Gauge enhanced quantum criticality beyond the standard model

Standard lore ritualizes our quantum vacuum in the four-dimensional spacetime (4D) governed by one of the candidate Standard Models (SMs), while lifting towards some grand unification-like structure (GUT) at higher energy scales. In contrast, in our work, we introduce an alternative view that the SM is a low energy quantum vacuum arising from various neighbor vacua competition in an immense quantum phase diagram. In general, we can regard the SM arising near the gapless quantum criticality (either critical points or critical regions) between the competing neighbor vacua. In particular detail, we demonstrate how the su(3) x su(2) x u(1) SM with 16n Weyl fermions arises near the quantum criticality between the GUT competition of Georgi-Glashow su(5) and Pati-Salam su(4) x su(2) x su(2) . We propose two enveloping toy models. Model I is the conventional so(10) GUT with a Spin(10) gauge group plus GUT-Higgs potential inducing various Higgs transitions. Model II modifies model I by adding a new 4D discrete torsion class of Wess-Zumino-Witten-like term built from GUT-Higgs field [which matches a nonperturbative global mixed gauge-gravity anomaly captured by a 5D invertible topological field theory w (2)w(3)(TM) = w(2)w(3)(V-SO(10))], which manifests a beyond-Landau-Ginzburg quantum criticality between Georgi-Glashow and Pati-Salam models, with extra beyond the Standard Model excitations emerging near a hypothetical quantum critical region. If the internal symmetries were treated as global symmetries (or weakly coupled to probe background fields), we suggest a particular low-energy realization of model II as an analogous gapless 4D deconfined quantum criticality with new beyond the SM fractionalized fragmentary excitations of color-flavor separation, and gauge enhancement including a dark gauge force sector, altogether requiring a double fermionic Spin structure named DSpin. If the internal symmetries are dynamically gauged (as they are in our quantum vacuum), we suggest the model II's 4D criticality as a boundary criticality such that only appropriately gauge enhanced dynamical GUT gauge fields can propagate into an extradimensional 5D bulk. The phenomena may be regarded as SM deformation or morphogenesis. Although our derivation is based on kinematics and global anomaly matching constraints between UV parent and various candidate IR field theories, the constraints are still highly subtle and suggestive. Future verifications on the IR dynamics will be desirable.

Automated summary

In this paper, the author proposes an alternative view of the Standard Model, suggesting that it arises from various neighboring vacuum competition in a vast quantum phase diagram. By introducing two toy models, the author demonstrates the specific details and discusses the possible beyond the Standard Model excitations. The paper also discusses two cases regarding internal symmetries and explores the kinematic and global anomaly matching constraints between the UV parent theory and various candidate IR field theories. Further verification of the IR dynamics is desirable.