Superconformal index for large N quiver Chern-Simons theories

We investigate the N=2 superconformal index for supersymmetric quiver Chern-Simons theories with large N gauge groups. After general arguments about the large N limit, we compute the first few terms in the series expansion of the index for theories proposed as dual theories to homogeneous spaces V^{5,2}, Q^{1,1,1}, Q^{2,2,2}, M^{1,1,1}, and N^{0,1,0}. We confirm that the indices have symmetries expected from the isometries of dual manifolds.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures; v2: typos corrected, Sec.6 modified; v3: explanation improved, minor corrections, version published in JHE

Scattering Amplitude and Bosonization Duality in General Chern-Simons Vector Models

We present exact large N calculus of four point function in general Chern-Simons bosonic and fermionic vector models. Applying the LSZ formula to the four point function we determine two body scattering amplitudes in these theories taking a special care for a non-analytic term to achieve unitarity in the singlet channel. We show that the S-matrix enjoys the bosonization duality, unusual crossing relation and non-relativistic reduction to Aharonov-Bohm scattering. We also argue that the S-matrix develops a pole in a certain range of coupling constants, which disappears in the range where the theory reduces to Chern-Simons theory interacting with free fermions.Comment: 1+28 pages, 5 figures, v2: minor correction

Degenerate vacua as the origin of the dark energy

I propose a new mechanism to account for the observed tiny but finite dark energy in terms of a non-Abelian Higgs theory, which has infinitely many perturbative vacua characterized by a winding number, in the framework of inflationary cosmology without introducing any tiny numbers.Comment: To be published in Proc. the XVIIIth IAP meeting "On the Nature of Dark Energy.