Configurations of vortex-strings stretched between or ending on domain walls were previously found to be 1/4 Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield(BPS) states in N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories in 3+1 dimensions. Among zero modes of string positions, the center of mass of strings in each region between two adjacent domain walls is shown to be non-normalizable whereas the rests are normalizable. We study dynamics of vortex-strings stretched between separated domain walls by using two methods, the moduli space (geodesic) approximation of full 1/4 BPS states and the charged particle approximation for string endpoints in the wall effective action. In the first method we explicitly obtain the effective Lagrangian, in terms of hypergeometric functions, and find the 90 degree scattering for head-on collision. In the second method the domain wall effective action is assumed to be U(1)^N gauge theory, and we find a good agreement between two methods for well separated strings.
We have constructed a bulk & brane action of IIA theory which describes a pair of BPS domain walls on S_1/Z_2, with strings attached. The walls are given by two orientifold O8-planes with coincident D8-branes and `F1-D0'-strings are stretched between the walls. This static configuration satisfies all matching conditions for the string and domain wall sources and has 1/4 of unbroken supersymmetry.
We point out that the moduli sector of the $(2,2)$ string compactification with its nonperturbatively preserved non-compact symmetries is a framework to study global topological defects. Based on the target space modular invariance of the nonperturbative superpotential of the four-dimensional $N=1$ supersymmetric string vacua, topologically stable stringy domain walls are found. Explicit supersymmetric solutions for the modulus field and the metric, which saturate the Bogomol'nyi bound, are presented. They interpolate between {\it non-degenerate} vacua. As a corollary, this defines a new notio…
Configurations of vortex-strings stretched between or ending on domain walls were previously found to be 1/4 BPS states. Among zero modes of string positions, the center of mass of strings in each region between two adjacent domain walls is shown to be non-normalizable whereas the rests are normalizable. We study dynamics of vortex-strings stretched between separated domain walls by using two methods, the moduli space (geodesic) approximation of full 1/4 BPS states and the charged particle approximation for string endpoints in the wall effective action. In the first method we obtain the effect…
A solution of Einstein equations is obtained for our four-dimensional world as an intersection of a wall and a string-like defect in seven-dimensional spacetime with a negative cosmological constant. A matter energy-momentum tensor localized on the wall and on the string is needed. A single massless graviton is found and is localized around the intersection. The leading correction to the gravitational Newton potential from massive spin 2 graviton is found to be almost identical to that of a wall in five dimensions, contrary to the case of a string in six dimensions. The generalization to the i…
We consider formation of composite strings and domain walls as a result of fusion of two elementary objects (elementary strings in the first case and elementary walls in the second) located at a distance from each other. The tension of the composite object T_2 is assumed to be less than twice the tension of the elementary object T_1, so that bound states are possible. If in the initial state the distance d between the fusing strings or walls is much larger than their thickness and satisfies the conditions T_1 d^2 >> 1 (in the string case) and T_1 d^3 >> 1 (in the wall case), the problem can be…
Non-abelian gauge theories in the Higgs phase admit a startling variety of BPS solitons. These include domain walls, vortex strings, confined monopoles threaded on vortex strings, vortex strings ending on domain walls, monopoles threaded on strings ending on domain walls, and more. After presenting a self-contained review of these objects, including several new results on the dynamics of domain walls, we go on to examine the possible interactions of solitons of various types. We point out the existence of a classical binding energy when the string ends on the domain wall which can be thought o…
We conjecture the existence of strings bounded inside walls in SU$(n)$ $\N=1$ Super Yang-Mills theory. These strings carry $\Z_{[k,n]}$ quantum number, where $[k,n]$ is the greatest common divisor between $k$, the charge of the wall, and $n$. We provide field-theoretical arguments and string-theoretical evidences, both from MQCD and from gauge-gravity correspondence. We interpret this result from the point of view of the low-energy effective action living on the $k$-wall.
