arXiv subjects

Ingo Runkel

Publications and source records attributed to Ingo Runkel.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Uniqueness of open/closed rational CFT with given algebra of open states

We study the sewing constraints for rational two-dimensional conformal field theory on oriented surfaces with possibly non-empty boundary. The boundary condition is taken to be the same on all segments of the boundary. The following uniqueness result is established: For a solution to the sewing constraints with nondegenerate closed state vacuum and nondegenerate two-point correlators of boundary fields on the disk and of bulk fields on the sphere, up to equivalence all correlators are uniquely determined by the one-, two,- and three-point correlators on the disk. Thus for any such theory every consistent collection of correlators can be obtained by the TFT approach of hep-th/0204148, hep-th/0503194. As morphisms of the category of world sheets we include not only homeomorphisms, but also sewings; interpreting the correlators as a natural transformation then encodes covariance both under homeomorphisms and under sewings of world sheets.

hep-th↗

arXiv2008

Gerbe-holonomy for surfaces with defect networks

We define the sigma-model action for world-sheets with embedded defect networks in the presence of a three-form field strength. We derive the defect gluing condition for the sigma-model fields and their derivatives, and use it to distinguish between conformal and topological defects. As an example, we treat the WZW model with defects labelled by elements of the centre Z(G) of the target Lie group G; comparing the holonomy for different defect networks gives rise to a 3-cocycle on Z(G). Next, we describe the factorisation properties of two-dimensional quantum field theories in the presence of defects and compare the correlators for different defect networks in the quantum WZW model. This, again, results in a 3-cocycle on Z(G). We observe that the cocycles obtained in the classical and in the quantum computation are cohomologous.

hep-th↗

arXiv2008

Morita classes of algebras in modular tensor categories

We consider algebras in a modular tensor category C. If the trace pairing of an algebra A in C is non-degenerate we associate to A a commutative algebra Z(A), called the full centre, in a doubled version of the category C. We prove that two simple algebras with non-degenerate trace pairing are Morita-equivalent if and only if their full centres are isomorphic as algebras. This result has an interesting interpretation in two-dimensional rational conformal field theory; it implies that there cannot be several incompatible sets of boundary conditions for a given bulk theory.

math.CT↗

arXiv2008

Perturbed Defects and T-Systems in Conformal Field Theory

Defect lines in conformal field theory can be perturbed by chiral defect fields. If the unperturbed defects satisfy su(2)-type fusion rules, the operators associated to the perturbed defects are shown to obey functional relations known from the study of integrable models as T-systems. The procedure is illustrated for Virasoro minimal models and for Liouville theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2008

From boundary to bulk in logarithmic CFT

The analogue of the charge-conjugation modular invariant for rational logarithmic conformal field theories is constructed. This is done by reconstructing the bulk spectrum from a simple boundary condition (the analogue of the Cardy `identity brane'). We apply the general method to the c_1,p triplet models and reproduce the previously known bulk theory for p=2 at c=-2. For general p we verify that the resulting partition functions are modular invariant. We also construct the complete set of 2p boundary states, and confirm that the identity brane from which we started indeed exists. As a by-product we obtain a logarithmic version of the Verlinde formula for the c_1,p triplet models.

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

Topological defects for the free boson CFT

Two different conformal field theories can be joined together along a defect line. We study such defects for the case where the conformal field theories on either side are single free bosons compactified on a circle. We concentrate on topological defects for which the left- and right-moving Virasoro algebras are separately preserved, but not necessarily any additional symmetries. For the case where both radii are rational multiples of the self-dual radius we classify these topological defects. We also show that the isomorphism between two T-dual free boson conformal field theories can be described by the action of a topological defect, and hence that T-duality can be understood as a special type of order-disorder duality.

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

Reflection and Transmission for Conformal Defects

We consider conformal defects joining two conformal field theories along a line. We define two new quantities associated to such defects in terms of expectation values of the stress tensors and we propose them as measures of the reflectivity and transmissivity of the defect. Their properties are investigated and they are computed in a number of examples. We obtain a complete answer for all defects in the Ising model and between certain pairs of minimal models. In the case of two conformal field theories with an enhanced symmetry we restrict ourselves to non-trivial defects that can be obtained by a coset construction.

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

Duality and defects in rational conformal field theory

We study topological defect lines in two-dimensional rational conformal field theory. Continuous variation of the location of such a defect does not change the value of a correlator. Defects separating different phases of local CFTs with the same chiral symmetry are included in our discussion. We show how the resulting one-dimensional phase boundaries can be used to extract symmetries and order-disorder dualities of the CFT. The case of central charge c=4/5, for which there are two inequivalent world sheet phases corresponding to the tetra-critical Ising model and the critical three-states Potts model, is treated as an illustrative example.

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

The fusion algebra of bimodule categories

We establish an algebra-isomorphism between the complexified Grothendieck ring F of certain bimodule categories over a modular tensor category and the endomorphism algebra of appropriate morphism spaces of those bimodule categories. This provides a purely categorical proof of a conjecture by Ostrik concerning the structure of F. As a by-product we obtain a concrete expression for the structure constants of the Grothendieck ring of the bimodule category in terms of endomorphisms of the tensor unit of the underlying modular tensor category.

math.CT↗

arXiv2006

The logarithmic triplet theory with boundary

The boundary theory for the c=-2 triplet model is investigated in detail. In particular, we show that there are four different boundary conditions that preserve the triplet algebra, and check the consistency of the corresponding boundary operators by constructing their OPE coefficients explicitly. We also compute the correlation functions of two bulk fields in the presence of a boundary, and verify that they are consistent with factorisation.

hep-th↗

arXiv2006

TFT construction of RCFT correlators V: Proof of modular invariance and factorisation

The correlators of two-dimensional rational conformal field theories that are obtained in the TFT construction of [FRSI,FRSII,FRSIV] are shown to be invariant under the action of the relative modular group and to obey bulk and boundary factorisation constraints. We present results both for conformal field theories defined on oriented surfaces and for theories defined on unoriented surfaces. In the latter case, in particular the so-called cross cap constraint is included.

hep-th↗

arXiv2006

Topological and conformal field theory as Frobenius algebras

Two-dimensional conformal field theory (CFT) can be defined through its correlation functions. These must satisfy certain consistency conditions which arise from the cutting of world sheets along circles or intervals. The construction of a (rational) CFT can be divided into two steps, of which one is complex-analytic and one purely algebraic. We realise the algebraic part of the construction with the help of three-dimensional topological field theory and show that any symmetric special Frobenius algebra in the appropriate braided monoidal category gives rise to a solution. A special class of examples is provided by two-dimensional topological field theories, for which the relevant monoidal category is the category of vector spaces.

math.CT↗

arXiv2006

Twining characters and Picard groups in rational conformal field theory

Picard groups of tensor categories play an important role in rational conformal field theory. The Picard group of the representation category C of a rational vertex algebra can be used to construct examples of (symmetric special) Frobenius algebras in C. Such an algebra A encodes all data needed to ensure the existence of correlators of a local conformal field theory. The Picard group of the category of A-bimodules has a physical interpretation, too: it describes internal symmetries of the conformal field theory, and allows one to identify generalized Kramers-Wannier dualities of the theory. When applying these general results to concrete models based on affine Lie algebras, a detailed knowledge of certain representations of the modular group is needed. We discuss a conjecture that relates these representations to those furnished by twining characters of affine Lie algebras.

math.QA↗

arXiv2006

Categorification and correlation functions in conformal field theory

A modular tensor category provides the appropriate data for the construction of a three-dimensional topological field theory. We describe the following analogue for two-dimensional conformal field theories: a 2-category whose objects are symmetric special Frobenius algebras in a modular tensor category and whose morphisms are categories of bimodules. This 2-category provides sufficient ingredients for constructing all correlation functions of a two-dimensional rational conformal field theory. The bimodules have the physical interpretation of chiral data, boundary conditions, and topological defect lines of this theory.

math.CT↗

arXiv2005

Ribbon categories and (unoriented) CFT: Frobenius algebras, automorphisms, reversions

A Morita class of symmetric special Frobenius algebras A in the modular tensor category of a chiral CFT determines a full CFT on oriented world sheets. For unoriented world sheets, A must in addition possess a reversion, i.e. an isomorphism from A^opp to A squaring to the twist. Any two reversions of an algebra A differ by an element of the group Aut(A) of algebra automorphisms of A. We establish a group homomorphism from Aut(A) to the Picard group of the bimodule category C_AA, with kernel consisting of the inner automorphisms, and we refine Morita equivalence to an equivalence relation between algebras with reversion.

math.CT↗

arXiv2005

Matrix model eigenvalue integrals and twist fields in the su(2)-WZW model

We propose a formula for the eigenvalue integral of the hermitian one matrix model with infinite well potential in terms of dressed twist fields of the su(2) level one WZW model. The expression holds for arbitrary matrix size n, and provides a suggestive interpretation for the monodromy properties of the matrix model correlators at finite n, as well as in the 1/n-expansion.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

Correspondences of ribbon categories

Much of algebra and representation theory can be formulated in the general framework of tensor categories. The aim of this paper is to further develop this theory for braided tensor categories. Several results are established that do not have a substantial counterpart for symmetric tensor categories. In particular, we exhibit various equivalences involving categories of modules over algebras in ribbon categories. Finally we establish a correspondence of ribbon categories that can be applied to, and is in fact motivated by, the coset construction in conformal quantum field theory.

math.CT↗

arXiv2005

TFT construction of RCFT correlators IV: Structure constants and correlation functions

We compute the fundamental correlation functions in two-dimensional rational conformal field theory, from which all other correlators can be obtained by sewing: the correlators of three bulk fields on the sphere, one bulk and one boundary field on the disk, three boundary fields on the disk, and one bulk field on the cross cap. We also consider conformal defects and calculate the correlators of three defect fields on the sphere and of one defect field on the cross cap. Each of these correlators is presented as the product of a structure constant and the appropriate conformal two- or three-point block. The structure constants are expressed as invariants of ribbon graphs in three-manifolds.

hep-th↗