We show that there exist supersymmetric Minkowski vacua on Type IIB toroidal orientifold with general flux compactifications where the RR tadpole cancellation conditions can be relaxed and the Freed-Witten anomaly can be cancelled elegantly. We present a realistic Pati-Salam like flux model without the Freed-Witten anomaly. At the string scale, we can break the gauge symmetry down to the Standard Model (SM) gauge symmetry, achieve the gauge coupling unification naturally, and decouple all the extra chiral exotic particles. Thus, we have the supersymmetric SMs with/without SM singlet(s) below the string scale. Also, we can explain the SM fermion masses and mixings. In addition, the unified gauge coupling and the real parts of the dilaton and Kähler moduli are functions of the four-dimensional dilaton. The complex structure moduli and one linear combination of the imaginary parts of the Kähler moduli can be determined as functions of the fluxes and the dilaton.
We reconstruct non-trivial 6d theories obtained by Blum and Intriligator by considering IIB or SO(32) 5 branes at ALE spaces in the language of Hanany Witten setups. Using ST duality we make the equivalence of the two approaches manifest, thereby uncovering several new T-duality relations between the group theoretic data describing the embedding of the instantonic 5 brane in the ALE and brane positions in the Hanany Witten language. We construct several new 6d theories, which can be understood as arising on 5 branes in IIB orientifolds with oppositely charged orientifold planes recently introd…
5-branes of nontrivial topology are associated in the Diaconescu-Hanany-Witten-Witten (DHWW) approach with the Seiberg-Witten (SW) theory of low-energy effective actions. There are two different "pictures", related to the IIA and IIB phases of M-theory. They differ by the choice of $6d$ theory on the 5-brane world volume. In the IIB picture it is just the 6d SUSY Yang-Mills, while in the IIA picture it is a theory of SUSY self-dual 2-form. These two pictures appear capable to describe the (non-abelian) Lax operator and (abelian) low-energy effective action respectively. Thus IIB-IIA duality is…
We further develop the correspondence between representations of Ding-Iohara-Miki (DIM) algebra and Type IIB branes. In particular we explicitly compute the Hanany-Witten type 5-brane crossing operator which plays the role of the $R$-matrix and has interesting combinatorial properties. We explore the corresponding lattice integrable models and notice a possible connection with statistics of plane partitions.
We compute the three-graviton tree amplitude in Type IIB superstring theory compactified to six dimensions using the manifestly (6d) supersymmetric Berkovits-Vafa-Witten worldsheet variables. We consider two cases of background geometry: the flat space example R6xK3, and the curved example AdS3xS3xK3 with Ramond flux, and compute the correlation functions in the bulk.
We show that noncommutative gauge theories with arbitrary compact gauge group defined by means of the Seiberg-Witten map have the same one-loop anomalies as their commutative counterparts. This is done in two steps. By explicitly calculating the $ε^{\m_1\m_2\m_3\m_4}$ part of the renormalized effective action, we first find the would-be one-loop anomaly of the theory to all orders in the noncommutativity parameter $θ^{\m\n}$. And secondly we isolate in the would-be anomaly radiative corrections which are not BRS trivial. This gives as the only true anomaly occurring in the theory the standard …
We present a new type-IIB supergravity vacuum that describes the strong coupling regime of a non-supersymmetric gauge theory. The latter has a running coupling such that the theory becomes asymptotically free in the ultraviolet. It also has a running theta angle due to a non-vanishing axion field in the supergravity solution. We also present a worm-hole solution, which has finite action per unit four-dimensional volume and two asymptotic regions, a flat space and an AdS^5\times S^5. The corresponding N=2 gauge theory, instead of being finite, has a running coupling. We compute the quark-antiqu…
Turning on a NS-NS three-form flux in a compact space drives some D-branes to be either Freed-Witten anomalous or unstable to decay into fluxes by the appearance of instantonic branes. By applying T-duality on a toroidal compactification, the NS-flux is transformed into metric fluxes. We propose a T-dual version of the Atiyah-Hirzebruch Spectral Sequence upon which we describe the Freed-Witten anomaly and the brane-flux transition driven by NS and metric fluxes in a twisted torus. The required conditions to cancel the anomaly and the appearance of new instantonic branes are also described. In …
String equations for the vertex operators of type IIB on $AdS_3\times S^3$ background with NS-NS flux are calculated using Berkovits-Vafa-Witten formalism. With suitable field definitions, the linearized field equations for six-dimensional supergravity and a tensor multiplet on $AdS_3\times S^3$ are recovered from these. We also discuss the massless degrees of freedom that survive the $S^3$ Kaluza-Klein compactification and how our vertex operators are related to the vertex operators introduced by Giveon, Kutasov and Seiberg.
