Axionic Defect Anomalies and their Cancellation

Abstract

We present a simple derivation of the Callan-Harvey-Naculich effect, {\it i.e.} the compensation of charge violation on axion strings due to gauge anomalies by accretion of charge onto the string from the surrounding space. We then show, in the case of axion fields without a potential, that an alternative explanation is possible in which no reference to the surrounding space is necessary because the anomalies are cancelled by a version of the Green-Schwarz mechanism. We prove that such an alternative explanation is always possible in the more general context of p-brane defects in d-dimensional field theories, and hence that there always exists an anomaly-free effective worldvolume action whenever the spacetime theory is anomaly free. Our results have implications, which we discuss, for heterotic and type II fivebranes.

18pp

References in corpus (3)

• Putting String/Fivebrane Duality to the Test
• $U(1)$--Extended Gauge Algebras in $p$-Loop Space
• Effective description of axion defects

Cited by in corpus (19)

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• World-volume Effective Actions of Exotic Five-branes
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• Putting string/string duality to the test
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• Chiral Generations on Intersecting 5-branes in Heterotic String Theory
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• The Non-Perturbative SO(32) Heterotic String
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• Taub-NUT Crystal
• Family Unification via Quasi-Nambu-Goldstone Fermions in String Theory
• Note on Anomaly Cancellation on SO(32) heterotic 5-brane