Charge fractionization in N=2 supersymmetric QCD

TL;DR

This paper explores how quark number charges in N=2 supersymmetric QCD can be irrational and depend on Higgs expectations, revealing a complex electric-magnetic-quark duality and computing monodromy matrices from the microscopic theory.

Contribution

It demonstrates the irrational nature of quark charges and their dependence on Higgs values, providing a physical interpretation of duality shifts and calculating monodromies directly.

Findings

Quark charges can be irrational and Higgs-dependent.

Duality involves electric, magnetic, and quark number transformations.

Monodromy matrices are computed from the microscopic theory.

Abstract

It is shown that the physical ``quark number'' charges which appear in the central charge of the supersymmetry algebra of $N=2$ supersymmetric QCD can take irrational values and depend non trivially on the Higgs expectation value. This gives a physical interpretation of the constant shifts which the ``electric'' and ``magnetic'' variables $a_D$ and $a$ undergo when encircling a singularity, and show that duality in this model is truly an electric-magnetic-quark number duality. Also included is a computation of the monodromy matrices directly in the microscopic theory.