The phenomenon of creation of strings, occurring when particles pass through a domain wall and related to the Hanany-Witten effect via dualities, is discussed in ten and nine dimensions. We consider both the particle actions in massive backgrounds as well as the 1/4-supersymmetric particle-string-domain wall supergravity solutions and discuss their physical interpretation. In 10D we discuss the D0-F1-D8 system in massive IIA theory while in 9D the SL(2,R)-generalisation is constructed. It consists of (p,q)-particles, (r,s)-strings and the double domain wall solution of the three different 9D g…
We consider decay of metastable topological configurations such as strings and domain walls. The transition from a state with higher energy density to a state with lower one proceeds through quantum tunneling or through thermally catalyzed quantum tunneling (at sufficiently small temperatures). The transition rate is calculated at zero temperature including the preexponential factor and also at a finite low temperature. The thermal catalysis factor is closely related to the probability (effective length) of destruction of the string (the domain wall) in collisions of the Goldstone bosons, corr…
We examine domain wall solutions of N=1, D=4 supergravity which preserve half of the supersymmetry and arise from Euclidean M2-brane instantons on M5-branes wrapping associative 3-cycles of G_2 holonomy manifolds. We also investigate composite solutions which break an additional half of the supersymmetry.
Solitons formation through classical dynamics of two scalar fields with the potential having a saddle point and one minimum in (2+1)-space-time is discussed. We show that under certain conditions in the early Universe both domain walls and strings can be formed even if scalar fields are inflaton ones.
In contrast to the common wisdom, we discover that, instead of the exponential fall-off of the form factors with Regge-pole structure, the high-energy scattering amplitudes of string scattered from Domain-wall behave as power-law with Regge-pole structure. This is to be compared with the well-known power-law form factors without Regge-pole structure of the D-instanton scatterings. This discovery makes Domain-wall scatterings an unique example of a hybrid of string and field theory scatterings. The calculation is done for bosonic string scatterings of arbitrary massive string states from D-24 b…
We study some consequences of dimensionally reducing systems with massless fermions and Abelian gauge fields from 3+1 to 2+1 dimensions. We first consider fermions in the presence of an external Abelian gauge field. In the reduced theory, obtained by compactifying one of the coordinates `a la Kaluza-Klein, magnetic flux strings are mapped into domain wall defects. Fermionic zero modes, localized around the flux strings of the 3+1 dimensional theory, become also zero modes in the reduced theory, via the Callan and Harvey mechanism, and are concentrated around the domain wall defects. We also st…
We study the central extensions of the N=1 superalgebras relevant to the soliton solutions with the axial geometry - strings, wall junctions, etc. A general expression valid in any four-dimensional gauge theory is obtained. We prove that the only gauge theory admitting BPS strings at weak coupling is supersymmetric electrodynamics with the Fayet-Iliopoulos term. The problem of ambiguity of the (1/2,1/2) central charge in the generalized Wess-Zumino models and gauge theories with matter is addressed and solved. A possibility of existence of the BPS strings at strong coupling in N=2 theories is …
We describe hadronization events, using the AdS/CFT Correspondence, which display many of the qualitative features expected in QCD. In particular we study the motion of strings with separating end points in a back-reacted hard wall geometry. The solutions show the development of a linear QCD-like string. The end points oscillate in the absence of string breaking. We introduce string breaking by hand and evolve the new state forward in time to observe the separation of two string segments. A kink associated with this breaking evolves to the end points of the string inducing rho meson production…
We consider the following two problems: classical domain walls in the $N=1^*$ mass deformation of the maximally supersymmetric Yang Mills theory, and D-strings as external magnetic sources in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence. We show that they are both described by Nahm's equations with unconventional boundary conditions, and analyze the relevant moduli space of solutions. We argue that general `fuzzy sphere' configurations of D-strings in AdS$_5$ correspond to Wilson-'t Hooft lines in higher representations of the dual SU(n) gauge theory.
