Cardy formula for 4d SUSY theories and localization

Abstract

We study 4d N= 1 supersymmetric theories on a compact Euclidean manifold of the form S1 × ℳ3. Partition functions of gauge theories on this background can be computed using localization, and explicit formulas have been derived for different choices of the compact manifold ℳ3. Taking the limit of shrinking S1, we present a general formula for the limit of the localization integrand, derived by simple effective theory considerations, generalizing the result of [1]. The limit is given in terms of an effective potential for the holonomies around the S1, whose minima determine the asymptotic behavior of the partition function. If the potential is minimized in the origin, where it vanishes, the partition function has a Cardy-like behavior fixed by Tr(R), while a nontrivial minimum gives a shift in the coefficient. In all the examples that we consider, the origin is a minimum if Tr(R) ≤ 0.