U(1) spin Chern-Simons theory and Arf invariants in two dimensions

Abstract

The level-k U(1) Chern-Simons theory is a spin topological quantum field theory for k odd. Its dynamics is captured by the 2d CFT of a compact boson with a certain radius. Recently it was recognized that a dependence on the 2d spin structure can be given to the CFT by modifying it using the so-called Arf invariant. We demonstrate that one can reorganize the torus partition function of the modified CFT into a finite sum involving a finite number of conformal blocks. This allows us to reproduce the modular matrices of the spin theory. We use the modular matrices to calculate the partition function of the spin Chern-Simons theory on the lens space L(a,±1), and demonstrate the expected dependence on the 3d spin structure.