Boundary Scattering in 1+1 Dimensions as an Aharanov-Bohm Effect

Abstract

The boundary scattering problem in 1+1 dimensional CFT is relevant to a multitude of areas of physics, ranging from the Kondo effect in condensed matter theory to tachyon condensation in string theory. Invoking a correspondence between CFT on 1+1 dimensional manifolds with boundaries and Chern-Simons gauge theory on 2+1 dimensional Z_2 orbifolds, we show that the 1+1 dimensional conformal boundary scattering problem can be reformulated as an Aharonov-Bohm effect experienced by chiral edge states moving on a 1+1 dimensional boundary of the corresponding 2+1 dimensional Chern-Simons system. The secretly topological origin of this physics leads to a new and simple derivation of the scattering of a massless scalar field on the line interacting with a sinusoidal boundary potential.

12 pages, 4 figures, harvmac