In this paper we find various new backgrounds in Type IIB, IIA and M-theory with an $AdS_3$-factor. The solutions are smooth and preserve small amounts of SUSY. These new backgrounds are found by application of non-Abelian T-duality (sometimes combined with T-duality) on the supergravity solution dual to the Klebanov-Witten CFT compactified to two dimensions. The field theory aspects encoded by these backgrounds are studied. We give a detailed account of conserved charges, central charges, entanglement entropy and Wilson loops. Further, we present a possible field theory interpretation for our…
We show that an earlier domain wall solution of type IIB supergravity provides a supersymmetric realization of the Randall-Sundrum brane-world, and give its ten-dimensional interpretation in terms of IIB 3-branes. We also explain how previous no-go theorems are circumvented. In particular, whereas D=5 supergravity scalars have AdS_5 energy E_0 <= 4 and are unable to support a D=5 positive tension brane, our scalar has E_0=8, and is the breathing mode of the S^5 compactification. Another essential element of the construction is the implementation of a Z_2 symmetry by patching together compactif…
In string theory D-branes can be classified by the RR-charge they carry. In the simplest case the quantized RR-charge takes values in K-theory of the spacetime manifold. However, if the D-brane worldvolume is not spin^c or if there is a background B-field present, the Freed-Witten anomaly cancellation condition requires the RR-charge to take values in twisted K-theory. Twisted K-theory can be defined using the language of noncommutative geometry, thus opening up a possibility for noncommutative generalizations, in particular of the Minasian-Moore formula for the classical approximation of the …
We consider a non-supersymmetric Hanany-Witten type IIB brane configuration that realises a three dimensional USp(2N) gauge theory with quarks in the two-index antisymmetric representation and SO(4) flavour symmetry. Using type IIB S-duality we find the mirror dual, an SO(2N-1) field theory with scalars in the antisymmetric representation. Analysing the magnetic dual we study the vacuum structure of the USp(2N) model and propose that the SO(4) global symmetry is unbroken. In order to support our proposal we present an SO(4) symmetric BIon configuration that describes anti-D3 branes polarising …
In the presence of background Neveu-Schwarz flux, the description of the Ramond-Ramond fields of type IIB string theory using twisted K-theory is not compatible with S-duality. We argue that other possible variants of twisted K-theory would still not resolve this issue. We propose instead a possible path to a solution using elliptic cohomology. We also discuss T-duality relation of this to a previous proposal for IIA theory, and higher-dimensional limits. In the process, we obtain some other results which may be interesting on their own. In particular, we prove a conjecture of Witten that the …
We discuss the different nature of the gauge theories on a D-brane or a stack of D-branes, in type II superstring theory, as follows from the Freed-Witten anomaly. Usually on a D-brane world-volume there is a standard gauge theory, described by the A-field thought of as a connection on a complex vector bundle. Actually, this is a particular case, even if it is the most common one. In order to get a complete picture, within the framework provided by the geometry of gerbes with connection, it is necessary to give a joint geometrical description of the A-field and the B-field, via the language of…
It is well-known that the low energy string theory admits a non-singular solitonic super five-brane solution which is the magnetic dual to the fundamental string solution. By using the symmetry of the type IIB string theory, we construct an SL(2, Z) multiplet of magnetically charged super five-branes starting from this solitonic solution. These solutions are characterized by two integral three-form charges $(q_1, q_2)$ and are stable when the integers are coprime. We obtain an expression for the tension of these $(q_1, q_2)$ five-branes as envisaged by Witten. The SL(2, Z) multiplets of black …
We compute the full classical 4d scalar potential of type IIA Calabi-Yau orientifolds in the presence of fluxes and D6-branes. We show that it can be written as a bilinear form $V = Z^{AB} ρ_Aρ_B$, where the $ρ_A$ are in one-to-one correspondence with the 4-form fluxes of the 4d effective theory. The $ρ_A$ only depend on the internal fluxes, the axions and the topological data of the compactification, and are fully determined by the Freed-Witten anomalies of branes that appear as 4d string defects. The quadratic form $Z^{AB}$ only depends on the saxionic partners of these axions. In general, t…
