arXiv subjects

Monica Jinwoo Kang

Publications and source records attributed to Monica Jinwoo Kang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Operator spectroscopy for 4d SCFTs with a=c

We study a rich set of four-dimensional superconformal field theories (SCFTs) with both central charges identical: $a = c$. These are constructed via the diagonal $\mathcal{N}=2$ or $\mathcal{N}=1$ gauging of the flavor symmetry $G$ of a collection of $\mathcal{N}=2$ Argyres-Douglas theories of type $\mathcal{D}_p(G)$, with or without adjoint chiral multiplets, in arXiv:2106.12579 and arXiv:2111.12092. We compute superconformal indices of some theories where the rank of $G$ is low, performing a refined test for unitarity, and further determine the relevant and marginal operator content in detail. We find that most of these theories flow to interacting SCFTs with $a=c$ in the infrared.

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arXiv2022

Higgs, Coulomb, and Hall-Littlewood

The Higgs branch of 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFTs can be analyzed via the Hilbert series of the Higgs branch or, in special cases, by computing the Hall-Littlewood index. For any class $\mathcal{S}$ theory corresponding to a genus-zero Riemann surface, they are conjectured to be identical. We present several families of counterexamples. We find that for any class $\mathcal{S}$ theory with four or more $\mathbb{Z}_2$-twisted punctures, they do not match. We construct 3d mirrors for such theories and analyze their Coulomb branch Hilbert series to compute the Higgs branch Hilbert series of the 4d theory. We further construct $a=c$ theories in class $\mathcal{S}$ using the twisted punctures, and these theories, which includes the $\hat{D}_4(SU(2n+1))$ theories, have Hall--Littlewood index different from the Hilbert series of the Higgs branch. We conjecture that this is the case for all $a=c$ theories with non-empty Higgs branch, including $\mathcal{N}\ge 3$ SCFTs.

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arXiv2022

A universal formula for the density of states with continuous symmetry

We consider a $d$-dimensional unitary conformal field theory with a compact Lie group global symmetry $G$ and show that, at high temperature $T$ and on a compact Cauchy surface, the probability of a randomly chosen state being in an irreducible unitary representation $R$ of $G$ is proportional to $(\operatorname{dim}R)^2\,\exp[-c_2(R)/(b\, T^{d-1})]$. We use the spurion analysis to derive this formula and relate the constant $b$ to a domain wall tension. We also verify it for free field theories and holographic conformal field theories and compute $b$ in these cases. This generalizes the result in arXiv:2109.03838 that the probability is proportional to $(\operatorname{dim}R)^2$ when $G$ is a finite group. As a by-product of this analysis, we clarify thermodynamical properties of black holes with non-abelian hair in anti-de Sitter space.

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arXiv2021

Nonperturbative gravity corrections to bulk reconstruction

We introduce a new algebraic framework for understanding nonperturbative gravitational aspects of bulk reconstruction with a finite or infinite-dimensional boundary Hilbert space. We use relative entropy equivalence between bulk and boundary with an inclusion of nonperturbative gravitational errors, which give rise to approximate recovery. We utilize the privacy/correctability correspondence to prove that the reconstruction wedge, the intersection of all entanglement wedges in pure and mixed states, manifestly satisfies bulk reconstruction. We explicitly demonstrate that local operators in the reconstruction wedge of a given boundary region can be recovered in a state-independent way for arbitrarily large code subspaces, up to nonperturbative errors in $G_N$. We further discuss state-dependent recovery beyond the reconstruction wedge and the use of the twirled Petz map as a universal recovery channel. We discuss our setup in the context of quantum islands and the information paradox.

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arXiv2021

Infinitely many 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFTs with $a=c$ and beyond

We study a set of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal field theories (SCFTs) $\widehatΓ(G)$ labeled by a pair of simply-laced Lie groups $Γ$ and $G$. They are constructed out of gauging a number of $\mathcal{D}_p(G)$ and $(G, G)$ conformal matter SCFTs; therefore they do not have Lagrangian descriptions in general. For $Γ= D_4, E_6, E_7, E_8$ and some special choices of $G$, the resulting theories have identical central charges $(a=c)$ without taking any large $N$ limit. Moreover, we find that the Schur indices for such theories can be written in terms of that of $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang--Mills theory upon rescaling fugacities. Especially, we find that the Schur index of $\widehat{D}_4(SU(N))$ theory for $N$ odd is written in terms of MacMahon's generalized sum-of-divisor function, which is quasi-modular. For generic choices of $Γ$ and $G$, it can be regarded as a generalization of the affine quiver gauge theory obtained from $D3$-branes probing an ALE singularity of type $Γ$. We also comment on a tantalizing connection regarding the theories labeled by $Γ$ in the Deligne--Cvitanović exceptional series.

