EFT of conformal symmetry breaking

Conformal symmetry can be spontaneously broken due to the presence of a defect or other background, which gives a symmetry-breaking vacuum expectation value (VEV) to some scalar operators. We study the effective field theory of fluctuations around these backgrounds, showing that it organizes as an expansion in powers of the inverse of the VEV, and computing some of the leading corrections. We focus on the case of spacelike defects in a four-dimensional Lorentzian theory relevant to the pseudoconformal universe scenario, although the conclusions extend to other kinds of defects and to the breaking of conformal symmetry to Poincare ' symmetry.

Automated summary

Conformal symmetry can break spontaneously in the presence of defects or other backgrounds, resulting in a symmetry-breaking VEV for certain scalar operators. We analyze the effective field theory of fluctuations around these backgrounds and find that it can be expanded in inverse powers of the VEV, with leading corrections computed. We specifically focus on spacelike defects in a four-dimensional Lorentzian theory relevant to the pseudoconformal universe scenario, but the conclusions can be extended to other types of defects and the breaking of conformal symmetry to Poincare symmetry.