2018/06/26 by David A. McGady, McGady, David A. · 1 citation
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Algebraic structures and combinatorial models #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #Mathematical Physics (math-ph) #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1806.09873
openalex publication_date 2018/06/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In this paper, we present robust evidence that general finite temperature quantum field theory (QFT) path integrals are invariant under reflecting temperatures to negative values (T-reflection), up to a possible anomaly phase. Our main focus is on two-dimensional conformal field theories (2d CFTs) on the two-torus. Modular invariance for 2d CFT path integrals follows from demanding invariance under redundant encodings of the two-torus shape in the path integral. We emphasize that identical logic implies 2d CFTs are invariant under T-reflection, up to phases. We compute T-reflection anomaly phases for certain 2d CFT path integrals via a continuation, and via an extension of modular forms from the upper half-plane to the double half-plane. Crucially, they perfectly agree. Requiring QFT path integrals to be invariant under redundant encodings of the spacetime geometry implies (i) that 2d CFTs are both modular and T-reflection invariant and (ii) that general QFT path integrals are invariant under T-reflection. This quite board argument suggests T-reflection phases may indicate previously unnoticed anomalies and consistency conditions for general QFT.