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arXiv2020

Matter representations from geometry: under the spell of Dynkin

In the traditional Katz-Vafa method, matter representations are determined by decomposing the adjoint representation of a parent simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{m}$ as the direct sum of irreducible representations of a semisimple subalgebra $\mathfrak{g}$. The Katz-Vafa method becomes ambiguous as soon as $\mathfrak{m}$ contains several subalgebras isomorphic to $\mathfrak{g}$ but giving different decompositions of the adjoint representation. We propose a selection rule that characterizes the matter representations observed in generic constructions in F-theory and M-theory: the matter representations in generic F-theory compactifications correspond to linear equivalence classes of subalgebras $\mathfrak{g}\subset \mathfrak{m}$ with Dynkin index one along each simple components of $\mathfrak{g}$. This simple yet elegant selection rule allows us to apply the Katz-Vafa method to a much large class of models. We illustrate on numerous examples how this proposal streamlines the derivation of matter representations in F-theory and resolves previously ambiguous cases.

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arXiv2020

Holographic baby universes: an observable story

We formulate the baby universe construction rigorously by giving a primordial role to the algebra of observables of quantum gravity rather than the Hilbert space. Utilizing diffeomorphism invariance, we study baby universe creation and annihilation via change in topology. We then construct the algebra of boundary observables for holographic theories and show that it enhances to contain an 'extra' Abelian tensor factor to describe the bulk in the quantum regime; via the gravitational path integral we realize this extra tensor factor, at the level of the Hilbert space, in the context of the GNS representation. We reformulate the necessary assumptions for the "baby universe hypothesis" using the GNS representation. When the baby universe hypothesis is satisfied, we demonstrate that the "miraculous cancellations" in the corresponding gravitational path integral have a natural explanation in terms of the character theory of Abelian $C^\ast$-algebras. We find the necessary and sufficient mathematical condition for the baby universe hypothesis to hold, and transcribe it into sufficient physical conditions. We find that they are incompatible with a baby universe formation that is influenced by any bulk process from the AdS/CFT correspondence. We illustrate our construction by applying it to two settings, which leads to a re-interpretion of some topological models of gravity, and to draw an analogy with the topological vacua of gauge theory.

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arXiv2020

Thermal states are vital: Entanglement Wedge Reconstruction from Operator-Pushing

We give a general construction of a setup that verifies bulk reconstruction, conservation of relative entropies, and equality of modular flows between the bulk and the boundary, for infinite-dimensional systems with operator-pushing. In our setup, a bulk-to-boundary map is defined at the level of the $C^*$-algebras of state-independent observables. We then show that if the boundary dynamics allow for the existence of a KMS state, physically relevant Hilbert spaces and von Neumann algebras can be constructed directly from our framework. Our construction should be seen as a state-dependent construction of the other side of a wormhole and clarifies the meaning of black hole reconstruction claims such as the Papadodimas-Raju proposal. As an illustration, we apply our result to construct a wormhole based on the HaPPY code, which satisfies all properties of entanglement wedge reconstruction.

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arXiv2020

The infinite-dimensional HaPPY code: entanglement wedge reconstruction and dynamics

We construct an infinite-dimensional analog of the HaPPY code as a growing series of stabilizer codes defined respective to their Hilbert spaces. The Hilbert spaces are related by isometric maps, which we define explicitly. We construct a Hamiltonian that is compatible with the infinite-dimensional HaPPY code and further study the stabilizer of our code, which has an inherent fractal structure. We use this result to study the dynamics of the code and map a nontrivial bulk Hamiltonian to the boundary. We find that the image of the mapping is scale invariant, but does not create any long-range entanglement in the boundary, therefore failing to reproduce the features of a CFT. This result shows the limits of the HaPPY code as a model of the AdS/CFT correspondence, but also hints that the relevance of quantum error correction in quantum gravity may not be limited to the CFT context.

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arXiv2019

Holographic Relative Entropy in Infinite-dimensional Hilbert Spaces

We reformulate entanglement wedge reconstruction in the language of operator-algebra quantum error correction with infinite-dimensional physical and code Hilbert spaces. Von Neumann algebras are used to characterize observables in a boundary subregion and its entanglement wedge. Assuming that the infinite-dimensional von Neumann algebras associated with an entanglement wedge and its complement may both be reconstructed in their corresponding boundary subregions, we prove that the relative entropies measured with respect to the bulk and boundary observables are equal. We also prove the converse: when the relative entropies measured in an entanglement wedge and its complement equal the relative entropies measured in their respective boundary subregions, entanglement wedge reconstruction is possible. Along the way, we show that the bulk and boundary modular operators act on the code subspace in the same way. For holographic theories with a well-defined entanglement wedge, this result provides a well-defined notion of holographic relative entropy.

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arXiv2019

Entanglement Wedge Reconstruction of Infinite-dimensional von Neumann Algebras using Tensor Networks

Quantum error correcting codes with finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces have yielded new insights on bulk reconstruction in AdS/CFT. In this paper, we give an explicit construction of a quantum error correcting code where the code and physical Hilbert spaces are infinite-dimensional. We define a von Neumann algebra of type II$_1$ acting on the code Hilbert space and show how it is mapped to a von Neumann algebra of type II$_1$ acting on the physical Hilbert space. This toy model demonstrates the equivalence of entanglement wedge reconstruction and the exact equality of bulk and boundary relative entropies in infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces.

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arXiv2019

The Geometry of G$_2$, Spin(7), and Spin(8)-models

We study the geometry of elliptic fibrations given by Weierstrass models resulting from Step 6 of Tate's algorithm. Such elliptic fibrations have a discriminant locus containing an irreducible component $S$, over which the generic fiber is of Kodaira type I$^*_0$. In string geometry, these geometries are used to geometrically engineer G$_2$, Spin($7$), and Spin($8$) gauge theories. We give sufficient conditions for the existence of crepant resolutions. When they exist, we give a complete description of all crepant resolutions and show explicitly how the network of flops matches the Coulomb branch of the associated gauge theories. We also compute the triple intersection numbers in each chamber. Physically, they correspond to the Chern-Simons levels of the gauge theory and depend on the choice of a Coulomb branch. We determine the representations associated with these elliptic fibrations by computing intersection numbers with fibral divisors and then interpreting them as weights of a representation. For a five-dimensional gauge theory, we compute the number of hypermultiplets in each representation by matching the triple intersection numbers with the superpotential of the theory. We also discuss anomaly cancellations of a six-dimensional supergravity theory obtained by a compactification of F-theory on an elliptically fibered Calabi--Yau threefold corresponding to a G$_2$, Spin($7$), or Spin($8$) gauge theory.

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arXiv2019

The Geometry of the SU(2)$\times$ G$_2$-model

We study elliptic fibrations that geometrically engineer an SU(2)$\times$ G$_2$ gauge theory realized by Weierstrass model for the collision III+$\text{I}_0^{*\text{ns}}$. We construct the four possible crepant resolutions of such a Weierstrass model and show that they form a chain of four minimal models connected by flops. We compute the generating function for the Euler characteristic of these crepant resolutions. In the case of a Calabi-Yau threefold, we consider the compactification of M-theory and F-theory on an SU(2)$\times$ G$_2$-model to a five and six-dimensional supergravity with eight supercharges. By matching each crepant resolution with each Coulomb chamber of the five-dimensional theory, we determine the number of multiplets and compute the prepotential in each Coulomb chamber. In particular, we discuss counting number of hypermultiplets in presence of singularities. We discuss in detail the cancellation of anomalies of the six-dimensional theory.

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arXiv2019

Euler Characteristics of Crepant Resolutions of Weierstrass Models

Based on an identity of Jacobi, we prove a simple formula that computes the pushforward of analytic functions of the exceptional divisor of a blowup of a projective variety along a smooth complete intersection with normal crossing. We apply this pushforward formula to derive generating functions for Euler characteristics of crepant resolutions of singular Weierstrass models given by Tate's algorithm. Since these Euler characteristics depend only on the sequence of blowups and not on the Kodaira fiber itself, nor the associated group, several distinct Tate models have the same Euler characteristic. In the case of elliptic Calabi-Yau threefolds, we also compute the Hodge numbers. For elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau fourfolds, our results also prove a conjecture of Blumenhagen-Grimm-Jurke-Weigand based on F-theory/heterotic string duality.

