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arXiv · 0910.1245

Conformality or confinement (II): One-flavor CFTs and mixed-representation QCD

Erich Poppitz·Mithat Unsal
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Abstract

We study QCD-like four dimensional theories in the theoretically controlled framework of deformation theory and/or twisted partition function on S*1 x R*3. By using duality, we show that a class of one-flavor theories exhibit new physical phenomena: discrete chiral symmetry breaking induced by the condensation of topological disorder operators, and confinement and the generation of mass gap due to new non-selfdual topological excitations. In the R*4 limit, we argue that the mass gap disappears, the chiral symmetry breaking vacua are of runaway type, and the theory flows to a CFT. We also study mixed-representation theories and find abelian chiral symmetry breaking by topological operators charged under abelian chiral symmetries. These are reminiscent to, but distinct, from Seiberg-Witten theory with matter, where 4d monopoles have non-abelian chiral charge. This examination also helps us refine our recent bounds on the conformal window. In an Addendum, we also discuss mixed vectorlike/chiral representation theories, obtain bounds on their conformal windows, and compare with the all-order beta function results of arXiv:0911.0931.

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Erich Poppitz, Mithat Unsal. 2009-11-24. Conformality or confinement (II): One-flavor CFTs and mixed-representation QCD. https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708/2009/12/011

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