Bounds on 4D Conformal and Superconformal Field Theories

Sep, 2010
48 pages
Published in:
  • JHEP 05 (2011) 017
e-Print:

Citations per year

20092013201720212024051015202530
Abstract: (arXiv)
We derive general bounds on operator dimensions, central charges, and OPE coefficients in 4D conformal and N=1 superconformal field theories. In any CFT containing a scalar primary phi of dimension d we show that crossing symmetry of implies a completely general lower bound on the central charge c >= f_c(d). Similarly, in CFTs containing a complex scalar charged under global symmetries, we bound a combination of symmetry current two-point function coefficients tau^{IJ} and flavor charges. We extend these bounds to N=1 superconformal theories by deriving the superconformal block expansions for four-point functions of a chiral superfield Phi and its conjugate. In this case we derive bounds on the OPE coefficients of scalar operators appearing in the Phi x Phi* OPE, and show that there is an upper bound on the dimension of Phi* Phi when dim(Phi) is close to 1. We also present even more stringent bounds on c and tau^{IJ}. In supersymmetric gauge theories believed to flow to superconformal fixed points one can use anomaly matching to explicitly check whether these bounds are satisfied.
  • Supersymmetric gauge theory
  • Conformal and W Symmetry
  • field theory: conformal
  • operator: dimension
  • symmetry: crossing
  • gauge field theory: supersymmetry
  • superfield: chiral
  • charge: flavor
  • supersymmetry: conformal
  • supersymmetry: 1