Abstract
We consider the quark-anti-quark potential on the three sphere or the generalized cusp anomalous dimension in planar N = 4 SYM. We concentrate on the vacuum potential in the near BPS limit with L units of R-charge. Equivalently, we study the anomalous dimension of a super-Wilson loop with L local fields inserted at a cusp. The system is described by a recently proposed infinite set of non-linear integral equations of the Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz (TBA) type. That system of TBA equations is very similar to the one of the spectral problem but simplifies a bit in the near BPS limit. Using techniques based on the Y-system of functional equations we first reduced the infinite system of TBA equations to a Finite set of Nonlinear Integral Equations (FiNLIE). Then we solve the FiNLIE system analytically, obtaining a simple analytic result for the potential! Surprisingly, we find that the system has equivalent descriptions in terms of an effective Baxter equation and in terms of a matrix model. At L = 0, our result matches the one obtained before using localization techniques. At all other L's, the result is new. Having a new parameter, L, allows us to take the large L classical limit. We use the matrix model description to solve the classical limit and match the result with a string theory computation. Moreover, we find that the classical string algebraic curve matches the algebraic curve arising from the matrix model.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 75 |
Journal | Journal of High Energy Physics |
Volume | 2012 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- AdS-CFT correspondence
- Integrable field theories
- Supersymmetric gauge theory
- Wilson't hooft and polyakov loops
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics