Spectral asymmetry and supersymmetry

TL;DR

This paper explores the spectral asymmetry of Dirac operators in supersymmetric theories, revealing new analyticity constraints and potential applications in string theory.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach linking spectral asymmetry to supersymmetry, providing elegant derivations of classic results and suggesting broader applications.

Findings

Spectral asymmetry eta relates to central charge in supersymmetric theories.

Analyticity constraints on eta lead to new insights.

Method has potential applications in string theory.

Abstract

Fractional charges, and in particular the spectral asymmetry eta of certain Dirac operators, can appear in the central charge of supersymmetric field theories. This yields unexpected analyticity constraints on eta from which classic results can be recovered in an elegant way. The method could also be applied in the context of string theory.