Supergravity dressing of beta-functions in N=1 and N=2 supersymmetric models

We discuss the dressing of one-loop sigma-model beta-functions by induced supergravity, for both N=1 and N=2 supersymmetric theories. We obtain exact results by a superconformal gauge argument, and verify them in the semi-classical limit by explicit perturbative calculations in the light-cone gauge. We find that for N=2 theories there is no dressing of the one-loop beta-functions.Comment: 10 pages, latex, macros included, 2 figures in figures.u

A Critical Behaviour of Anomalous Currents, Electric-Magnetic Universality and CFT_4

We discuss several aspects of superconformal field theories in four dimensions (CFT_4), in the context of electric-magnetic duality. We analyse the behaviour of anomalous currents under RG flow to a conformal fixed point in N=1, D=4 supersymmetric gauge theories. We prove that the anomalous dimension of the Konishi current is related to the slope of the beta function at the critical point. We extend the duality map to the (nonchiral) Konishi current. As a byproduct we compute the slope of the beta function in the strong coupling regime. We note that the OPE of $T_{\mu\nu}$ with itself does not close, but mixes with a special additional operator $\Sigma$ which in general is the Konishi current. We discuss the implications of this fact in generic interacting conformal theories. In particular, a SCFT_4 seems to be naturally equipped with a privileged off-critical deformation $\Sigma$ and this allows us to argue that electric-magnetic duality can be extended to a neighborhood of the critical point. We also stress that in SCFT_4 there are two central charges, c and c', associated with the stress tensor and $\Sigma$, respectively; c and c' allow us to count both the vector multiplet and the matter multiplet effective degrees of freedom of the theory.Comment: harvmac tex, 28 pages, 3 figures. Version to be published in Nucl. Phys.

Gravitational Dressing of N=2 Sigma-Models Beyond Leading Order

We study the beta-function of the N=2 sigma-model coupled to N=2 induced supergravity. We compute corrections to first order in the semiclassical limit, $c \to -\infty$, beyond one-loop in the matter fields. As compared to the corresponding bosonic, metric sigma-model calculation, we find new types of contributions arising from the dilaton coupling automatically accounted for, once the K\"ahler potential is coupled to N=2 supergravity.Comment: latex, 16 pages, 8 figure

Quantizing N=2 matter-supergravity systems

We consider $N=2$ supergravity coupled to $N=2$ Yang--Mills matter and discuss the nature of one--loop divergences. Using $N=1$ superfields and superspace methods, we describe the quantization of the system in the abelian case.Comment: 18 pages, late

Exact S-Matrices for Nonsimply-Laced Affine Toda Theories

We derive exact, factorized, purely elastic scattering matrices for affine Toda theories based on the nonsimply-laced Lie algebras and superalgebras.Comment: 38 page

Renormalization Group Flows in Sigma--Models Coupled to Two--Dimensional Dynamical Gravity

We consider a bosonic \s--model coupled to two--dimensional gravity. In the semiclassical limit, $c\rightarrow -\infty$, we compute the gravity dressing of the \b--functions at two--loop order in the matter fields. We find that the corrections due to the presence of dynamical gravity are {\em not} expressible simply in terms of a multiplicative factor as previously obtained at the one--loop level. Our result indicates that the critical points of the theory are nontrivially influenced and modified by the induced gravity.Comment: Latex file, 18 pages plus 7 figure

Nonperturbative Formulas for Central Functions of Supersymmetric Gauge Theories

For quantum field theories that flow between ultraviolet and infrared fixed points, central functions, defined from two-point correlators of the stress tensor and conserved currents, interpolate between central charges of the UV and IR critical theories. We develop techniques that allow one to calculate the flows of the central charges and that of the Euler trace anomaly coefficient in a general N=1 supersymmetric gauge theory. Exact, explicit formulas for $SU(N_c)$ gauge theories in the conformal window are given and analysed. The Euler anomaly coefficient always satisfies the inequality $$. This is new evidence in strongly coupled theories that this quantity satisfies a four-dimensional analogue of the $c$-theorem, supporting the idea of irreversibility of the RG flow. Various other implications are discussed.Comment: latex, 27 page

Perturbative Computation of Glueball Superpotentials

Using N=1 superspace techniques in four dimensions we show how to perturbatively compute the superpotential generated for the glueball superfield upon integrating out massive charged fields. The technique applies to arbitrary gauge groups and representations. Moreover we show that for U(N) gauge theories admitting a large N expansion the computation dramatically simplifies and we prove the validity of the recently proposed recipe for computation of this quantity in terms of planar diagrams of matrix integrals.Comment: 15 Pages, 2 Figure