On RG Flow of tau_{RR} for Supersymmetric Field Theories in Three-Dimensions

TL;DR

This paper computes the tau_{RR} coefficient in three-dimensional N=2 SCFTs using partition functions, analyzes its behavior under RG flows, and challenges its interpretation as a measure of degrees of freedom.

Contribution

It provides numerical and analytical calculations of tau_{RR} for various models and demonstrates its non-monotonic behavior along RG flows, questioning its role as a degrees of freedom indicator.

Findings

tau_{RR} decreases in gauge theories under RG flow

tau_{RR} increases in a Wess-Zumino model along RG flow

C_T is not a monotonic measure of degrees of freedom in 3D

Abstract

The coefficient tau_{RR} of the two-point function of the superconformal U(1)_R currents of N=2 SCFTs in three-dimensions is recently shown to be obtained by differentiating the partition function on a squashed three-sphere with respect to the squashing parameter. With this method, we compute the tau_{RR} for N=2 Wess-Zumino models and SQCD numerically for small number of flavors and analytically in the large number limit. We study the behavior of tau_{RR} under an RG flow by adding superpotentials to the theories. While the tau_{RR} decreases for the gauge theories, we find an N=2 Wess-Zumino model whose tau_{RR} increases along the RG flow. Since tau_{RR} is proportional to the coefficient C_T of the two-point correlation function of the stress-energy tensors for N=2 superconformal field theories, this rules out the possibility of C_T being a measure of the degrees of freedom which monotonically decreases along RG flows in three-dimensions.