Superfield theories on S 3 and their localization

We consider the superfield formulation of supersymmetric gauge and matter field theories on a three-dimensional sphere with rigid $\mathcal{N}$ = 2 supersymmetry, as well as with $\mathcal{N}$ > 2. The construction is based on a supercoset SU(2 | 1)/U(1) containing S 3 as the bosonic subspace. We derive an explicit form of SU(2 | 1)/U(1) supervielbein and covariant derivatives, and use them to construct classical superfield actions for gauge and matter supermultiplets in this superbackground. We then apply superfield methods for computing one-loop partition functions of these theories and demonstrate how the localization technique works directly in the superspace

Order and anarchy hand in hand in 5D SO(10)

We update a five-dimensional SO(10) grand unified model of fermion masses and mixing angles originally proposed by Kitano and Li. In our setup Yukawa couplings are anarchical and quark and lepton sectors are diversified by the profiles of the fermion zero modes in the extra dimension. The breaking of SO(10) down to SU(5)×U(1) X provides the key parameter that distinguishes the profiles of the different SU(5) components inside the same 16 representation. With respect to the original version of the model, we extend the Higgs sector to explicitly solve the doublet-triplet splitting problem through the missing partner mechanism and we perform a fit to an idealized set of data. By scanning the Yukawa couplings of the model we find that, for large tan β , both normal and inverted ordered neutrino spectrum can be accommodated. However, while the case of inverted order requires a severe fine tuning of the Yukawa parameters, the normal ordering is compatible with an anarchical distribution of Yukawa couplings. Thus, in a natural portion of the parameter space, the model predicts a normal ordered neutrino spectrum, the lightest neutrino mass below 5 meV, and | m ββ | in the range 0.1-5 meV. No particular preference is found for the Dirac CP phase in the lepton sector while the right-handed neutrino masses are too small to explain the baryon asymmetry of the universe through thermal leptogenesis

Uplifting non-compact gauged supergravities

We provide the M-theory uplift of de Sitter vacua of SO(5,3) and SO(4,4) gaugings of maximal supergravity in 4 dimensions. We find new non-compact backgrounds that are squashed hyperboloids with non-trivial flux for the 3-form potential. The uplift requires a new non-linear ansatz for the 11-dimensional metric and for the 3-form potential that reduces to the known one leading to the 7-sphere solution in the case of the SO(8) gauging

On sgoldstino-less supergravity models of inflation

We go a step further in the search for a consistent and realistic supergravity model of large-field inflation by building a class of models with the following features: during slow-roll, all the scalar fields other than the inflaton are frozen by large inflatondependent masses or removed from the spectrum; at the end of inflation, supersymmetry is spontaneously broken with naturally vanishing classical vacuum energy. We achieve this by combining some geometrical properties of the Kähler potential with the consistent use of a single nilpotent chiral superfield, in one-to-one correspondence with the supersymmetrybreaking direction in field space at the vacuum

Beyond the minimal top partner decay

Light top partners are the prime sign of naturalness in composite Higgs models. We explore here the possibility of non-standard top partner phenomenology. We show that even in the simplest extension of the minimal composite Higgs model, featuring an extra singlet pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson, the branching ratios of the top partners into standard channels can be significantly altered, with no substantial change in the generated Higgs potential. Together with the variety of possible final states from the decay of the pseudo-scalar singlet, this motivates more extensive analyses in the search for the top partners

T-duality revisited

We revisit the transformation rules of the metric and Kalb-Ramond field under T-duality, and express the corresponding relations in terms of the metric G and the field strength H = dB . In the course of the derivation, we find an explanation for potential reductions of the isometry group in the dual background. The formalism employed in this paper is illustrated with examples based on tori and spheres, where for the latter we construct a new non-geometric background

An Equivalent Gauge and the Equivalence Theorem

I describe a novel covariant formulation of massive gauge theories in which the longitudinal polarization vectors do not grow with the energy. Therefore in the present formalism, differently from the ordinary one, the energy and coupling power-counting is completely transparent at the level of individual Feynman diagrams, with obvious advantages both at the conceptual and practical level

Wilson loops on Riemann surfaces, Liouville theory and covariantization of the conformal group

The covariantization procedure is usually referred to the translation operator, that is the derivative. Here we introduce a general method to covariantize arbitrary differential operators, such as the ones defining the fundamental group of a given manifold. We focus on the differential operators representing the sl 2 (ℝ) generators, which in turn, generate, by exponentiation, the two-dimensional conformal transformations. A key point of our construction is the recent result on the closed forms of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula. In particular, our covariantization receipt is quite general. This has a deep consequence since it means that the covariantization of the conformal group is always definite . Our covariantization receipt is quite general and apply in general situations, including AdS/CFT. Here we focus on the projective unitary representations of the fundamental group of a Riemann surface, which may include elliptic points and punctures, introduced in the framework of noncommutative Riemann surfaces. It turns out that the covariantized conformal operators are built in terms of Wilson loops around Poincaré geodesics, implying a deep relationship between gauge theories on Riemann surfaces and Liouville theory

Warping the Kähler potential of F-theory/IIB flux compactifications

We identify the low-energy Kähler potential of warped F-theory/IIB flux compactifications whose light spectrum includes universal, Kähler, axionic and mobile D3-brane moduli. The derivation is based on four-dimensional local superconformal symmetry and holomorphy of brane instanton contributions and it reproduces and generalises previous partial results. We compute the resulting kinetic terms, which show their explicit dependence on the warping. The Kähler potential satisfies the no-scale condition and produces, at leading order in the large volume expansion, a specific correction to the unwarped Kähler potential

Topological duality twist and brane instantons in F-theory

A variant of the topological twist, involving SL(2, ℤ) dualities and hence named topological duality twist, is introduced and explicitly applied to describe a U(1) N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory on a Kähler space with holomorphically space-dependent coupling. Three-dimensional duality walls and two-dimensional chiral theories naturally enter the formulation of the duality twisted theory. Appropriately generalized, this theory is relevant for the study of Euclidean D3-brane instantons in F-theory compactifications. Some of its properties and implications are discussed