Bounds on Operator Dimensions in 2D Conformal Field Theories

We extend the work of Hellerman (arxiv:0902.2790) to derive an upper bound on the conformal dimension $\Delta_2$ of the next-to-lowest nontrival primary operator in unitary two-dimensional conformal field theories without chiral primary operators. The bound we find is of the same form as found for $\Delta_1$: $\Delta_2 \leq c_{tot}/12 + O(1)$. We find a similar bound on the conformal dimension $\Delta_3$, and present a method for deriving bounds on $\Delta_n$ for any $n$, under slightly modified assumptions. For asymptotically large $c_{tot}$ and fixed $n$, we show that $\Delta_n \leq \frac{c_{tot}}{12}+O(1)$. We conclude with a brief discussion of the gravitational implications of these results.Comment: Corrected typos; revised arguments (adding detail) for clarity, results unchange

A counterexample to the a-'theorem'

The conclusion of the original paper was wrong, due to the incorrect assumption that the low-energy limit at the strongly-coupled point consists of a single, coupled SCFT. By taking into account the fact that the low-energy limit consists of multiple decoupled parts, it was later shown in arXiv:1011.4568 that there is no violation of the a-theorem in this system. Furthermore, the a-theorem itself was convincingly demonstrated in arXiv:1107.3987, and the argument presented there has been further refined. The rest of this paper is kept as it was, for some parts of the discussions might still be of interest. Original abstract: We exhibit a renormalization group flow for a four-dimensional gauge theory along which the conformal central charge 'a' increases. The flow connects the maximally superconformal point of an N=2 gauge theory with gauge group SU(N+1) and N_f=2N flavors in the ultraviolet, to a strongly-coupled superconformal point of the SU(N) gauge theory with N_f=2N massless flavors in the infrared. Our example does not contradict the proof of the a-theorem via a-maximization, due to the presence of accidental symmetries in the infrared limit. Nor does it contradict the holographic a-theorem, because these gauge theories do not possess weakly-curved holographic duals.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures. v3: The conclusion in the previous version was superseded. Please refer to the abstract for the detail

Skyrmions and Hall Transport

We derive a generalized set of Ward identities that captures the effects of topological charge on Hall transport. The Ward identities follow from the 2+1 dimensional momentum algebra, which includes a central extension proportional to the topological charge density. In the presence of topological objects like Skyrmions, we observe that the central term leads to a direct relation between the thermal Hall conductivity and the topological charge density. We extend this relation to incorporate the effects of a magnetic field and an electric current. The topological charge density produces a distinct signature in the electric Hall conductivity, which is identified in existing experimental data, and yields further novel predictions. For insulating materials with translation invariance, the Hall viscosity can be directly determined from the Skyrmion density and the thermal Hall conductivity to be measured as a function of momentum.Comment: 6+1 pages including Supplemental Material. Version to appear in Physical Review Letter

On Dumb Holes and their Gravity Duals

Inhomogeneous fluid flows which become supersonic are known to produce acoustic analogs of ergoregions and horizons. This leads to Hawking-like radiation of phonons with a temperature essentially given by the gradient of the velocity at the horizon. We find such acoustic dumb holes in charged conformal fluids and use the fluid-gravity correspondence to construct dual gravity solutions. A class of quasinormal modes around these gravitational backgrounds perceive a horizon. Upon quantization, this implies a thermal spectrum for these modes.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figure

Central charges of N=2 superconformal field theories in four dimensions

We present a general method for computing the central charges a and c of N=2 superconformal field theories corresponding to singular points in the moduli space of N=2 gauge theories. Our method relates a and c to the U(1)_R anomalies of the topologically twisted gauge theory. We evaluate these anomalies by studying the holomorphic dependence of the path integral measure on the moduli. We calculate a and c for superconformal points in a variety of gauge theories, including N=4 SU(N), N=2 pure SU(N) Yang-Mills, and USp(2N) with 1 massless antisymmetric and 4 massive fundamental hypermultiplets. In the latter case, we reproduce the conformal and flavor central charges previously calculated using the gravity duals of these gauge theories. For any SCFT in the class under consideration, we derive a previously conjectured expression for 2a-c in terms of the sum of the dimensions of operators parameterizing the Coulomb branch. Finally, we prove that the ratio a/c is bounded above by 5/4 and below by 1/2.Comment: 38 pages, 1 figure; v2: References added, a minor error corrected. Published versio