On Subleading Contributions to the AdS/CFT Trace Anomaly

TL;DR

This paper computes subleading contributions to the trace anomaly in AdS/CFT for N=2 and N=4 SCFTs, confirming field theory results and exploring higher-order corrections from supergravity and brane actions.

Contribution

It provides a direct supergravity calculation of the trace anomaly's subleading terms, including Riemann tensor squared contributions, extending previous leading-order results.

Findings

Agreement with field theory up to next-to-leading order in 1/N

Identification of Riemann tensor squared term as gravitational contribution

Discussion of order N corrections in N=4 SCFTs with SO or Sp gauge groups

Abstract

In the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence, we perform a direct computation in AdS_5 supergravity of the trace anomaly of a d=4, N=2 SCFT. We find agreement with the field theory result up to next to leading order in the 1/N expansion. In particular, the order N gravitational contribution to the anomaly is obtained from a Riemann tensor squared term in the 7-brane effective action deduced from heterotic - type I duality. We also discuss, in the AdS/CFT context, the order N corrections to the trace anomaly in d=4, N=4 SCFTs involving SO or Sp gauge groups.