arXiv subjects

Jan Troost

Publications and source records attributed to Jan Troost.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Duality and Modularity in Elliptic Integrable Systems and Vacua of N=1* Gauge Theories

We study complexified elliptic Calogero-Moser integrable systems. We determine the value of the potential at isolated extrema, as a function of the modular parameter of the torus on which the integrable system lives. We calculate the extrema for low rank B,C,D root systems using a mix of analytical and numerical tools. For so(5) we find convincing evidence that the extrema constitute a vector valued modular form for a congruence subgroup of the modular group. For so(7) and so(8), the extrema split into two sets. One set contains extrema that make up vector valued modular forms for congruence subgroups, and a second set contains extrema that exhibit monodromies around points in the interior of the fundamental domain. The former set can be described analytically, while for the latter, we provide an analytic value for the point of monodromy for so(8), as well as extensive numerical predictions for the Fourier coefficients of the extrema. Our results on the extrema provide a rationale for integrality properties observed in integrable models, and embed these into the theory of vector valued modular forms. Moreover, using the data we gather on the modularity of complexified integrable system extrema, we analyse the massive vacua of mass deformed N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with low rank gauge group of type B,C and D. We map out their transformation properties under the infrared electric-magnetic duality group as well as under triality for N=1* with gauge algebra so(8). We find several intriguing properties of the quantum gauge theories.

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arXiv2014

The Algebra of Diffeomorphisms from the World Sheet

The quantum theory of a massless spin two particle is strongly constrained by diffeomorphism invariance, which is in turn implied by unitarity. We explicitly exhibit the space-time diffeomorphism algebra of string theory, realizing it in terms of world sheet vertex operators. Viewing diffeomorphisms as field redefinitions in the two-dimensional conformal field theory renders the calculation of their algebra straightforward. Next, we generalize the analysis to combinations of space-time anti-symmetric tensor gauge transformations and diffeomorphisms. We also point out a left-right split of the algebra combined with a twist that reproduces the C-bracket of double field theory. We further compare our derivation to an analysis in terms of marginal deformations as well as vertex operator algebras.

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arXiv2014

Lessons on Black Holes from the Elliptic Genus

We further study the elliptic genus of the cigar SL(2,R)/U(1) coset superconformal field theory. We find that, even in the small curvature, infinite level limit, there are holomorphic and non-holomorphic parts that are due to the discrete states and a mismatch in the spectral densities of the continuum, respectively. The mismatch in the continuum is universal, in the sense that it is fully determined by the asymptotic cylindrical topology of the cigar's throat. Since modularity of the elliptic genus requires both the holomorphic and non-holomorphic parts, the holomorphic term is universal as well. The contribution of the discrete states is thus present even for perturbative strings propagating in the background of large Schwarzschild black holes. We argue that the discrete states live at a stringy distance from the tip of the cigar both from the conformal field theory wave-function analysis and from a holonomy space perspective. Thus, the way string theory takes care of its self-consistency seems to have important consequences for the physics near horizons, even for parametrically large black holes.

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arXiv2014

Localization and real Jacobi forms

We calculate the elliptic genus of two dimensional abelian gauged linear sigma models with (2,2) supersymmetry using supersymmetric localization. The matter sector contains charged chiral multiplets as well as Stueckelberg fields coupled to the vector multiplets. These models include theories that flow in the infrared to non-linear sigma models with target spaces that are non-compact Kahler manifolds with U(N) isometry and with an asymptotically linear dilaton direction. The elliptic genera are the modular completions of mock Jacobi forms that have been proposed recently using complementary arguments. We also compute the elliptic genera of models that contain multiple Stueckelberg fields from first principles.

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arXiv2014

Higher Poles and Crossing Phenomena from Twisted Genera

We demonstrate that Appell-Lerch sums with higher order poles as well as their modular covariant completions arise as partition functions in the cigar conformal field theory with worldsheet supersymmetry. The modular covariant derivatives of the elliptic genus of the cigar give rise to operator insertions corresponding to (powers of) right-moving momentum, left-moving fermion number, as well as a term corresponding to an ordinary zero mode partition sum. To show this, we demonstrate how the right-moving supersymmetric quantum mechanics (and in particular the Hamiltonian and spectral density) depend on the imaginary part of the chemical potential for angular momentum. As a consequence of our analysis we find that varying the imaginary part of the chemical potential for angular momentum on the cigar gives rise to a wall-crossing phenomenon in the bound state contribution to the elliptic genus, while the full elliptic genus is a continuous function of the chemical potential.