We present Poincare invariant domain wall (``3-brane'') solutions to some 5-dimensional effective theories which can arise naturally in string theory. In particular, we find theories where Poincare invariant solutions exist for arbitrary values of the brane tension, for certain restricted forms of the bulk interactions. We describe examples in string theory where it would be natural for the quantum corrections to the tension of the brane (arising from quantum fluctuations of modes with support on the brane) to maintain the required form of the action. In such cases, the Poincare invariant solu…
We study 1/2 BPS domain walls, 1/2 BPS flux tubes (strings) and their 1/4 BPS junctions. We consider the simplest example of N=2 Abelian gauge theory with two charged matter hypermultiplets which contains all of the above-listed extended objects. In particular, we focus on string-wall junctions (boojums) and calculate their energy. It turns out to be logarithmically divergent in the infrared domain. We compute this energy first in the (2+1)-dimensional effective theory on the domain wall and then, as a check, obtain the same result from the point of view of (3+1)-dimensional bulk theory. Next,…
In this paper we use the the topological vertex formalism to calculate a generalization of the "domain wall" partition function of M-strings. This generalization allows calculation of partition function of certain compactified webs using a simple gluing algorithm similar to M-strings case.
We present a construction of domain walls in string theory. The domain walls can bridge both Minkowski and AdS string vacua. A key ingredient in the construction are novel classical Yang-Mills configurations, including instantons, which interpolate between toroidal Yang-Mills vacua. Our construction provides a concrete framework for the study of inflating metrics in string theory. In some cases, the accelerating space-time comes with a holographic description. The general form of the holographic dual is a field theory with parameters that vary over space-time.
The spectrum of quarter BPS dyons in N=4 supersymmetric string theories can change as the asymptotic moduli cross walls of marginal stability on which the dyon can break apart into a pair of half BPS states. In this paper we classify these marginal stability walls and examine this phenomenon in the context of exact dyon spectrum found in a class of N=4 supersymmetric string theories. We argue that the dyon partition functions in different domains separated by marginal stability walls are the same, but the choice of integration contour needed for extracting the degeneracies from the partition f…
We study supersymmetric domain walls on S_1/Z_2 orbifolds. The supergravity solutions in the bulk are given by the attractor equation associated with Calabi-Yau spaces and have a naked space-time singularity at some |y_s|. We are looking for possibilities to cut off this singularity with the second wall by a stringy mechanism. We use the collapse of the CY cycle at |y_c| which happens before and at a finite distance from the space-time singularity. In our example with three Kahler moduli the second wall is at the end of the moduli space at |y_c| where also the enhancement of SU(2) gauge symmet…
Following the RG flow of an N=1 quiver gauge theory and applying Seiberg duality whenever necessary defines a duality cascade, that in simple cases has been understood holographically. It has been argued that in certain cases, the dualities will pile up at a certain energy scale called the duality wall, accompanied by a dramatic rise in the number of degrees of freedom. In string theory, this phenomenon is expected to occur for branes at a generic threefold singularity, for which the associated quiver has Lorentzian signature. We here study sequences of Seiberg dualities on branes at the C_3/Z…
We give examples of string compactifications to 4d Minkowski space with different amounts of supersymmetry that can be connected by spherical domain walls. The tension of these domain walls is tunably lower than the 4d Planck scale. The ``stringy'' description of these walls is known in terms of certain configurations of wrapped Dirichlet and NS branes. This construction allows us to connect a variety of vacua with 4d N=4,3,2,1 supersymmetry.
