Disconnected 0-form and 2-group symmetries

Abstract

Abstract Quantum field theories can have both continuous and finite 0-form symmetries. We study global symmetry structures that arise when both kinds of 0-form symmetries are present. The global structure associated to continuous 0-form symmetries is described by a connected Lie group, which captures the possible backgrounds of the continuous 0-form symmetries the theory can be coupled to. Finite 0-form symmetries can act as outer-automorphisms of this connected Lie group. Consequently, possible background couplings to both continuous and finite 0-form symmetries are described by a disconnected Lie group, and we call the resulting symmetry structure a disconnected 0-form symmetry. Additionally, finite 0-form symmetries may act on the 1-form symmetry group. The 1-form symmetries and continuous 0-form symmetries may combine to form a 2-group, which when combined with finite 0-form symmetries leads to another type of 2-group, that we call a disconnected 2-group and the resulting symmetry structure a disconnected 2-group symmetry. Examples of arbitrarily complex disconnected 0-form and 2-group symmetries in any spacetime dimension are furnished by gauge theories: with 1-form symmetries arising from the center of the gauge group, continuous 0-form symmetries arising as flavor symmetries acting on matter content, and finite 0-form symmetries arising from outer-automorphisms of gauge and flavor Lie algebras.