We study supersymmetric AdS$_7$ vacua of massive type IIA string theory, which were argued to describe the near-horizon limit of NS5/D6/D8-brane intersections and to be holographically dual to 6D $(1,0)$ theories. We show, for the case without D8-brane charges, that such vacua do not admit any supersymmetry-breaking deformations. Our result implies that the dual $(1,0)$ theories do not have a conformal manifold, thus extending previously known results for supersymmetric deformations. It is also in line with the recent conjecture that non-supersymmetric AdS vacua are in the swampland.
We study soft SUSY breaking parameters in the Nelson-Strassler type of models: SUSY standard models coupled with SCFTs. In this type of models, soft SUSY breaking parameters including sfermion masses can be suppressed around the decoupling scale of SCFTs. We clarify the condition to derive exponential suppression of sfermion masses within the framework of pure SCFTs. Such behavior is favorable for degeneracy of sfermion masses. However, the realistic sfermion masses are not quite degenerate due to the gauge couplings and the gaugino masses in the SM sector. We show the sfermion mass spectrum o…
We study the vacuum structure of the U(N) gauge model with partially broken N=2 supersymmetry. From the analysis of the classical vacua of this model, we point out that in addition to the ordinary N=1 supersymmetric vacua, there are vacua with negative gauge coupling constants, which preserve another N=1 supersymmetry. These latter vacua can be analyzed by using SUSY/non-SUSY duality which is recently proposed by Aganagic, Beem, Seo and Vafa. A dual description of these in UV is U(N) gauge theory where the supersymmetry is broken by spurion superfields. Following them, we see that there are su…
We summarize the results and the ideas in 1707.06152, 1707.06154, 1807.07768 where new warped $\mathrm{AdS}_3$ backgrounds are derived in massive IIA string theory by uplifting exact solutions in $\mathcal N=1$, $d=7$ and $\mathcal N=(1,1)$, $d=6$ gauged supergravities. These solutions are respectively asymptotically $\mathrm{AdS}_7$ and $\mathrm{AdS}_6$ and they are related to the D2-D4-NS5-D6-D8 brane intersection. We provide a particular supergravity solution in 10d describing this bound state and we discuss the relations between its near-horizon geometry and the uplifts from 6d and 7d. The…
Many N=1 heterotic string compactifications exhibit physically mysterious singularities at codimension one in the moduli space of vacua. At these singularities, Yukawa couplings of charged fields develop poles as a function of the moduli. We explain these conformal field theory singularities, in a class of examples, as arising from non-perturbative gauge dynamics of non-perturbative gauge bosons (whose gauge coupling is the sigma model coupling) in the string theory.
We discuss spontaneous supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking mechanisms by means of modulated vacua in four-dimensional ${\cal N} =1$ supersymmetric field theories. The SUSY breaking due to spatially modulated vacua is extended to the cases of temporally and lightlike modulated vacua, using a higher-derivative model with a chiral superfield, free from the Ostrogradsky instability and the auxiliary field problem. For all the kinds of modulated vacua, SUSY is spontaneously broken and the fermion in the chiral superfield becomes a Goldstino. We further investigate the stability of the modulated vacua. Th…
We search for models of dynamical SUSY breaking in meta-stable vacua which might have dual string descriptions with a few brane probes. Two models with quartic superpotential are proposed: One of them might be closely related to the dual gauge theory to the flavored Maldacena-Nunez geometry by Casero, Nunez, and Paredes with a few additional brane probes corresponding to massive flavors. The other model might be dual to the Klebanov-Strassler geometry with one fractional D3-brane and a few D7-branes as probes.
