Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: We explore the consequence of generalized symmetries in four-dimensional N = 1 superconformal field theories. First, we classify all possible supersymmetric gauge theories with a simple gauge group that have a nontrivial one-form symmetry and flows to a superconformal field theory. Upon identifying unbroken discrete zero-form symmetries from the Adler-Bell-Jackiw (ABJ) anomaly, we find that many of these theories have mixed zero-form or one-form ’t Hooft anomalies. Then we classify the relevant deformations of these SCFTs that preserve the anomaly. From this mixed anomaly together with the anomalies of the discrete zero-form symmetries, we find obstructions for the relevant deformations of these SCFTs to flow to a trivially gapped phase. We also study non-Lagrangian SCFTs formed by gauging copies of Argyres-Douglas theories and constrain their deformations. In particular, we explore a new duality between the diagonal gauging of two D 3 ( S U ( N ) ) theories and S U ( N ) gauge theory with two adjoints. We also repeat our analysis for a host of nonsupersymmetric gauge theories having nontrivial one-form symmetry including examples that appear to flow to Bank-Zaks type CFTs.
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, Simons Foundation, Aspen Center for Physics, POSCO TJ Park Foundation, National Research Foundation, Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Research Foundation of Korea, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Office of Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, High Energy Physics
OpenAlex ID: W4409802524