High Energy Theory Seminar

Various holographic set-ups in string theory suggest the existence of non-local, UV complete two-dimensional QFTs that possess Virasoro symmetry, in spite of their non-locality. We argue that JTbar-deformed CFTs are the first concrete realisation of such "non-local CFTs", through a detailed analysis of their classical and quantum symmetry algebra. Concretely, we show that JTbar-deformed CFTs possess an infinite set of  symmetries, which in a certain basis  organise into two commuting copies of the Virasoro-Kac-Moody algebra, with the same central extension as that of the undeformed CFT. A peculiarity of these Virasoro generators is that their zero mode does not equal the Hamiltonian, but is a quadratic function of it; this helps reconcile the Virasoro symmetry with the non-locality of the model. We argue that  TTbar-deformed CFTs also posses Virasoro symmetries of this type.

This talk will be given virtually via Zoom.

For Zoom information, please email [email protected]