We study classical dynamics of an open string tachyon $T$ of unstable D$p$-brane coupled to the gauge field $A_μ$. In the vacuum with vanishing potential, V=0, two fluid-like degrees of freedom, string fluid and tachyon matter, survive the tachyon condensation. We offer general analysis of the associated Hamiltonian dynamics in arbitrary background. The canonical field equations are organized into two sets, fluid equations of motion augmented by an integrability condition. We show that a large class of motionless and degenerate family of classical solutions exist and represent arbitrary transv…
We show that some novel physics of supertubes removes closed time-like curves from many supersymmetric spaces which naively suffer from this problem. The main claim is that supertubes naturally form domain-walls, so while analytical continuation of the metric would lead to closed time-like curves, across the domain-wall the metric is non-differentiable, and the closed time-like curves are eliminated. In the examples we study the metric inside the domain-wall is always of the Gödel type, while outside the shell it looks like a localized rotating object, often a rotating black hole. Thus this me…
We study the properties of walls of marginal stability for BPS decays in a class of N=2 theories. These theories arise in N=2 string compactifications obtained as freely acting orbifolds of N=4 theories, such theories include the STU model and the FHSV model. The cross sections of these walls for a generic decay in the axion-dilaton plane reduce to lines or circles. From the continuity properties of walls of marginal stability we show that central charges of BPS states do not vanish in the interior of the moduli space. Given a charge vector of a BPS state corresponding to a large black hole in…
We consider N=2 supersymmetric quantum electrodynamics (SQED) with 2 flavors, the Fayet--Iliopoulos parameter, and a mass term $β$ which breaks the extended supersymmetry down to N=1. The bulk theory has two vacua; at $β=0$ the BPS-saturated domain wall interpolating between them has a moduli space parameterized by a U(1) phase $σ$ which can be promoted to a scalar field in the effective low-energy theory on the wall world-volume. At small nonvanishing $β$ this field gets a sine-Gordon potential. As a result, only two discrete degenerate BPS domain walls survive. We find an explicit solitonic …
A pair of a domain wall and an anti-domain wall is unstable to decay. We show that when a vortex-string is stretched between the walls, there remains a knot soliton (Hopfion) after the pair annihilation.
We argue that the Gopakumar-Vafa interpretation of the topological string partition function can be used to compute and resum certain non-perturbative brane instanton effects of type II CY compactifications. In particular the topological string A-model encodes the non-perturbative corrections to the hypermultiplet moduli space metric from general D1/D(-1)-brane instantons in 4d N=2 IIB models. We also discuss the reduction to 4d N=1 by fluxes and/or orientifolds and/or D-branes, and the prospects to resum brane instanton contributions to non-perturbative superpotentials. We argue that the conn…
ABJM theory in the presence of a half-BPS domain wall is dual to the D2-D4 probe brane system with nonzero worldvolume flux. The ABJM domain wall was recently shown to be integrable to lowest order in perturbation theory and bond dimension. In the present paper we show that the string theory dual of this system is integrable, namely that the string boundary conditions on the probe D4-brane preserve the integrability of the Green-Schwarz sigma model. Our result suggests that the ABJM domain wall is integrable to all loop orders and for any value of the bond dimension.
We discuss continuous and discrete sectors in the collective field theory of $d=1$ matrix models. A canonical Lorentz invariant field theory extension of collective field theory is presented and its classical solutions in Euclidean and Minkowski space are found. We show that the discrete, low density, sector of collective field theory includes single eigenvalue Euclidean instantons which tunnel between different vacua of the extended theory. We further show that these ``stringy" instantons induce non-perturbative effective operators of strength $e^{-{1\over g}}$ in the extended theory. The rel…
The supersymmetric abelian Higgs model with N scalar fields admits multiple domain wall solutions. We perform a Callias-type index calculation to determine the number of zero modes of this soliton. We confirm that the most general domain wall has 2(N-1) zero modes, which can be interpreted as the positions and phases of (N-1) constituent domain walls. This implies the existence of moduli for a D-string interpolating between N D5-branes in IIB string theory.
By embedding N=2 gauge theories in string theory and utilizing string dualities we map the counting of BPS states with arbitrary electric and magnetic charges to computations of an A-model topological string on an associated geometry constructed from the data of the SW curve. We show how the conjecture of Kontsevich and Soibelman regarding wall crossing, as well as a more refined version which captures the spin content of BPS states, is a natural consequence. Chern-Simons theory realized on A-branes and a twistorial construction play key roles.
