Gauge Boson Mass Generation in AdS4

Abstract

We investigate the role of boundary conditions in gauge theories in AdS4. The presence of the boundary can break the gauge symmetry consistently with AdS4 isometries. We show that, as a consequence, the gauge bosons associated to the broken symmetries become massive at one loop. In particular chiral gauge theories such us the Standard Model are necessarily massive in AdS4. We briefly discuss similarities with the Schwinger model and implications for CFTs in three dimensions.