Gauge theories with fermions in two-index representations

Abstract: After some introductory comments on the peculiar features of slowly running theories, I will report results obtained using the Schrodinger functional technique for two gauge theories that are believed to lie near the bottom of the conformal window: the SU(3) theory with two adjoint Dirac fermions, and the SU(4) theory with six Dirac fermions in the two-index antisymmetric representation. In both cases we find a small beta function in strong coupling, but we cannot confirm or rule out an infrared fixed point. In both theories the mass anomalous dimension levels off, staying well below 0.5, much like the theories with fermions in the two-index symmetric representation investigated earlier.