It has been shown that the Alvarez-Gaum$\mathrm{\acute{e}}$-Witten miraculous anomaly cancellation formula in type IIB superstring theory and its various generalizations can be derived from modularity of certain characteristic forms. In this paper, we show that the Green-Schwarz formula and the Schwarz-Witten formula in type I superstring theory can also be derived from the modularity of those characteristic forms and thus unify the Alvarez-Gaum$\mathrm{\acute{e}}$-Witten formula, the Green-Schwarz formula as well as the Schwarz-Witten formula in the same framework. Various generalizations of …
We consider random superstrings of type IIB in $d$-dimensional space. The discretized action is constructed from the supersymetric matrix model, which has been proposed as a constructive definition of superstring theory. Our action is invariant under the local N=2 super transformations, and doesn't have any redundant fermionic degrees of freedom.
We discuss the structure of 4D gauged supergravity algebras corresponding to globally non-geometric compactifications of F-theory, admitting a local geometric description in terms of 10D supergravity. By starting with the well known algebra of gauge generators associated to non-geometric type IIB fluxes, we derive a full algebra containing all, closed RR and NSNS, geometric and non-geometric dual fluxes. We achieve this generalization by a systematic application of SL(2,Z) duality transformations and by taking care of the spinorial structure of the fluxes. The resulting algebra encodes much in…
We study the IIB engineering of N=1 gauge theories with unitary gauge group and matter in the adjoint and (anti)symmetric representations. We show that such theories can be obtained as Z2 orientifolds of Calabi-Yau A2 fibrations, and discuss the explicit T-duality transformation to an orientifolded Hanany-Witten construction. The low energy dynamics is described by a geometric transition of the orientifolded background. Unlike previously studied cases, we show that the orientifold 5-`plane' survives the transition, thus bringing a nontrivial contribution to the effective superpotential. We ext…
We generalize the recent proposal that invariance under T-duality leads to additional non-geometric fluxes required so that superpotentials in type IIA and type IIB orientifolds match. We show that invariance under type IIB S-duality requires the introduction of a new set of fluxes leading to further superpotential terms. We find new classes of N=1 supersymmetric Minkowski vacua based on type IIB toroidal orientifolds in which not only dilaton and complex moduli but also Kahler moduli are fixed. The chains of dualities relating type II orientifolds to heterotic and M-theory compactifications s…
Noncommutative versions of theories with a gauge freedom define (when they exist) consistent deformations of their commutative counterparts. General aspects of Seiberg-Witten maps are discussed from this point of view. In particular, the existence of the Seiberg-Witten maps for various noncommutative theories is related to known cohomological theorems on the rigidity of the gauge symmetries of the commutative versions. In technical terms, the Seiberg-Witten maps define canonical transformations in the antibracket that make the solutions of the master equation for the commutative and noncommuta…
We consider type IIB string in the two plane-wave backgrounds which may be interpreted as special limits of the AdS_3 x S^3 metric supported by either the NS-NS or R-R 3-form field. The NS-NS plane-wave string model is equivalent to a direct generalization of the Nappi-Witten model, with its spectrum being similar to that of strings in constant magnetic field. The R-R model can be solved in the light-cone gauge, where the Green-Schwarz action describes 4 massive and 4 massless copies of free bosons and fermions. We find the spectra of the two string models and study the asymptotic density of s…
The magnitude of the vacuum expectation value of the Gukov-Vafa-Witten superpotential $|W_0|$ plays a central role in the phenomenology of type IIB flux compactifications. Recent analytical constructions have shown that perturbatively flat vacua can be used to obtain very low values of $|W_0|$. We present systematic algorithms to carry out exhaustive numerical searches for such vacua. We also analyse them in the statistical context, as part of the entire ensemble of type IIB flux vacua at low $|W_0|$. Our preliminary analysis indicates that these perturbatively flat vacua are statistically spa…
F-theoretic constructions can alternatively be understood as consequences of certain N = 2 Seiberg-Witten theories via type IIB r D3s probing the quantum corrected orientifold backgrounds. We present four models that come out from such consideration. In Model 1, the 7-branes wrap the flat R^4 directions, leading to the well known Sp(2r) theories. We study singularity structure of moduli space of Seiberg-Witten curve, such as maximal Argyres-Douglas loci, in order to construct 1-1 map between moduli spaces. In Model 2, the 7-branes are wrapped on Taub-NUT and multi Taub-NUT spaces instead of R^…
