Log-periodic behavior of finite size effects in field theories with RG limit cycles

Abstract

We compute the finite size effects in the ground state energy, equivalently the effective central charge c_{eff}, based on S-matrix theories recently conjectured to describe a cyclic regime of the Kosterlitz-Thouless renormalization group flows. The effective central charge has periodic properties consistent with renormalization group predictions. Whereas c_{eff} for the massive case has a singularity in the very deep ultra-violet, we argue that the massless version is non-singular and periodic on all length scales.