The a-function is a proposed quantity defined in even dimensions which has a monotonic behaviour along RG flows, related to the beta-functions via a gradient flow equation. We study the a-function for a general scalar theory in six dimensions, using the beta-functions up to three-loop order for both the MSbar and MOM schemes (the latter presented here for the first time at three loops).
Magical supergravities are a very special class of supergravity theories whose symmetries and matter content in various dimensions correspond to symmetries and underlying algebraic structures of the remarkable geometries of the Magic Square of Freudenthal, Rozenfeld and Tits. These symmetry groups include the exceptional groups and some of their special subgroups. In this paper, we study the general gaugings of these theories in six dimensions which lead to new couplings between vector and tensor fields. We show that in the absence of hypermultiplet couplings the gauge group is uniquely determined by a maximal set of commuting translations within the isometry group SO(n_T,1) of the tensor multiplet sector. Moreover, we find that in general the gauge algebra allows for central charges that may have nontrivial action on the hypermultiplet scalars. We determine the new minimal couplings, Yukawa couplings and the scalar potential.
Non-conformal supercurrents in six dimensions are described, which contain the trace of the energy-momentum tensor and the gamma-trace of the supersymmetry current amongst their component fields. Within the superconformal approach to ${cal N} = (1, 0)$ supergravity, we present various distinct non-conformal supercurrents, one of which is associated with an ${cal O}(2)$ (or linear) multiplet compensator, while another with a tensor multiplet compensator. We also derive an infinite class of non-conformal supercurrents involving ${cal O}(n)$ multiplets with $n > 2$. As an illustrative example we construct the relaxed hypermultiplet in supergravity. Finally, we put forward a non-conformal supercurrent in the ${cal N} = (2, 0)$ supersymmetric case.
The supersymmetrization of curvature squared terms is important in the study of the low-energy limit of compactified superstrings where a distinguished role is played by the Gauss-Bonnet combination, which is ghost-free. In this letter, we construct its off-shell ${cal N} = (1, 0)$ supersymmetrization in six dimensions for the first time. By studying this invariant together with the supersymmetric Einstein-Hilbert term we confirm and extend known results of the $alpha$-corrected string theory compactified to six dimensions. Finally, we analyze the spectrum about the ${rm AdS}_3times{rm S}^3$ solution.
We explore solutions of six dimensional gravity coupled to a non-linear sigma model, in the presence of co-dimension two branes. We investigate the compactifications induced by a spherical scalar manifold and analyze the conditions under which they are of finite volume and singularity free. We discuss the issue of single-valuedness of the scalar fields and provide some special embedding of the scalar manifold to the internal space which solves this problem. These brane solutions furnish some self-tuning features, however they do not provide a satisfactory explanation of the vanishing of the effective four dimensional cosmological constant. We discuss the properties of this model in relation with the self-tuning example based on a hyperbolic sigma model.
Recently, evidence was provided for the existence of an $a$-function for renormalisable quantum field theories in three dimensions. An explicit expression was given at lowest order for general theories involving scalars and fermions, and shown to be related to the beta-functions by a gradient flow equation with positive-definite metric as in four dimensions. Here, we extend this lowest-order calculation to a general abelian Chern-Simons gauge theory coupled to fermions and scalars, and derive a prediction for part of the four-loop Yukawa beta-function. We also compute the complete four-loop Yukawa beta-function for the scalar-fermion theory and show that it is entirely consistent with the gradient flow equations at next-to-leading order.