We review the generalized Witten-Nester spinor stability argument for flat domain wall solutions of gravitational theories. Neither the field theory nor the solution need be supersymmetric. Nor is the space-time dimension restricted. We develop the non-trivial extension required for AdS-sliced domain walls and apply this to show that the recently proposed "Janus" solution of Type IIB supergravity is stable non-perturbatively for a broad class of deformations. Generalizations of this solution to arbitrary dimension and a simple curious linear dilaton solution of Type IIB supergravity are byprod…
N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories for all classical gauge groups, that is, for SU(N), SO(N), and Sp(N) is considered. The equations which define the Seiberg-Witten curve are proposed. In some cases they are solved. It is shown that for (almost) all models allowed by the asymptotic freedom the 1-instanton corrections which follows from these equations agree with the direct computations and with known results.
Seiberg-Witten maps and a recently proposed construction of noncommutative Yang-Mills theories (with matter fields) for arbitrary gauge groups are reformulated so that their existence to all orders is manifest. The ambiguities of the construction which originate from the freedom in the Seiberg-Witten map are discussed with regard to the question whether they can lead to inequivalent models, i.e., models not related by field redefinitions.
We study the wrapping of N type IIB Dp-branes on a compact Riemann surface $Σ$ in genus $g>1$ by means of the Sen-Witten construction, as a superposition of N' type IIB Dp'-brane/antibrane pairs, with $p'>p$. A background Neveu-Schwarz field B deforms the commutative $C^{\star}$-algebra of functions on $Σ$ to a noncommutative $C^{\star}$-algebra. Our construction provides an explicit example of the $N'\to\infty$ limit advocated by Bouwknegt-Mathai and Witten in order to deal with twisted K-theory. We provide the necessary elements to formulate M(atrix) theory on this new $C^{\star}$-algebra, b…
We study the world volume Hawking temperature of all type IIB rotating probe Dp-branes, dual to the temperature of different flavors at finite R-charge, in the Ben Ami-Kuperstein-Sonnenschein holographic models including the effects of spontaneous breakdown of the conformal and chiral flavor symmetry. The model embeds type IIB probe flavor Dp-branes into the Klebanov-Witten gravity dual of conformal gauge theory, with the embedding parameter, given by the minimal radial extension of the probes, setting the IR scale of conformal and chiral flavor symmetry breakdown. We show that when the minima…
A connection is made between the Witten index of relevance to threshold bound states of D-particles in the type IIA superstring theory and the measure that enters D-instanton sums for processes dominated by single multiply-charged D-instantons in the type IIB theory.
We construct compact examples of D-manifolds for type IIB strings. The construction has a natural interpretation in terms of compactification of a 12 dimensional `F-theory'. We provide evidence for a more natural reformulation of type IIB theory in terms of F-theory. Compactification of M-theory on a manifold $K$ which admits elliptic fibration is equivalent to compactification of F-theory on $K\times S^1$. A large class of $N=1$ theories in 6 dimensions are obtained by compactification of F-theory on Calabi-Yau threefolds. A class of phenomenologically promising compactifications of F-theory …
We present non-trivial checks of three dimensional mirror symmetry for $\mathcal{N}=4$, $\hat{D}_N$ quiver gauge theories with unitary gauge groups using partition function on a round sphere. Type IIB (Hanany-Witten) realization of these theories and their mirror duals (as world volume gauge theories on coincident D3 branes) involve 1/2-BPS boundary conditions associated with orbifold and orientifold 5-planes respectively, in addition to NS5 and D5 branes. We demonstrate that partition function for a given quiver in this class may be decomposed into distinct contributions from the aforemention…
We study the effect of flux-induced isometry gauging of the scalar manifold in N=2 heterotic string compactification with gauge fluxes. We show that a vanishing theorem by Witten provides the protection mechanism. The other ungauged isometries in hyper moduli space could also be protected, depending on the gauge bundle structure. We also discuss the related issue in IIB setting
We describe a method for finding flux vacua of type IIB string theory in which the Gukov-Vafa-Witten superpotential is exponentially small. We present an example with $W_0 \approx 2 \times 10^{-8}$ on an orientifold of a Calabi-Yau hypersurface with $(h^{1,1},h^{2,1})=(2,272)$, at large complex structure and weak string coupling.
