Line operators of gauge theories on non-spin manifolds
Abstract
We study four-dimensional gauge theories on oriented and non-spin spacetime manifolds. On such manifolds, each line operator arises only either as a boson or a fermion. Based on physical arguments, a method of systematically assigning spin labels to line operators is proposed, and several consistency checks are performed. This is used to classify all possible sets of allowed line operators — including their spins — for gauge theories with simple Lie algebras. The Lagrangian descriptions of the theories with these sets of allowed line operators are given. Finally, the one-form symmetries of these theories are studied by coupling to background gauge fields, and their 't Hooft anomalies are computed.
- Publication:
-
Journal of High Energy Physics
- Pub Date:
- April 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1007/JHEP04(2020)087
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1911.00589
- Bibcode:
- 2020JHEP...04..087A
- Keywords:
-
- Space-Time Symmetries;
- Topological Field Theories;
- Wilson;
- 't Hooft and Polyakov loops;
- Anomalies in Field and String Theories;
- High Energy Physics - Theory;
- Condensed Matter - Strongly Correlated Electrons
- E-Print:
- 53