Building on our previous results, we study D-brane/string prototypes in weakly coupled (3+1)-dimensional supersymmetric field theory engineered to support (2+1)-dimensional domain walls, "non-Abelian" strings and various junctions. Our main but not exclusive task is the study of localization of non-Abelian gauge fields on the walls. The model we work with is N=2 QCD, with the gauge group SU(2)x$U(1) and N_f=4 flavors of fundamental hypermultiplets (referred to as quarks), perturbed by the Fayet-Iliopoulos term of the U(1) factor. In the limit of large but almost equal quark mass terms a set of…
The recent BICEP2 result shows that the Universe once has gone through the vacuum with the GUT scale energy density. The implied high scale inflation nullifies the dilution idea of topological defects, strings and domain walls, of the axionic system. In particular, domain walls are disastrous if the domain wall problem with domain-wall number greater than 1 is present. We argue that the model-independent axion in string compactification with the anomalous U(1) gauge symmetry resolves the domain wall problem naturally with a symmetry principle.
We derive the wall crossing formula for the decay of a quarter BPS dyon into a pair of half-BPS dyons by analyzing the quantum dynamics of multi-centered black holes in N=4 supersymmetric string theories. Our analysis encompasses the cases where the final decay products are non-primitive dyons. The results are in agreement with the microscopic formula for the dyon spectrum in the special case of heterotic string theory on T^6.
We calculate bosonic massive closed string states at arbitrary mass levels scattered from Orientifold planes in the high-energy, fixed angle limit. For the case of O-particle scatterings, we obtain infinite linear relations among high-energy scattering amplitudes of different string states. We also confirm that there exist only closed string Regge poles in the form factor of the O-particle amplitudes as expected. For the case of O-domain-wall scatterings, we find that, like the well-known D-instanton scatterings, the amplitudes behave like field theory scatterings, namely UV power-law without …
We study the BPS counting functions (free energies) of the M-string configurations. We consider separated M5-branes along with M2-branes stretched between them, with M5-branes acting as domain walls interpolating different configurations of M2-branes. We find recursive structure in the free energies of these configurations. The M-string degrees of freedom on the domain walls are interpreted in terms of a pair of interacting supersymmetric WZW models. We also compute the elliptic genus of the M-string in a toy model of the ABJM theory and compare it with the M-theory computation.
Axion is a promising candidate of dark matter. After the Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking, axion strings are formed and attached by domain walls when the temperature of the universe becomes comparable to the QCD scale. Such objects can cause cosmological disasters if they are long-lived. As a solution for it, the Lazarides-Shafi mechanism is often discussed through introduction of a new non-Abelian (gauge) symmetry. We study this mechanism in detail and show configuration of strings and walls. Even if Abelian axion strings with a domain wall number greater than one are formed in the early univer…
We consider a model which in a certain limit reduces to the large N ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric SU(N) gauge theory without matter. The gaugino condensate in this model is controlled by the dynamics of an additional singlet superfield. Using this model we explicitly construct BPS domain walls arising due to the chiral symmetry breaking. In particular, in the large N limit we obtain the exact shapes of the domain walls corresponding to solitons, and also of the domain walls interpreted as D-branes on which the SQCD string can end, whose existence was previously argued by Witten in the context of…
We study strings between static quarks in QCD with $n_f$ adjoint fermions, including $N=1$ Super Yang-Mills (SYM), in the calculable regime on $\mathbb R^3\times \mathbb S^1$. We find that they have many qualitatively new features not previously known. The difference from other realizations of abelian confinement is due to the composite nature of magnetic bions, whose Dirac quantum with fundamental quarks is two, and to the unbroken part of the Weyl group. In particular we show that strings are composed of two domain walls, that quarks are not confined on domain walls, that strings can end on …