We elaborate on the recently discovered spinor-vector duality in realistic free fermionic heterotic vacua. We emphasize the interpretation of the freely-acting orbifolds carried out on the six internal dimensions as coordinate-dependent compactifications; they play a central role in the duality, especially because of their ability to break the right-moving superconformal algebra of the space-time supersymmetric heterotic vacua. These considerations lead to a simple and intuitive proof of the spinor-vector duality, and to the formulation of explicit rules to find the dual of a given model. We d…
A classification of soft SUSY breaking deformation of general four dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFT is provided. Given the large class of newly discovered $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFTs and their known properties such as the central charges and full information of BPS operators, it is possible to get a huge number of new $\mathcal{N}=1$ SCFTs and non-supersymmetric CFTs. Many properties of these new $\mathcal{N}=1$ SCFTs such as central charges, chiral spectrum and Seiberg duality can be derived from known information of parent $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFT.
New types of confining phase emerge when some singular SCFT's appearing as infrared fixed points of N=2 supersymmetric QCD (SQCD) are deformed by an N=1 adjoint mass term. We make further checks on the Gaiotto-Seiberg-Tachikawa (GST) description of these vacua against the symmetry and vacuum counting argument, and show that the GST variables correctly describe these systems, brought into confinement phase by the N=1 perturbation. Several examples of such vacua, USp(2N) and SU(N) theories with four flavors and SO(N) theories with one or two flavors, are discussed.
We consider known examples of non-supersymmetric AdS$_7$ and AdS$_4$ solutions arising from compactifications of massive type IIA supergravity and study their stability, taking into account the coupling between closed- and open-string sector excitations. Generically, open strings are found to develop modes with masses below the Breitenlohner-Freedman (BF) bound. We comment on the relation with the Weak Gravity Conjecture, and how this analysis may play an important role in examining the validity of non-supersymmetric constructions in string theory.
We study four-dimensional $N=4$ gauged supergravity coupled to six vector multiplets with semisimple gauge groups $SO(4)\times SO(4)$, $SO(3,1)\times SO(3,1)$ and $SO(4)\times SO(3,1)$. All of these gauge groups are dyonically embedded in the global symmetry group $SO(6,6)$ via its maximal subgroup $SO(3,3)\times SO(3,3)$. For $SO(4)\times SO(4)$ gauge group, there are four $N=4$ supersymmetric $AdS_4$ vacua with $SO(4)\times SO(4)$, $SO(4)\times SO(3)$, $SO(3)\times SO(4)$ and $SO(3)\times SO(3)$ symmetries, respectively. These $AdS_4$ vacua correspond to $N=4$ SCFTs in three dimensions with …
3d SUSY enhancement with non-trivial Coulomb branch via 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFT
Osaka Metropolitan University（大阪公立大学）；Nambu Yoichiro Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (NITEP) Osaka Metropolitan University（南部阳一郎理论物理与实验研究所）；Osaka Central Advanced Mathematical Institute (OCAMI) Osaka Metropolitan University（大阪中央先进数学研究所）；Meiji Gakuin University（明治学院大学）；Institute for Mathematical Informatics, Meiji Gakuin University（明治学院大学数学信息学研究所）
本文提出一种三维 $\mathcal{N}=2$ CS 物质理论，其流到具有非平凡 Coulomb 分支的 3d $\mathcal{N}=4$ SCFT，揭示了 4d R-电荷与 3d Coulomb 分支味电荷的混合机制。
We study N=1 compactification of IIB supergravity to AdS4. The internal manifold must have SU(2)-structure. By putting some restrictions on the SU(2) torsion classes, we can perform an exhaustive scan of all possible solutions on group manifolds. We show that sourceless solutions don't exist and that the presence of O5 and O7 orientifolds is mandatory. We also find a new solution and relate it by T-duality to a known type IIA solution with O6 planes.
