Analytic pseudo-Goldstone bosons

TL;DR

This paper explores the relationship between explicit and spontaneous symmetry breaking in strongly coupled theories, providing analytic results for correlators and spectra that align with quantum field theory expectations, using holographic models.

Contribution

It offers the first analytic expressions for two-point correlators and spectra in a holographic model of pseudo-Goldstone bosons, illustrating linear confinement features.

Findings

Analytic two-point correlators match quantum field theory expectations

Spectrum shows features reminiscent of linear confinement

Holographic renormalization recovers Ward identities

Abstract

We consider the interplay between explicit and spontaneous symmetry breaking in strongly coupled field theories. Some well-known statements, such as the Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relation, descend directly from the Ward identities and have thus a general relevance. Such Ward identities are recovered in gauge/gravity dual setups through holographic renormalization. In a simple paradigmatic three dimensional toy-model, we find analytic expressions for the two-point correlators which match all the quantum field theoretical expectations. Moreover, we have access to the full spectrum, which is reminiscent of linear confinement.