Konstantinos N. Anagnostopoulos

We study a 4d supersymmetric matrix model with a cubic term, which incorporates fuzzy spheres as classical solutions, using Monte Carlo simulations and perturbative calculations. The fuzzy sphere in the supersymmetric model turns out to be always stable if the large-N limit is taken in such a way that various correlation functions scale. This is in striking contrast to analogous bosonic models, where the fuzzy sphere decays into the pure Yang-Mills vacuum due to quantum effects when the coefficient of the cubic term becomes smaller than a critical value. We also find that the power-law tail of the eigenvalue distribution, which exists in the supersymmetric model without the cubic term, disappears in the presence of the fuzzy sphere in the large-N limit. Coincident fuzzy spheres turn out to be unstable, which implies that the dynamically generated gauge group is U(1).

Monte Carlo simulations of a system whose action has an imaginary part are considered to be extremely difficult. We propose a new approach to this `complex-action problem', which utilizes a factorization property of distribution functions. The basic idea is quite general, and it removes the so-called overlap problem completely. Here we apply the method to a nonperturbative study of superstring theory using its matrix formulation. In this particular example, the distribution function turns out to be positive definite, which allows us to reduce the problem even further. Our numerical results suggest an intuitive explanation for the dynamical generation of 4d space-time.

Monte Carlo simulations of systems with a complex action are known to be extremely difficult. A new approach to this problem based on a factorization property of distribution functions of observables has been proposed recently. The method can be applied to any system with a complex action, and it eliminates the so-called overlap problem completely. We test the new approach in a Random Matrix Theory for finite density QCD, where we are able to reproduce the exact results for the quark number density. The achieved system size is large enough to extract the thermodynamic limit. Our results provide a clear understanding of how the expected first order phase transition is induced by the imaginary part of the action.

We study the question whether matrix models obtained in the zero volume limit of 4d Yang-Mills theories can describe large N QCD strings. The matrix model we use is a variant of the Eguchi-Kawai model in terms of Hermitian matrices, but without any twists or quenching. This model was originally proposed as a toy model of the IIB matrix model. In contrast to common expectations, we do observe the area law for Wilson loops in a significant range of scale of the loop area. Numerical simulations show that this range is stable as N increases up to 768, which strongly suggests that it persists in the large N limit. Hence the equivalence to QCD strings may hold for length scales inside a finite regime.

We study Q-balls associated with local U(1) symmetries. Such Q-balls are expected to become unstable for large values of their charge because of the repulsion mediated by the gauge force. We consider the possibility that the repulsion is eliminated through the presence in the interior of the Q-ball of fermions with charge opposite to that of the scalar condensate. Another possibility is that two scalar condensates of opposite charge form in the interior. We demonstrate that both these scenaria can lead to the existence of classically stable, large, gauged Q-balls. We present numerical solutions, as well as an analytical treatment of the ``thin-wall'' limit.

In string or M theories, the spontaneous breaking of 10D or 11D Lorentz symmetry is required to describe our space-time. A direct approach to this issue is provided by the IIB matrix model. We study its 4D version, which corresponds to the zero volume limit of 4D super SU(N) Yang-Mills theory. Based on the moment of inertia as a criterion, spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) seems to occur, so that only one extended direction remains, as first observed by Bialas, Burda et al. However, using Wilson loops as probes of space-time we do not observe any sign of SSB in Monte Carlo simulations where N is as large as 48. This agrees with an earlier observation that the phase of the fermionic integral, which is absent in the 4D model, should play a crucial role if SSB of Lorentz symmetry really occurs in the 10D IIB matrix model.

We test at the electroweak scale the recently proposed elaborate theoretical scenario for real-time dynamics of non-abelian gauge theories at high temperature. We see no sign of the predicted behavior. This indicates that perturbative concepts like color conductivity and Landau damping might be irrelevant at temperatures corresponding to the electroweak scale.