In conformal field theories (CFTs) of dimension $d>3$, two-dimensional (2d) conformal defects are characterised in part by central charges defined via the defect's contribution to the trace anomaly. However, in general for interacting CFTs these central charges are difficult to calculate. For superconformal 2d defects in supersymmetric (SUSY) CFTs (SCFTs), we show how to compute these defect central charges from the SUSY partition function either on $S^d$ with defect along $S^2$, or on $S^1 \times S^{d-1}$ with defect along $S^1 \times S^1$. In the latter case we propose that defect central ch…
We construct local operators in short representations of supersymmetry algebras from polyvector fields on the quantum moduli space of vacua of supersymmetric gauge theories. These operators form a super Lie algebra under a natural bracket operation with structure constants determined by terms in the operator product expansion of the corresponding operators. We propose a formula for the superconformal index in terms of an index over polyvector fields on the moduli space of vacua. Along the way, we construct several models with moduli space of vacua corresponding to affine cones over smooth base…
We study a natural generalization of that given in [arXiv:2005.13198 [hep-th]] to heterotic string. Namely, starting from the generic Gepner models for Calabi-Yau 3-folds, we construct the non-SUSY heterotic string vacua with the vanishing cosmological constant at the one loop. We especially focus on the asymmetric orbifolding based on some discrete subgroup of the chiral $U(1)$-action which acts on both of the Gepner model and the $SO(32)$ or $E_8\times E_8$-sector. We present a classification of the relevant orbifold models leading to the string vacua with the properties mentioned above. In …
We study the full moduli space of vacua of 6d worldvolume SCFTs on M5 branes probing an $A$-type singularity, focusing on the geometric incarnation of the discrete gauging mechanism which acts as a discrete quotient on the Higgs branch fibered over the tensor branch. We combine insights from brane constructions and magnetic quiver techniques, in which discrete gauging is implemented through the concept of decoration introduced in [arXiv:2202.01218]. We discover and characterize new transverse slices between phases of 6d SCFTs, identifying some of them with a family of isolated symplectic singu…
Using the method of simple current extensions, asymmetric Gepner models of Type IIB with N=1 space-time supersymmetry are constructed. The combinatorics of the massless vector fields suggests that these classical Minkowski string vacua provide fully backreacted solutions corresponding to N=1 minima of N=2 gauged supergravity. The latter contain abelian gaugings along the axionic isometries in the hypermultiplet moduli space, and can be considered as Type IIB flux compactifications on Calabi-Yau manifolds equipped with (non-)geometric fluxes. For a particular class of asymmetric Gepner models, …
Instanton partition functions of 5d N=1 gauge theories are Witten indices for the ADHM gauged quantum mechanics with (0,4) SUSY. We derive the integral contour prescriptions for these indices using the Jeffrey-Kirwan method, for gauge theories with hypermultiplets in various representations. The results can be used to study various 4d/5d/6d QFTs. In this paper, we study 5d SCFTs which are at the UV fixed points of 5d SYM theories. In particular, we focus on the Sp(N) theories with N_f \leq 7 fundamental and 1 antisymmetric hypermultiplets, living on the D4-D8-O8 systems. Their superconformal i…
We consider quiver gauge theories arising on D-branes at simple Calabi-Yau singularities (quotients of the conifold). These theories have metastable supersymmetry breaking vacua. The field theoretic mechanism is basically the one exhibited by the examples of Intriligator, Seiberg and Shih in SUSY QCD. In a dual description, the SUSY breaking is captured by the presence of anti-branes. In comparison to our earlier related work, the main improvements of the present construction are that we can reach the free magnetic range of the SUSY QCD theory where the existence of the metastable vacua is on …
All known interacting 6D superconformal field theories (SCFTs) have a tensor branch which includes anti-chiral two-forms and a corresponding lattice of string charges. Automorphisms of this lattice preserve the Dirac pairing and specify discrete global and gauge symmetries of the 6D theory. In this paper we compute this automorphism group for 6D SCFTs. This discrete data determines the geometric structure of the moduli space of vacua. Upon compactification, these automorphisms generate Seiberg-like dualities, as well as additional theories in discrete quotients by the 6D global symmetries. Whe…
We present three infinite families of supersymmetric Type IIB backgrounds with AdS$_4$, AdS$_3$ and AdS$_2$ factors, dual to SCFTs in $3$, $2$ and $1$ space-time dimensions respectively. These field theories emerge at low energies, after a twisted compactification of a family of five dimensional ${\cal N}=2$ SCFTs on hyperbolic spaces. The holographic flows across dimensions are explicitly computed. We also discuss a family of SUSY breaking backgrounds, dual to a QCD-like quiver with massive (bi)fundamental matter. Some field theoretical observables are computed for these theories at the fixed…
We study the conformal dimensions of the would-be dual operators to the stabilized moduli for two non-supersymmetric DGKT vacua. For the first of them, related to the standard SUSY DGKT vacuum by $G_4=-G_4^{\text{SUSY}}$, we obtain integer conformal dimensions. For the second of them, which has a non-zero harmonic component in $G_2$, we obtain both integers and real numbers.
