Global 4-group symmetry and 't Hooft anomalies in topological axion electrodynamics

2021/08/28 by Yoshimasa Hidaka, Muneto Nitta, Ryo Yokokura · 47 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Action (physics) #Axion #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Effective action #Gauge (firearms) #Gauge group #Gauge theory #Geometry #Global symmetry #Group (periodic table) #Homogeneous space #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories #Particle physics #Physics #Quantum electrodynamics #Quantum mechanics #Spontaneous symmetry breaking #Symmetry (geometry) #Symmetry breaking #Theoretical physics #Topology (electrical circuits) #cond-mat.str-el #hep-ph #hep-th

paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/ptep/ptab150

published in arXiv (Cornell University) 2022(4), 04A109 (Cornell University) · 51 pages, 3 figures

arxiv created 2021/08/28 · openalex publication_date 2021/08/28 · openalex created_date 2022/02/24 · arxiv updated 2022/03/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We study higher-form global symmetries and a higher-group structure of a low-energy limit of (3+1)-dimensional axion electrodynamics in a gapped phase described by a topological action. We argue that the higher-form symmetries should have a semi-strict 4-group (3-crossed module) structure by consistency conditions of couplings of the topological action to background gauge fields for the higher-form symmetries. We find possible 't Hooft anomalies for the 4-group global symmetry, and discuss physical consequences.

Citations

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