2017/10/31 by Yiwen Pan, Wolfger Peelaers
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Algebraic structures and combinatorial models #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Computation #Field (mathematics) #Path (computing) #Path integral formulation #Quantum #Quantum Mechanics and Non-Hermitian Physics #Quantum field theory #Surface (topology) #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/jhep02(2018)138
47 pages; minor typos corrected
openalex created_date 2017/10/20 · openalex publication_date 2018/02/01 · arxiv created 2018/03/15 · arxiv updated 2018/04/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Four-dimensional N = 2 superconformal quantum field theories contain a subsector carrying the structure of a chiral algebra. Using localization techniques, we show for the free hypermultiplet that this structure can be accessed directly from the path integral on the four-sphere. We extend the localization computation to include supersymmetric surface defects described by a generic 4d/2d coupled system. The presence of a defect corresponds to considering a module of the chiral algebra: our results provide a calculational window into its structure constants.