7D (non-)susy vacua & DWs from dynamical open strings
INFN, Sezione di Roma2（意大利国家核物理研究所罗马第二分部）；Galileo Galilei Institute for Theoretical Physics（伽利略·伽利莱理论物理研究所）；Universidad de Oviedo（奥维耶多大学）；Instituto Universitario de Ciencias y Tecnologías Espaciales de Asturias (ICTEA)（阿斯图里亚斯宇宙科学与技术大学研究所）
We classify the N=4 supersymmetric AdS5 backgrounds that arise as solutions of five-dimensional N=4 gauged supergravity. We express our results in terms of the allowed embedding tensor components and identify the structure of the associated gauge groups. We show that the moduli space of these AdS vacua is of the form SU(1,m)/(U(1)x SU(m)) and discuss our results regarding holographically dual N=2 SCFTs and their conformal manifolds.
We use holography to compute the large-$N$ effective field theory along the moduli space of vacua of an infinite class of three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFTs admitting a dual M-theory description. We focus in particular on toric models and show how the spectrum of large $R$-charge SCFT chiral scalar operators corresponds to a set of explicit semiclassical solutions of our effective field theory, which describe bound states of backreacting giant gravitons and baryonic-like M5-branes. Our semiclassical description allows for a direct computation of the scaling dimensions of these operators a…
In N=1 supergravity the scalar potential may have supersymmetric (SUSY) and non-supersymmetric Minkowski vacua (associated with supersymmetric and physical phases) with vanishing energy density. In the supersymmetric Minkowski (second) phase some breakdown of SUSY may be induced by non-perturbative effects in the observable sector that give rise to a tiny positive vacuum energy density. Postulating the exact degeneracy of the physical and second vacua as well as assuming that at high energies the couplings in both phases are almost identical, one can estimate the dark energy density in these v…
We search for viable models of direct gauge mediation, where the SUSY-breaking sector is (generalized) SQCD, which has cosmologically favorable uplifted vacua even when the reheating temperature is well above the messenger scale. This requires a relatively large tadpole term in the scalar potential for the spurion field X and, consequently, we argue that pure (deformed) SQCD is not a viable model. On the other hand, in SQCD with an adjoint, which is natural e.g. in string theory, assuming an appropriate sign in the Kahler potential for X, such metastable vacua are possible.
We consider four dimensional quantum field theories which have a continuous manifold of inequivalent exact ground states -- a moduli space of vacua. Classically, the singular points on the moduli space are associated with extra massless particles. Quantum mechanically these singularities can be smoothed out. Alternatively, new massless states appear there. These may be the elementary massless particles or new massless bound states.