We present the holographic dual for the strongly coupled, low energy dynamics of balanced ${\cal N}=4$ field theories in $(2+1)$ dimensions. The infinite family of Type IIB backgrounds with AdS$_4\times S^2\times S^2$ factors is described in terms of a Laplace problem with suitable boundary conditions. The system describes an array of D3, NS5 and D5 branes. We study various aspects of these Hanany--Witten set-ups (number of branes, linking numbers, dimension of the Higgs and Coulomb branches) and encode them in holographic calculations. A generic expression for the Free Energy/Holographic Cent…
In order to study vertex operators for the Type IIB superstring on AdS space, we derive supersymmetric constraint equations for the vertex operators in AdS3xS3 backgrounds with Ramond-Ramond flux, using Berkovits-Vafa-Witten variables. These constraints are solved to compute the vertex operators and show that they satisfy the linearized D=6, N=(2,0) equations of motion for a supergravity and tensor multiplet expanded around the AdS3xS3 spacetime.
We study wo distinct theta-exact Seiberg-Witten (SW) map expansions, (I) and (II) respectively, up to the e3 order for the gauge parameter, gauge field and the gauge field strengths of the noncommutative U*(1) gauge theory on the Moyal space. We derive explicitly the closed form expression for the SW map ambiguity between the two and observe the emergence of several new totally commutative generalized star products. We also identify the additional gauge freedoms within each of the e3 order field strength expansions and define corresponding sets of deformation/ratio/weight parameters, (kappa,ka…
By dealing with the evaluation of string theory correlators of $<V_C V_T V_{\barΨ} V_Ψ>$, the complete and closed form of the amplitude of two fermion fields, one tachyon and one closed string Ramond-Ramond field in type IIB superstring theory is found. Specifically by comparing infinite tachyon poles in field theory amplitude with infinite tachyon poles of the S-matrix of string amplitude (for $p+1=n$ case), all the infinite higher derivative corrections of two tachyons and two fermions (in type IIB) to all orders of $α'$ have been discovered. Using these new couplings, we are able to produce…
We compute supersymmetric indices to test mirror symmetry of three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ gauge theories and dualities of half-BPS enriched boundary conditions and interfaces in four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ Super Yang-Mills theory. We find the matching of indices as strong evidences for various dualities of the 3d interfaces conjectured by Gaiotto and Witten under the action of S-duality in Type IIB string theory.
We consider several orbifold compactifications of M-theory and their corresponding type II duals in two space-time dimensions. In particular, we show that while the orbifold compactification of M-theory on $T^9/J_9$ is dual to the orbifold compactification of type IIB string theory on $T^8/I_8$, the same orbifold $T^8/I_8$ of type IIA string theory is dual to M-theory compactified on a smooth product manifold $K3 \times T^5$. Similarly, while the orbifold compactification of M-theory on $(K3 \times T^5)/σ... J_5$ is dual to the orbifold compactification of type IIB string theory on $(K3 \times…
We study the rigid limit of type IIB string theory, compactified on a K3 fibration, which, near its conifold limit, contains the Seiberg-Witten curve for N=2 SU(2) Super-Yang-Mills with a massive hypermultiplet in the fundamental representation. Instead of working with an ALE approximation, we treat the K3 fibration globally. The periods we get in this way, allow for an embedding of the field theory into a supergravity model.
