Angular fractals in thermal QFT

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Benjamin, Nathan, Lee, Jaeha, Pal, Sridip, Simmons-Duffin, David, Xu, Yixin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Benjamin, Nathan
Lee, Jaeha
Pal, Sridip
Simmons-Duffin, David
Xu, Yixin
author_facet Benjamin, Nathan
Lee, Jaeha
Pal, Sridip
Simmons-Duffin, David
Xu, Yixin
contents We show that thermal effective field theory controls the long-distance expansion of the partition function of a $d$-dimensional QFT, with an insertion of any finite-order spatial isometry. Consequently, the thermal partition function on a sphere displays a fractal-like structure as a function of angular twist, reminiscent of the behavior of a modular form near the real line. As an example application, we find that for CFTs, the effective free energy of even-spin minus odd-spin operators at high temperature is smaller than the usual free energy by a factor of $1/2^d$. Near certain rational angles, the partition function receives subleading contributions from "Kaluza-Klein vortex defects" in the thermal EFT, which we classify. We illustrate our results with examples in free and holographic theories, and also discuss nonperturbative corrections from worldline instantons.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2405_17562
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Angular fractals in thermal QFT
Benjamin, Nathan
Lee, Jaeha
Pal, Sridip
Simmons-Duffin, David
Xu, Yixin
High Energy Physics - Theory
We show that thermal effective field theory controls the long-distance expansion of the partition function of a $d$-dimensional QFT, with an insertion of any finite-order spatial isometry. Consequently, the thermal partition function on a sphere displays a fractal-like structure as a function of angular twist, reminiscent of the behavior of a modular form near the real line. As an example application, we find that for CFTs, the effective free energy of even-spin minus odd-spin operators at high temperature is smaller than the usual free energy by a factor of $1/2^d$. Near certain rational angles, the partition function receives subleading contributions from "Kaluza-Klein vortex defects" in the thermal EFT, which we classify. We illustrate our results with examples in free and holographic theories, and also discuss nonperturbative corrections from worldline instantons.
title Angular fractals in thermal QFT
topic High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.17562