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arXiv2014

Quantum geometry from the toroidal block

We continue our study of the semi-classical (large central charge) expansion of the toroidal one-point conformal block in the context of the 2d/4d correspondence. We demonstrate that the Seiberg-Witten curve and (epsilon1-deformed) differential emerge naturally in conformal field theory when computing the block via null vector decoupling equations. This framework permits us to derive epsilon1-deformations of the conventional relations governing the prepotential. These enable us to complete the proof of the quasi-modularity of the coefficients of the conformal block in an expansion around large exchanged conformal dimension. We furthermore derive these relations from the semi-classics of exact conformal field theory quantities, such as braiding matrices and the S-move kernel. In the course of our study, we present a new proof of Matone's relation for N=2* theory.

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arXiv2014

Elliptic genera and real Jacobi forms

We construct real Jacobi forms with matrix index using path integrals. The path integral expressions represent elliptic genera of two-dimensional N=(2,2) supersymmetric theories. They arise in a family labeled by two integers N and k which determine the central charge of the infrared fixed point through the formula c=3N(1+ 2N/k). We decompose the real Jacobi form into a mock modular form and a term arising from the continuous spectrum of the conformal field theory. We argue that the Jacobi form represents the elliptic genus of a theory defined on a 2N dimensional background with U(N) isometry, containing a complex projective space section, a circle fiber and a linear dilaton direction. We also present formulas for the elliptic genera of orbifolds of these models.

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arXiv2013

The Black Hole Interior and a Curious Sum Rule

We analyze the Euclidean geometry near non-extremal NS5-branes in string theory, including regions beyond the horizon and beyond the singularity of the black brane. The various regions have an exact description in string theory, in terms of cigar, trumpet and negative level minimal model conformal field theories. We study the worldsheet elliptic genera of these three superconformal theories, and show that their sum vanishes. We speculate on the significance of this curious sum rule for black hole physics.

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arXiv2013

Transformations of Spherical Blocks

We further explore the correspondence between N=2 supersymmetric SU(2) gauge theory with four flavors on epsilon-deformed backgrounds and conformal field theory, with an emphasis on the epsilon-expansion of the partition function natural from a topological string theory point of view. Solving an appropriate null vector decoupling equation in the semi-classical limit allows us to express the instanton partition function as a series in quasi-modular forms of the group Gamma(2), with the expected symmetry Weyl group of SO(8) semi-direct S_3. In the presence of an elementary surface operator, this symmetry is enhanced to an action of the affine Weyl group of SO(8) semi-direct S_4 on the instanton partition function, as we demonstrate via the link between the null vector decoupling equation and the quantum Painlevé VI equation.

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arXiv2013

Asymptotic symmetry groups and operator algebras

We associate vertex operators to space-time diffeomorphisms in flat space string theory, and compute their algebra, which is a diffeomorphism algebra with higher derivative corrections. As an application, we realize the asymptotic symmetry group BMS3 of three-dimensional flat space in terms of vertex operators on the string worldsheet. This provides an embedding of the BMS3 algebra in a consistent theory of quantum gravity. Higher derivative corrections vanish asymptotically. An appendix is dedicated to alpha prime corrected algebras in conformal field theory and string theory.

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arXiv2013

The toroidal block and the genus expansion

We study the correspondence between four-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories and two-dimensional conformal field theories in the case of N=2* gauge theory. We emphasize the genus expansion on the gauge theory side, as obtained via geometric engineering from the topological string. This point of view uncovers modular properties of the one-point conformal block on a torus with complexified intermediate momenta: in the large intermediate weight limit, it is a power series whose coefficients are quasi-modular forms. The all-genus viewpoint that the conformal field theory approach lends to the topological string yields insight into the analytic structure of the topological string partition function in the field theory limit.

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arXiv2013

Counting Strings, Wound and Bound

We analyze zero mode counting problems for Dirac operators that find their origin in string theory backgrounds. A first class of quantum mechanical models for which we compute the number of ground states arises from a string winding an isometric direction in a geometry, taking into account its energy due to tension. Alternatively, the models arise from deforming marginal bound states of a string winding a circle, and moving in an orthogonal geometry. After deformation, the number of bound states is again counted by the zero modes of a Dirac operator. We count these bound states in even dimensional asymptotically linear dilaton backgrounds as well as in Euclidean Taub-NUT. We show multiple pole behavior in the fugacities keeping track of a U(1) charge. We also discuss a second class of counting problems that arises when these backgrounds are deformed via the application of a heterotic duality transformation. We discuss applications of our results to Appell-Lerch sums and the counting of domain wall bound states.

