Quantum geometry and θ-angle in five-dimensional super Yang-Mills

Abstract Five-dimensional Sp(N) supersymmetric Yang-Mills admits a ℤ2 version of a theta angle θ. In this note, we derive a double quantization of the Seiberg-Witten geometry of N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 1 Sp(1) gauge theory at θ = π, on the manifold S 1 × ℝ4. Crucially, ℝ4 is placed on the Ω-background...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Nathan Haouzi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2020-09-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
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Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP09(2020)035
Description
Summary:Abstract Five-dimensional Sp(N) supersymmetric Yang-Mills admits a ℤ2 version of a theta angle θ. In this note, we derive a double quantization of the Seiberg-Witten geometry of N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 1 Sp(1) gauge theory at θ = π, on the manifold S 1 × ℝ4. Crucially, ℝ4 is placed on the Ω-background, which provides the two parameters to quantize the geometry. Physically, we are counting instantons in the presence of a 1/2-BPS fundamental Wilson loop, both of which are wrapping S 1. Mathematically, this amounts to proving the regularity of a qq-character for the spin-1/2 representation of the quantum affine algebra U q A 1 ̂ $$ {U}_q\left(\hat{A_1}\right) $$ , with a certain twist due to the θ-angle. We motivate these results from two distinct string theory pictures. First, in a (p, q)-web setup in type IIB, where the loop is characterized by a D3 brane. Second, in a type I′ string setup, where the loop is characterized by a D4 brane subject to an orientifold projection. We comment on the generalizations to the higher rank case Sp(N) when N > 1, and the SU(N) theory at Chern-Simons level κ when N > 2.
ISSN:1029-8479