We present new supersymmetric domain wall and string solutions of five-dimensional N = 2 gauged supergravity coupled to an arbitrary number of vector multiplets. Using the techniques of very special geometry allows to obtain the most general domain wall preserving half of the supersymmetries. This solution, which describes a renormalization group flow in the dual field theory, is given in terms of Weierstrass elliptic functions. The magnetically charged, one quarter supersymmetric string solutions are shown to be closely related to Liouville theory. We furthermore investigate general product s…
We discuss the fate of the Z2 symmetry and the vacuum structure in an SU(N)xSU(N) gauge theory with one bifundamental Dirac fermion. This theory can be obtained from SU(2N) supersymmetric Yang--Mills (SYM) theory by virtue of Z2 orbifolding. We analyze dynamics of domain walls and argue that the Z2 symmetry is spontaneously broken. Since unbroken Z2 is a necessary condition for nonperturbative planar equivalence we conclude that the orbifold daughter is nonperturbatively nonequivalent to its supersymmetric parent. En route, our investigation reveals the existence of fractional domain walls, si…
As argued by Witten on the basis of M-theory, QCD strings can end on domain walls. We present an explanation of this effect in the framework of effective field theories for the Polyakov loop and the gluino condensate in N=1 supersymmetric QCD. The domain walls separating confined phases with different values of the gluino condensate are completely wet by a layer of deconfined phase at the high-temperature phase transition. As a consequence, even at low temperatures, the Polyakov loop has a non-vanishing expectation value on the domain wall. Thus, close to the wall, the free energy of a static …
Contrary to the standard model that does not admit topologically nontrivial solitons, two Higgs doublet models admit topologically stable vortex strings and domain walls. We numerically confirm the existence of a topological $Z$-string confining fractional $Z$-flux inside. We show that topological strings at $\sinθ_W = 0$ limit reduce to non-Abelian strings which possess non-Abelian moduli $S^2$ associated with spontaneous breakdown of the $SU(2)$ custodial symmetry. We numerically solve the equations of motion for various parameter choices. It is found that a gauging $U(1)_Y$ always lowers th…
In this article old and new relations between gauge fields and strings are discussed. We add new arguments that the Yang Mills theories must be described by the non-critical strings in the five dimensional curved space. The physical meaning of the fifth dimension is that of the renormalization scale represented by the Liouville field. We analyze the meaning of the zigzag symmetry and show that it is likely to be present if there is a minimal supersymmetry on the world sheet. We also present the new string backgrounds which may be relevant for the description of the ordinary bosonic Yang-Mills …
Domain walls in supersymmetric Yang-Mills are BPS configurations which preserve two supercharges of the parent theory and so their tensions are known exactly. On the other hand, they have been described as D-branes for the confining string. This leads to a description of their collective dynamics in terms of a 2+1 -dimensional gauge theory with two supersymmetries and a Chern-Simons term. We show that this open string description can capture the qualitative behaviour of the forces between the domain walls for an arbitrary configuration of n walls at leading order in 1/N, extending earlier calc…
We consider scalar and spinor particles in the spacetime of a domain wall in the context of low energy effective string theories, such as the generalized scalar-tensor gravity theories. This class of theories allows for an arbitrary coupling of the wall and the (gravitational) scalar field. First, we derive the metric of a wall in the weak-field approximation and we show that it depends on the wall's surface energy density and on two post-Newtonian parameters. Then, we solve the Klein-Gordon and the Dirac equations in this spacetime. We obtain the spectrum of energy eigenvalues and the current…
This paper could have been entitled "D branes and strings from flesh and blood." We study field theoretic prototypes of D branes/strings. To this end we consider (2+1)-dimensional domain walls in (3+1)-dimensional N=2 SQCD with SU(2) gauge group and two quark flavors in the fundamental representation. This theory is perturbed by a small mass term of the adjoint matter which, in the leading order in the mass parameter, does not break N=2 supersymmetry, and reduces to a (generalized) Fayet-Iliopoulos term in the effective low-energy N=2 SQED. We find 1/2 BPS-saturated domain wall solution interp…