We initiate a systematic analysis of moduli spaces of vacua of four dimensional $\mathcal{N}=3$ SCFTs. Our analysis is based on the one hand on the properties of $\mathcal{N}=3$ chiral rings --- which we review in detail and contrast with chiral rings of theories with less supersymmetry --- and on the other hand on constraints coming from low-energy supersymmetry. This leads us to introduce a new type of geometric structure, which characterizes $\mathcal{N}=3$ SCFT moduli spaces, and that we call $triple\ special\ Kähler$ (TSK). A rank-$n$ TSK moduli space has complex dimension $3n$, and is si…
The algebraic structures related with integrable structure of superconformal field theory (SCFT) are introduced. The SCFT counterparts of Baxter's Q-operator are constructed. The fusion-like relations for the transfer-matrices in different representations and their truncations are obtained.
We study certain exactly marginal gaugings involving arbitrary numbers of Argyres-Douglas (AD) theories and show that the resulting Schur indices are related to those of certain Lagrangian theories of class $\mathcal{S}$ via simple transformations. By writing these quantities in the language of 2D topological quantum field theory (TQFT), we easily read off the $S$-duality action on the flavor symmetries of the AD quivers and also find expressions for the Schur indices of various classes of exotic AD theories appearing in different decoupling limits. The TQFT expressions for these latter theori…
We study supersymmetry breaking metastable vacua arising from beta deformed quiver gauge theories. The relation between the bounds on metastability and the deformation are discussed. Metastable supersymmetry breaking vacua are found in the IR of beta deformed cascading quivers with vector-like field content. Furthermore the limiting case of massive Nf=Nc SQCD appears in the IR of gauge theories with chiral-like field content. We comment on the field theory origin of the deformation and on possible applications in AdS/CFT.
We find an expression for the effective superpotential describing the $N_c$ vacua of $SU(N_c)$ SUSY gluodynamics. The superpotential reduces in some approximation to the Veneziano-Yankielowicz expression amended by the term restoring the discrete $Z_{2N_c}$ symmetry. Moreover, the superpotential, being restricted to one particular vacuum state, yields the expression which was derived recently to describe all the lowest-spin physical states of the theory. The corresponding scalar potential has no cusp singularities and can be used to study the domain walls interpolating between the chirally asy…
We study lower bounds on the minimal distance in theory space between four-dimensional superconformal field theories (SCFTs) connected via broad classes of renormalization group (RG) flows preserving various amounts of supersymmetry (SUSY). For N=1 RG flows, the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) endpoints of the flow can be parametrically close. On the other hand, for RG flows emanating from a maximally supersymmetric SCFT, the distance to the IR theory cannot be arbitrarily small regardless of the amount of (non-trivial) SUSY preserved along the flow. The case of RG flows from N=2 UV SCFTs i…
We study supersymmetric intersections of NS5-, D6- and D8-branes in type IIA string theory. We focus on the supergravity description of this system and identify a "near horizon" limit in which we recover the recently classified supersymmetric seven-dimensional AdS solutions of massive type IIA supergravity. Using a consistent truncation to seven-dimensional gauged supergravity we construct a universal supersymmetric deformation of these AdS vacua. In the holographic dual six-dimensional (1,0) superconformal field theory this deformation describes a universal RG flow on the tensor branch of the…
We propose a new way of using geometric transitions to study metastable vacua in string theory and certain confining gauge theories. The gauge theories in question are N=2 supersymmetric theories deformed to N=1 by superpotential terms. We first geometrically engineer supersymmetry-breaking vacua by wrapping D5 branes on rigid 2-cycles in noncompact Calabi-Yau geometries, such that the central charges of the branes are misaligned. In a limit of slightly misaligned charges, this has a gauge theory description, where supersymmetry is broken by Fayet-Iliopoulos D-terms. Geometric transitions rela…
