Abstract
We exhibit a renormalization group flow for a four-dimensional gauge theory along which the conformal central charge a increases. The flow connects the maximally superconformal point of an = 2 gauge theory with gauge group SU(N+1) and Nf = 2N flavors in the ultraviolet, to a strongly-coupled superconformal point of the SU(N) gauge theory with Nf = 2N massless flavors in the infrared. Our example does not contradict the proof of the a-theorem via a-maximization, due to the presence of accidental symmetries in the infrared limit. Nor does it contradict the holographic a-theorem, because these gauge theories do not possess weakly-curved holographic duals.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 020 |
Journal | Journal of High Energy Physics |
Volume | 2008 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2008 |
Keywords
- Extended supersymmetry
- Supersymmetric gauge theory
- Supersymmetry and duality
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics