Pseudoscalar glueballs in the Klebanov-Strassler theory

Abstract

Abstract In this paper we describe a pseudoscalar subsector of the Klebanov-Strassler model. This subsector completes the holographic reconstruction of the spectrum of the lowest-lying glueball states, which are singlet under the global symmetry group SU(2) × SU(2). We derive the linearized supergravity equations for the pseudoscalar fluctuations and analyze their spectrum. The system of equations is shown to be compatible with six eigenmodes, as expected from supersymmetry. Our numerical analysis allows to reliably extract four of the corresponding towers. Their values match well the eigenvalues of the 0++ scalar states known from an earlier work. Assuming the masses of 0++ as a reference, we compare the lightest states of the holographic spectrum with lattice calculations in the quenched QCD at Nc = 3 and Nc = ∞.