math.AG↗

arXiv2019

48 Crepant Paths to $\text{SU}(2)\!\times\!\text{SU}(3)$

We study crepant resolutions of Weierstrass models of $\text{SU}(2)\!\times\!\text{SU}(3)$-models, whose gauge group describes the non-abelian sector of the Standard Model. The $\text{SU}(2)\!\times\!\text{SU}(3)$-models are elliptic fibrations characterized by the collision of two Kodaira fibers with dual graphs that are affine Dynkin diagrams of type $\widetilde{\text{A}}_1$ and $\widetilde{\text{A}}_2$. Once we eliminate those collisions that do not have crepant resolutions, we are left with six distinct collisions that are related to each other by deformations. Each of these six collisions has eight distinct crepant resolutions whose flop diagram is a hexagon with two legs attached to two adjacent nodes. Hence, we consider 48 distinct resolutions that are connected to each other by deformations and flops. We determine topological invariants---such as Euler characteristics, Hodge numbers, and triple intersections of fibral divisors---for each of the crepant resolutions. We analyze the physics of these fibrations when used as compactifications of M-theory and F-theory on Calabi--Yau threefolds yielding 5d ${\mathcal N}=1$ and 6d ${\mathcal N}=(1,0)$ supergravity theories respectively. We study the 5d prepotential in the Coulomb branch of the theory and check that the six-dimensional theory is anomaly-free and compatible with a 6d uplift from a 5d theory.

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arXiv2018

Characteristic numbers of elliptic fibrations with non-trivial Mordell-Weil groups

We compute characteristic numbers of elliptically fibered fourfolds with multisections or non-trivial Mordell-Weil groups. We first consider the models of type E$_{9-d}$ with $d=1,2,3,4$ whose generic fibers are normal elliptic curves of degree $d$. We then analyze the characteristic numbers of the $Q_7$-model, which provides a smooth model for elliptic fibrations of rank one and generalizes the E$_5$, E$_6$, and E$_7$-models. Finally, we examine the characteristic numbers of $G$-models with $G=\text{SO}(n)$ with $n=3,4,5,6$ and $G=\text{PSU}(3)$ whose Mordell-Weil groups are respectively $\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}$ and $\mathbb{Z}/3 \mathbb{Z}$. In each case, we compute the Chern and Pontryagin numbers, the Euler characteristic, the holomorphic genera, the Todd-genus, the L-genus, the A-genus, and the eight-form curvature invariant from M-theory.

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arXiv2018

Characteristic numbers of crepant resolutions of Weierstrass models

We compute characteristic numbers of crepant resolutions of Weierstrass models corresponding to elliptically fibered fourfolds $Y$ dual in F-theory to a gauge theory with gauge group $G$. In contrast to the case of fivefolds, Chern and Pontryagin numbers of fourfolds are invariant under crepant birational maps. It follows that Chern and Pontryagin numbers are independent on a choice of a crepant resolution. We present the results for the Euler characteristic, the holomorphic genera, the Todd-genus, the $L$-genus, the $\hat{A}$-genus, and the curvature invariant $X_8$ that appears in M-theory. We also show that certain characteristic classes are independent on the choice of the Kodaria fiber characterizing the group $G$. That is the case of $\int_Y c_1^2 c_2$, the arithmetic genus, and the $\hat{A}$-genus. Thus, it is enough to know $\int_Y c_2^2$ and the Euler characteristic $χ(Y)$ to determine all the Chern numbers of an elliptically fibered fourfold. We consider the cases of $G=$ SU($n$) for ($n=2,3,4,5,6,7$), USp($4$), Spin($7$), Spin($8$), Spin($10$), G$_2$, F$_4$, E$_6$, E$_7$, or E$_8$.

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arXiv2018

Flopping and Slicing: SO(4) and Spin(4)-models

We study the geometric engineering of gauge theories with gauge group Spin(4) and SO(4) using crepant resolutions of Weierstrass models. The corresponding elliptic fibrations realize a collision of singularities corresponding to two fibers with dual graph the affine $A_1$ Dynkin diagram. There are eight different ways to engineer such collisions using decorated Kodaira fibers. The Mordell-Weil group of the elliptic fibration is required to be trivial for Spin(4) and Z/2Z for SO(4). Each of these models have two possible crepant resolutions connected by a flop. We also compute a generating function for the Euler characteristic of such elliptic fibrations over a base of arbitrary dimensions. In the case of a threefold, we also compute the triple intersection numbers of the fibral divisors. In the case of Calabi-Yau threefolds, we also compute their Hodge numbers, and check the cancellations of anomalies in a six-dimensional supergravity theory.

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