arXiv subjects

Philip C. Argyres

Publications and source records attributed to Philip C. Argyres.

64 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv1995

The Vacuum Structure of N=2 SuperQCD with Classical Gauge Groups

We determine the vacuum structure of N=2 supersymmetric QCD with fundamental quarks for gauge groups SO(n) and Sp(2n), extending prior results for SU(n). The solutions are all given in terms of families of hyperelliptic Riemann surfaces of genus equal to the rank of the gauge group. In the scale invariant cases, the solutions all have exact S-dualities which act on the couplings by subgroups of PSL(2,Z) and on the masses by outer automorphisms of the flavor symmetry. They are shown to reproduce the complete pattern of symmetry breaking on the Coulomb branch and predict the correct weak--coupling monodromies. Simple breakings with squark vevs provide further consistency checks involving strong--coupling physics.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Curves of Marginal Stability in N=2 Super-QCD

We present a simple argument determining the shape of the curves of marginal stability in the N=2 supersymmetric SU(2) QCD with less than 4 massless flavors. The argument relies only on the modular properties of $a_D/a$ and its weak-coupling behavior.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

New Phenomena in SU(3) Supersymmetric Gauge Theory

We show that four-dimensional N=2 supersymmetric SU(n) gauge theory for n>2 necessarily contains vacua with mutually non-local massless dyons, using only analyticity of the effective action and the weak coupling limit of the moduli space of vacua. A specific example is the Z_3 point in the exact solution for SU(3), and we study its effective Lagrangian. We propose that the low-energy theory at this point is an N=2 superconformal U(1) gauge theory containing both electrically and magnetically charged massless hypermultiplets.

hep-th↗

arXiv1994

The Vacuum Structure and Spectrum of N=2 Supersymmetric SU(N) Gauge Theory

We present an exact description of the metric on the moduli space of vacua and the spectrum of massive states for four dimensional N=2 supersymmetric SU(n) gauge theories. The moduli space of quantum vacua is identified with the moduli space of a special set of genus n-1 hyperelliptic Riemann surfaces.

hep-th↗

arXiv1993

Tree scattering amplitudes of the spin-4/3 fractional superstring II: the twisted sectors

The spin-4/3 fractional superstring is characterized by a world-sheet chiral algebra involving spin-4/3 currents. The discussion of the tree-level scattering amplitudes of this theory presented in hepth/9310131 is expanded to include amplitudes containing two twisted-sector states. These amplitudes are shown to satisfy spurious state decoupling. The restriction to only two external twisted-sector states is due to the absence of an appropriate dimension-one vertex describing the emission of a single twisted-sector state. This is analogous to the ``old covariant'' formalism of ordinary superstring amplitudes in which an appropriate dimension-one vertex for the emission of a Ramond-sector state is lacking. Examples of tree scattering amplitudes are calculated in a c=5 model of the spin-4/3 chiral algebra realized in terms of free bosons on the string world-sheet. The target space of this model is three-dimensional flat Minkowski space-time and the twisted-sector physical states are fermions in space-time. Since the critical central charge of the spin-4/3 fractional superstring theory is 10, this c=5 model is not consistent at the string loop level.

hep-th↗

arXiv1993

Tree scattering amplitudes of the spin-4/3 fractional superstring I: the untwisted sectors

Scattering amplitudes of the spin-4/3 fractional superstring are shown to satisfy spurious state decoupling and cyclic symmetry (duality) at tree-level in the string perturbation expansion. This fractional superstring is characterized by the spin-4/3 fractional superconformal algebra---a parafermionic algebra studied by Zamolodchikov and Fateev involving chiral spin-4/3 currents on the world-sheet in addition to the stress-energy tensor. Examples of tree scattering amplitudes are calculated in an explicit c=5 representation of this fractional superconformal algebra realized in terms of free bosons on the string world-sheet. The target space of this model is three-dimensional flat Minkowski space-time with a level-2 Kac-Moody so(2,1) internal symmetry, and has bosons and fermions in its spectrum. Its closed string version contains a graviton in its spectrum. Tree-level unitarity (i.e., the no-ghost theorem for space-time bosonic physical states) can be shown for this model. Since the critical central charge of the spin-4/3 fractional superstring theory is 10, this c=5 representation cannot be consistent at the string loop level. The existence of a critical fractional superstring containing a four-dimensional space-time remains an open question.

hep-th↗

arXiv1993

Central Charge Reduction and Spacetime Statistics in the Fractional Superstring

Fractional superstrings in the tensor-product formulation experience ``internal projections'' which reduce their effective central charges. Simple expressions for the characters of the resulting effective worldsheet theory are found. All states in the effective theory can be consistently assigned definite spacetime statistics. The projection to the effective theory is shown to be described by the action of a dimension-three current in the original tensor-product theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv1992

Construction of the K=8 Fractional Superconformal Algebras

We construct the K=8 fractional superconformal algebras. There are two such extended Virasoro algebras, one of which was constructed earlier, involving a fractional spin (equivalently, conformal dimension) 6/5 current. The new algebra involves two additional fractional spin currents with spin 13/5. Both algebras are non-local and satisfy non-abelian braiding relations. The construction of the algebras uses the isomorphism between the Z_8 parafermion theory and the tensor product of two tricritical Ising models. For the special value of the central charge c=52/55, corresponding to the eighth member of the unitary minimal series, the 13/5 currents of the new algebra decouple, while two spin 23/5 currents (level-2 current algebra descendants of the 13/5 currents) emerge. In addition, it is shown that the K=8 algebra involving the spin 13/5 currents at central charge c=12/5 is the appropriate algebra for the construction of the K=8 (four-dimensional) fractional superstring.

hep-th↗

arXiv1992

New Jacobi-Like Identities for Z_k Parafermion Characters

We state and prove various new identities involving the Z_K parafermion characters (or level-K string functions) for the cases K=4, K=8, and K=16. These identities fall into three classes: identities in the first class are generalizations of the famous Jacobi theta-function identity (which is the K=2 special case), identities in another class relate the level K>2 characters to the Dedekind eta-function, and identities in a third class relate the K>2 characters to the Jacobi theta-functions. These identities play a crucial role in the interpretation of fractional superstring spectra by indicating spacetime supersymmetry and aiding in the identification of the spacetime spin and statistics of fractional superstring states.

hep-th↗

arXiv1991

Fractional Superstrings with Space-Time Critical Dimensions Four and Six

We propose possible new string theories based on local world-sheet symmetries corresponding to extensions of the Virasoro algebra by fractional spin currents. They have critical central charges $c=6(K+8)/(K+2)$ and Minkowski space-time dimensions $D=2+16/K$ for $K\geq2$ an integer. We present evidence for their existence by constructing modular invariant partition functions and the massless particle spectra. The dimension $4$ and $6$ strings have space-time supersymmetry.

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