The O(N) vector model in the large N limit revisited: multicritical points and double scaling limit

There have been some speculations about the existence of critical unitary O(N)-invariant scalar field theories in dimensions 4<d<6 and for large N. Using the functional renormalization group equation, we show that in the lowest order of the derivative expansion, and assuming that the anomalous dimension vanishes for large $N$, the corresponding critical potentials are either unbounded from below or singular for some finite value of the field.

We present the Wilsonian effective action as a solution of the exact RG equation for the critical $O(N)$ vector model in the large $N$ limit. Below four dimensions, the exact effective action can be expressed in a closed form as a transcendental function of two leading scaling operators with infinitely many derivatives. From the exact solution that describes the RG flow from a UV theory to the fixed point theory in the IR, we obtain the mapping between UV operators and IR sca...

We find that the multicritical fixed point structure of the O($N$) models is much more complicated than widely believed. In particular, we find new nonperturbative fixed points in three dimensions ($d=3$) as well as at $N=\infty$. These fixed points come together with an intricate double-valued structure when they are considered as functions of $d$ and $N$. Many features found for the O($N$) models are shared by the O($N)\otimes$O(2) models relevant to frustrated magnetic sys...

We explore O(N) models in dimensions $4<d<6$. Specifically, we investigate models of an O(N) vector field coupled to an additional scalar field via a cubic interaction. Recent results in $d=6-\epsilon$ have uncovered an interacting ultraviolet fixed point of the renormalization group (RG) if the number N of components of the vector field is large enough, suggesting that these models are asymptotically safe. We set up a functional RG analysis of these systems to address three ...

We study the critical bosonic O(N) vector model with quenched random mass disorder in the large N limit. Due to the replicated action which is sometimes not bounded from below, we avoid the replica trick and adopt a traditional approach to directly compute the disorder averaged physical observables. At $N=\infty$, we can exactly solve the disordered model. The resulting low energy behavior can be described by two scale invariant theories, one of which has an intrinsic scale. ...

We discuss O(N) invariant scalar field theories in 0+1 and 1+1 space-time dimensions. Combining ordinary ``Large N" saddle point techniques and simple properties of the diagonal resolvent of one dimensional Schr\"odinger operators we find {\it exact} non-trivial (space dependent) solutions to the saddle point equations of these models in addition to the saddle point describing the ground state of the theory. We interpret these novel saddle points as collective O(N) singlet ex...

O(N) vector sigma models possessing catastrophes in their action are studied. Coupling the limit N --> infinity with an appropriate scaling behaviour of the coupling constants, the partition function develops a singular factor. This is a generalized Airy function in the case of spacetime dimension zero and the partition function of a scalar field theory for positive spacetime dimension.

We review the solutions of O(N) and U(N) quantum field theories in the large $N$ limit and as 1/N expansions, in the case of vector representations. Since invariant composite fields have small fluctuations for large $N$, the method relies on constructing effective field theories for composite fields after integration over the original degrees of freedom. We first solve a general scalar $U(\phib^2)$ field theory for $N$ large and discuss various non-perturbative physical issue...

In this thesis, we explore the critical phenomena in the presence of extended objects, which we call defects, aiming for a better understanding of the properties of non-local objects ubiquitous in our world and a more practical and realistic study of criticality. To this end, we study the statistical O$(N)$ vector model in $(4-\epsilon)$ dimensions with three kinds of defects: a line defect constructed by smearing an O$(N)$ vector field along one direction and Dirichlet and N...

We study the three dimensional O(N) invariant bosonic vector model with a $\frac{\lambda}{N}(\phi^{a}\phi^{a})^{2}$ interaction at its infrared fixed point, using a bilocal field approach and in an $1/N$ expansion. We identify a (negative energy squared) bound state in its spectrum about the large $N$ conformal background. At the critical point this is identified with the $\Delta=2$ state. We further demonstrate that at the critical point the $\Delta=1$ state disappears from ...