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arXiv2012

Models for Modules

We recall the structure of the indecomposable sl(2) modules in the Bernstein-Gelfand-Gelfand category O. We show that all these modules can arise as quantized phase spaces of physical models. In particular, we demonstrate in a path integral discretization how a redefined action of the sl(2) algebra over the complex numbers can glue finite dimensional and infinite dimensional highest weight representations into indecomposable wholes. Furthermore, we discuss how projective cover representations arise in the tensor product of finite dimensional and Verma modules and give explicit tensor product decomposition rules. The tensor product spaces can be realized in terms of product path integrals. Finally, we discuss relations of our results to brane quantization and cohomological calculations in string theory.

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arXiv2012

Elliptic Genera of Non-compact Gepner Models and Mirror Symmetry

We consider tensor products of N=2 minimal models and non-compact conformal field theories with N=2 superconformal symmetry, and their orbifolds. The elliptic genera of these models give rise to a large and interesting class of real Jacobi forms. The tensor product of conformal field theories leads to a natural product on the space of completed mock modular forms. We exhibit families of non-compact mirror pairs of orbifold models with c=9 and show explicitly the equality of elliptic genera, including contributions from the long multiplet sector. The Liouville and cigar deformed elliptic genera transform into each other under the mirror transformation.

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arXiv2011

The AdS3 central charge in string theory

We evaluate the vacuum expectation value of the central charge operator in string theory in an AdS3 vacuum. Our calculation provides a rare non-zero one-point function on a spherical worldsheet. The evaluation involves the regularization both of a worldsheet ultraviolet divergence (associated to the infinite volume of the conformal Killing group), and a space-time infrared divergence (corresponding to the infinite volume of space-time). The two divergences conspire to give a finite result, which is the classical general relativity value for the central charge, corrected in bosonic string theory by an infinite series of tree level higher derivative terms.

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arXiv2011

The heterotic string at high temperature (or with strong supersymmetry breaking)

Perturbative heterotic string theory develops a single complex tachyonic mode beyond the Hagedorn temperature. We calculate the quartic effective potential for this tachyonic mode at the critical temperature. Equivalently, we determine the quartic effective potential for strong supersymmetric breaking via anti-perdiodic boundary conditions for fermions on a small circle. We give many details of the heterotic tachyon scattering amplitudes, including a unitarity check to fix all normalization constants. We discuss difficulties in obtaining an effective action valid at all radii. We argue that in certain variables, the quartic term in the potential is radius independent. Speculations on the properties of a new strongly curved phase that could occur after tachyon condensation are offered.

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arXiv2011

Massless particles on supergroups and AdS3 x S3 supergravity

Firstly, we study the state space of a massless particle on a supergroup with a reparameterization invariant action. After gauge fixing the reparameterization invariance, we compute the physical state space through the BRST cohomology and show that the quadratic Casimir Hamiltonian becomes diagonalizable in cohomology. We illustrate the general mechanism in detail in the example of a supergroup target GL(1|1). The space of physical states remains an indecomposable infinite dimensional representation of the space-time supersymmetry algebra. Secondly, we show how the full string BRST cohomology in the particle limit of string theory on AdS3 x S3 renders the quadratic Casimir diagonalizable, and reduces the Hilbert space to finite dimensional representations of the space-time supersymmetry algebra (after analytic continuation). Our analysis provides an efficient way to calculate the Kaluza-Klein spectrum for supergravity on AdS3 x S3. It may also be a step towards the identification of an interesting and simpler subsector of logarithmic supergroup conformal field theories, relevant to string theory.

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arXiv2011

A Twisted Non-compact Elliptic Genus

We give a detailed path integral derivation of the elliptic genus of a supersymmetric coset conformal field theory, further twisted by a global U(1) symmetry. It gives rise to a Jacobi form in three variables, which is the modular completion of a mock modular form. The derivation provides a physical interpretation to the non-holomorphic part as arising from a difference in spectral densities for the continuous part of the right-moving bosonic and fermionic spectrum. The spectral asymmetry can also be read off directly from the reflection amplitudes of the theory. By performing an orbifold, we show how our twisted elliptic genus generalizes an existing example.

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