal{N}{=}(2,2)$ GLSMs and retain a Coulomb branch, we consider the $A/2$-twist and compute the genus-zero correlation functions of certain pseudo-chiral operators, which generalize the simplest twisted chiral ring operators away from the $\mathcal{N}{=}(2,2)$ locus. These correlation functions can be written in terms of a certain residue operation on the Coulomb branch, generalizing the Jeffrey-Kirwan residue prescription relevant for the $\mathcal{N}{=}(2,2)$ locus. For abelian GLSMs, we reproduce existing results with new formulas that render the quantum sheaf cohomology relations and other properties manifest. For non-abelian GLSMs, our methods lead to new results. As an example, we briefly discuss the quantum sheaf cohomology of the Grassmannian manifold.

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arXiv2014

Algebroids, Heterotic Moduli Spaces and the Strominger System

In this paper we study compactifications of heterotic string theory on manifolds satisfying the ddbar-lemma. We consider the Strominger system description of the low energy supergravity to first order in alpha' and show that the moduli of such compactifications are subspaces of familiar cohomology groups such as H^1(TX), H^1(TX*), H^1(End_0(V)) and H^1(End_0(TX)). These groups encode the complex structure, Kahler moduli, bundle moduli and perturbations of the spin connection respectively in the case of a Calabi-Yau compactification. We investigate the fluctuations of only a subset of the conditions of the Strominger system (expected to correspond physically to F-term constraints in the effective theory). The full physical moduli space is, therefore, given by a further restriction on these degrees of freedom which we discuss but do not explicitly provide. This paper is complementary to a previous tree-level worldsheet analysis of such moduli and agrees with that discussion in the limit of vanishing alpha'. The structure we present can be interpreted in terms of recent work in Atiyah and Courant algebroids, and we conjecture links with aspects of Hitchin's generalized geometry to heterotic moduli.

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arXiv2013

Curvature Couplings in $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ Nonlinear Sigma Models on $S^2$

Following recent work on GLSM localization, we work out curvature couplings for rigidly supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models with superpotential for general target spaces, describing both ordinary and twisted chiral superfields on round two-sphere worldsheets. We briefly discuss why, unlike four-dimensional theories, there are no constraints on Kahler forms in these theories. We also briefly discuss general issues in topological twists of such theories.

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arXiv2012

D-brane probes, branched double covers, and noncommutative resolutions

This paper describes D-brane probes of theories arising in abelian gauged linear sigma models (GLSMs) describing branched double covers and noncommutative resolutions thereof, via nonperturbative effects rather than as the critical locus of a superpotential. As these theories can be described as IR limits of Landau-Ginzburg models, technically this paper is an exercise in utilizing (sheafy) matrix factorizations. For Landau-Ginzburg models which are believed to flow in the IR to smooth branched double covers, our D-brane probes recover the structure of the branched double cover (and flat nontrivial B fields), verifying previous results. In addition to smooth branched double covers, the same class of Landau-Ginzburg models is also believed to sometimes flow to `noncommutative resolutions' of singular spaces. These noncommutative resolutions are abstract conformal field theories without a global geometric description, but D-brane probes perceive them as non-Kahler small resolutions of a singular Calabi-Yau. We conjecture that such non-Kahler small resolutions are typical in D-brane probes of such theories.

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arXiv2012

Recent Developments in (0,2) Mirror Symmetry

Mirror symmetry of the type II string has a beautiful generalization to the heterotic string. This generalization, known as (0,2) mirror symmetry, is a field still largely in its infancy. We describe recent developments including the ideas behind quantum sheaf cohomology, the mirror map for deformations of (2,2) mirrors, the construction of mirror pairs from worldsheet duality, as well as an overview of some of the many open questions. The (0,2) mirrors of Hirzebruch surfaces are presented as a new example.

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arXiv2011

A Mathematical Theory of Quantum Sheaf Cohomology

The purpose of this paper is to present a mathematical theory of the half-twisted $(0,2)$ gauged linear sigma model and its correlation functions that agrees with and extends results from physics. The theory is associated to a smooth projective toric variety $X$ and a deformation $\sheaf E$ of its tangent bundle $T_X$. It gives a quantum deformation of the cohomology ring of the exterior algebra of $\sheaf E^*$. We prove that in the general case, the correlation functions are independent of `nonlinear' deformations. We derive quantum sheaf cohomology relations that correctly specialize to the ordinary quantum cohomology relations described by Batyrev in the special case $\sheaf E = T_X$.

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