In a string calculation to order $α'^3$, we compute an eight-derivative four-dilaton term in the type IIB effective action. Following the AdS prescription, we compute the order $(g_{YM}^2N_c)^{-3/2}$ correction to the four-point correlation function involving the operator $tr F^2$ in four dimensional N=4 super Yang-Mills using the string corrected type IIB action extending the work of Freedman et al. (hep-th/9808006). In the limit where two of the Yang-Mills operators approach each other, we find that our correction to the four-point correlation functions develops a logarithmic singularity. We…
Seiberg-Witten maps are a well-established method to locally construct noncommutative gauge theories starting from commutative gauge theories. We revisit and classify the ambiguities and the freedom in the definition. Geometrically, Seiberg-Witten maps provide a quantization of bundles with connections. We study the case of U(n)-vector bundles on two-dimensional tori, prove the existence of globally defined Seiberg-Witten maps (induced from the plane to the torus) and show their compatibility with Morita equivalence.
We propose a string theory realization of three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ quiver gauge theories with special unitary gauge groups. This is most easily understood in type IIA string theory with D4-branes wrapped on holomorphic curves in local K3's, by invoking the Stückelberg mechanism. From the type IIB perspective, this is understood as simply compactifying the familiar Hanany-Witten (HW) constructions on a $T^3$. The mirror symmetry duals are easily derived. We illustrate this with various examples of mirror pairs.
We show that the SL(2,R) duality symmetry of type IIB superstring theory can be formulated as the canonical transformation interchanging momenta and magnetic degrees of freedom associated to the abelian world-volume gauge field of the D-3-brane. D-strings are shown to be connected under the corresponding transformation in the world-sheet to the (m,n) family of string solutions of type IIB supergravity constructed by Schwarz. For the type IIA superstring the D-2-brane is mapped under the three dimensional world-volume electric-magnetic duality to the dimensional reduction of the membrane of M-t…
We analyze a class of conical G_2 metrics admitting two commuting isometries, together with a certain one-parameter family of G_2 deformations which preserves these symmetries. Upon using recent results of Calderbank and Pedersen, we write down the explicit G_2 metric for the most general member of this family and extract the IIA reduction of M-theory on such backgrounds, as well as its type IIB dual. By studying the asymptotics of type II fields around the relevant loci, we confirm the interpretation of such backgrounds in terms of localized IIA 6-branes and delocalized IIB 5-branes. In parti…
We derive four dimensional gauge theories with exceptional groups $F_4$, $E_8$, $E_7$, and $E_7$ with matter, by starting from the duality between the heterotic string on $K3$ and F-theory on a elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau 3-fold. This configuration is compactified to four dimensions on a torus, and by employing toric geometry, we compute the type IIB mirrors of the Calabi-Yaus of the type IIA string theory. We identify the Seiberg-Witten curves describing the gauge theories as ALE spaces fibered over a $P^1$ base.
We develop the notion of double holography in Type IIB string theory realizations of braneworld models. The Type IIB setups are based on the holographic duals of 4d BCFTs comprising 4d $\mathcal N=4$ SYM on a half space coupled to 3d $\mathcal N=4$ SCFTs on the boundary. Based on the concrete BCFTs and their brane construction, we provide microscopic realizations of the intermediate holographic description, obtained by dualizing only the 3d degrees of freedom. Triggered by recent observations in bottom-up models, we discuss the causal structures in the full BCFT duals and intermediate descript…
We examine orbifolds of the IIB string via gauged supergravity. For the gravity duals of the A_{n-1} quiver gauge theories, we extract the massless degrees of freedom and assemble them into multiplets of N=4 gauged supergravity in five dimensions. We examine the embedding of the gauge group into the isometry group of the scalar manifold, as well as the symmetries of the scalar potential. From this we find that there is a large SU(1,n) symmetry group which relates different RG flows in the dual quiver gauge theory. We find that this symmetry implies an extension of the usual duality between ten…
A recent paper by Moore and Witten explained that Ramond-Ramond fields in Type II superstring theory have a global meaning in K-theory. In this note we amplify and generalize some points raised in that paper. In particular, we express the coupling of the Ramond-Ramond fields to D-branes in a K-theoretic framework and show that the anomaly in this coupling exactly cancels the anomaly from the fermions on the brane, both in Type IIA and Type IIB.
