On thermodynamics of N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates the thermodynamics of N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory, revealing non-analytic corrections at weak coupling and a smooth transition to strong coupling behavior.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed computation of quantum corrections to free energy in ABJM theory, highlighting non-analytic behavior and the evolution of free energy from weak to strong coupling.

Findings

Leading correction is non-analytic in lambda, approximately lambda^2 log(lambda)^3

Scalar thermal mass vanishes at 1-loop, becomes finite and positive at 2-loop

Free energy interpolates smoothly to N^{3/2} behavior at strong coupling

Abstract

We study thermodynamics of N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory by computing quantum corrections to the free energy. We find that in weakly coupled ABJM theory on R(2) x S(1), the leading correction is non-analytic in the 't Hooft coupling lambda, and is approximately of order lambda^2 log(lambda)^3. The free energy is expressed in terms of the scalar thermal mass m, which is generated by screening effects. We show that this mass vanishes to 1-loop order. We then go on to 2-loop order where we find a finite and positive mass squared m^2. We discuss differences in the calculation between Coulomb and Lorentz gauge. Our results indicate that the free energy is a monotonic function in lambda which interpolates smoothly to the N^(3/2) behaviour at strong coupling.