Duality in Quantum Field Theory (and String Theory)

These lectures give an introduction to duality in Quantum Field Theory. We discuss the phases of gauge theories and the implications of the electric-magnetic duality transformation to describe the mechanism of confinement. We review the exact results of N=1 supersymmetric QCD and the Seiberg-Witten solution of N=2 super Yang-Mills. Some of its extensions to String Theory are also briefly discussed.Comment: 38 pages, 7 figures, LaTeX, revtex, two references added. Based on a lectures delivered by L. A.-G. at `The Workshop on Fundamental Particles and Interactions', held in Vanderbilt University, and CERN-La Plata-Santiago de Compostela School of Physics, both in May 199

More On Critical Collapse of Axion-Dilaton System in Dimension Four

We complete our previous study of critical gravitational collapse in the axion-dilaton system by analysing the hyperbolic and parabolic ans\"atze. As could be expected, the corresponding Choptuik exponents in four-dimensions differ from the elliptic case.Comment: 13 pages, Latex file, no figure,v2: to appear in JCA

Initial conditions for inflation and the energy scale of SUSY-breaking from the (nearly) gaussian sky

We show how general initial conditions for small field inflation can be obtained in multi-field models. This is provided by non-linear angular friction terms in the inflaton that provide a phase of non-slow-roll inflation before the slow-roll inflation phase. This in turn provides a natural mechanism to star small-field slow-roll at nearly zero velocity for arbitrary initial conditions. We also show that there is a relation between the scale of SUSY breaking sqrt (f) and the amount of non-gaussian fluctuations generated by the inflaton. In particular, we show that in the local non-gaussian shape there exists the relation sqrt (f) = 10^{13} GeV sqrt (f_NL). With current observational limits from Planck, and adopting the minimum amount of non-gaussian fluctuations allowed by single-field inflation, this provides a very tight constraint for the SUSY breaking energy scale sqrt (f) = 3-7 x 10^{13} GeV at 95% confidence. Further limits, or detection, from next year's Planck polarisation data will further tighten this constraint by a factor of two. We highlight that the key to our approach is to identify the inflaton with the scalar component of the goldstino superfield. This superfield is universal and implements the dynamics of SUSY breaking as well as superconformal breaking.Comment: Invited talk at the BW2013 meetin

Softly broken N=2 QCD

We analyze the possible soft breaking of N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with and without matter flavour preserving the analyticity properties of the Seiberg-Witten solution. We present the formalism for an arbitrary gauge group and obtain an exact expression for the effective potential. We describe in detail the onset of the confinement description and the vacuum structure for the pure SU(2) Yang-Mills case and also some general features in the SU(N) case. A general mass formula is obtained, as well as explicit results for the mass spectrum in the SU(2) case.We analyze the possible soft breaking of $N=2$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with and without matter flavour preserving the analyticity properties of the Seiberg-Witten solution. We present the formalism for an arbitrary gauge group and obtain an exact expression for the effective potential. We describe in detail the onset of the confinement description and the vacuum structure for the pure $SU(2)$ Yang-Mills case and also some general features in the $SU(N)$ case. A general mass formula is obtained, as well as explicit results for the mass spectrum in the $SU(2)$ case

Compensating strong coupling with large charge

We study some (conformal) field theories with global symmetries in the sector where the value of the global charge $Q$ is large. We find (as expected) that the low energy excitations of this sector are described by the general form of Goldstone's theorem in the non-relativistic regime. We also derive the unexpected result, first presented in [Hellerman et al. 2015], that the effective field theory describing such sector of fixed $Q$ contains effective couplings $\lambda_{\text{eff}}\sim \lambda^b /Q^{a}$, where $\lambda$ is the original coupling. Hence, large charge leads to weak coupling. In the last section of the paper we present an outline of how to compute anomalous dimensions of the $O(n)$ model in this limit.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures. Version accepted by JHE

Large Softly broken N=2 QCD

We analyze the possible soft breaking of $N=2$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with and without matter flavour preserving the analyticity properties of the Seiberg-Witten solution. For small supersymmetry breaking parameter with respect to the dynamical scale of the theory we obtain an exact expression for the effective potential. We describe in detail the onset of the confinement transition and some of the patterns of chiral symmetry breaking. If we extrapolate the results to the limit where supersymmetry decouples, we obtain hints indicating that perhaps a description of the QCD vacuum will require the use of Lagrangians containing simultaneously mutually non-local degrees of freedom (monopoles and dyons).Comment: 40 pages, LaTeX, 13 figures, uses epsf.st

Blackhole/String Transition for the Small Schwarzschild Blackhole of AdS5×S5AdS_5 \times S^5 and Critical Unitary Matrix Models

In this paper we discuss the blackhole-string transition of the small Schwarzschild blackhole of $AdS_5 \times S^5$ using the AdS/CFT correspondence at finite temperature. The finite temperature gauge theory effective action, at weak {\it and} strong coupling, can be expressed entirely in terms of constant Polyakov lines which are $SU (N)$ matrices. In showing this we have taken into account that there are no Nambu-Goldstone modes associated with the fact that the 10 dimensional blackhole solution sits at a point in $S^5$. We show that the phase of the gauge theory in which the eigenvalue spectrum has a gap corresponds to supergravity saddle points in the bulk theory. We identify the third order $N = \infty$ phase transition with the blackhole-string transition. This singularity can be resolved using a double scaling limit in the transition region where the large N expansion is organized in terms of powers of $N^{-2/3}$. The $N = \infty$ transition now becomes a smooth crossover in terms of a renormalized string coupling constant, reflecting the physics of large but finite N. Multiply wound Polyakov lines condense in the crossover region. We also discuss the implications of our results for the resolution of the singularity of the Lorenztian section of the small Schwarzschild blackhole.Comment: 44 pages, Minor changes,the submitted version in the journa

Aspects of Quadratic Gravity

We discuss quadratic gravity where terms quadratic in the curvature tensor are included in the action. After reviewing the corresponding field equations, we analyze in detail the physical propagating modes in some specific backgrounds. First we confirm that the pure $R^2$ theory is indeed ghost free. Then we point out that for flat backgrounds the pure $R^2$ theory propagates only a scalar massless mode and no spin-two tensor mode. However, the latter emerges either by expanding the theory around curved backgrounds like de Sitter or anti-de Sitter, or by changing the long-distance dynamics by introducing the standard Einstein term. In both cases, the theory is modified in the infrared and a propagating graviton is recovered. Hence we recognize a subtle interplay between the UV and IR properties of higher order gravity. We also calculate the corresponding Newton's law for general quadratic curvature theories. Finally, we discuss how quadratic actions may be obtained from a fundamental theory like string- or M-theory. We demonstrate that string theory on non-compact $CY_3$ manifolds, like a line bundle over $\mathbb{CP}^2$, may indeed lead to gravity dynamics determined by a higher curvature action.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figures, revised version contains additional references plus corrected typo

Einstein y la Geometria

This is a semipopular introduction to the Special and General Theory of Relativity, with special emphasis on the geometrical aspects of both theories and their physical implications.Comment: In Spanish, 20 pages. LaTeX, 8 figures. To appear in the Einstein Special Issue of "Revista Espanola de Fisica