We obtain the joint distribution of the gravitino mass and the cosmological constant in KKLT and LVS models with anti-D3 brane uplifting described via the nilpotent goldstino formalism. Moduli stabilisation (of both complex structure and Kaehler moduli) is incorporated so that we sample only over points corresponding to vacua. Our key inputs are the distributions of the flux superpotential, the string coupling and the hierarchies of warped throats. In the limit of zero cosmological constant, we find that both in KKLT and LVS the distributions are tilted favourably towards lower scales of super…
Dynamical supersymmetry breaking in a long-lived meta-stable vacuum is a phenomenologically viable possibility. This relatively unexplored avenue leads to many new models of dynamical supersymmetry breaking. Here, we present a surprisingly simple class of models with meta-stable dynamical supersymmetry breaking: N=1 supersymmetric QCD, with massive flavors. Though these theories are strongly coupled, we definitively demonstrate the existence of meta-stable vacua by using the free-magnetic dual. Model building challenges, such as large flavor symmetries and the absence of an R-symmetry, are eas…
It is well known that global symmetries protect local supersymmetry and a zero value for the cosmological constant in no--scale supergravity. The breakdown of these symmetries, which ensure the vanishing of the vacuum energy density, results in a set of degenerate vacua with broken and unbroken supersymmetry leading to the natural realisation of the multiple point principle (MPP). Assuming the degeneracy of vacua with broken and unbroken SUSY in the hidden sector we estimate the value of the cosmological constant. We argue that the observed value of the dark energy density can be reproduced in…
A notable class of superconformal theories (SCFTs) in six dimensions is parameterized by an integer $N$, an ADE group $G$, and two nilpotent elements $μ_\mathrm{L,R}$ in $G$. Nilpotent elements have a natural partial ordering, which has been conjectured to coincide with the hierarchy of renormalization-group flows among the SCFTs. In this paper we test this conjecture for $G=\mathrm{SU}(k)$, where AdS$_7$ duals exist in IIA. We work with a seven-dimensional gauged supergravity, consisting of the gravity multiplet and two $\mathrm{SU}(k)$ non-Abelian vector multiplets. We show that this theory …
In this thesis we explore the vacua structure of type IIA orientifold (CY) compactifications with fluxes, from the 4d and the 10d point of view. We start by reviewing type IIA Calabi-Yau orientifold compactifications with fluxes. We consider RR and NSNS fluxes, and then add (non)-geometric fluxes. We recall how the potential can be written as a bilinear expression and review the main swampland conjectures involving these scenarios. Once the basics have been setted, we perform a systematic search of vacua, using directly the 4d action. We focus first on the case with RR and NSNS fluxes and then…
We study the geometric interpretation of metastable vacua for systems of D3 branes at non isolated toric deformable singularities. Using the L^{aba} examples, we investigate the relations between the field theoretic susy breaking and restoration and the complex deformations of the CY singularities.
In this article we discuss a construction of non-SUSY type II string vacua with the vanishing cosmological constant at the one loop level based on the generic Gepner models for Calabi-Yau 3-folds. We make an orbifolding of the Gepner models by $Z_2 \times Z_4$, which asymmetrically acts with some discrete torsions incorporated. We demonstrate that the obtained type II string vacua indeed lead to the vanishing cosmological constant at the one loop, whereas any space-time supercharges cannot be constructed as long as assuming the chiral forms such as '$Q^α_L \equiv \oint dz J_L^α(z)$'. We furthe…
We study N=1 global and local supersymmetric theories with a continuous global $U(1)_R$ symmetry as models of dynamical supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking. We introduce explicit R-symmetry breaking terms into such models, in particular a generalized O'Raifeartaigh model. Such explicit R-symmetry breaking terms can lead to a SUSY preserving minimum. We classify explicit R-symmetry breaking terms by the structure of newly appeared SUSY stationary points as a consequence of the R-breaking effect, which could make the SUSY breaking vacuum metastable. We show that the R-breaking terms are basically divi…
We argue that the exact degeneracy of vacua in N=1 supergravity can shed light on the smallness of the cosmological constant. The presence of such vacua, which are degenerate to very high accuracy, may also result in small values of the quartic Higgs coupling and its beta function at the Planck scale in the phase in which we live.
We determine the spectrum of scalar masses in a supersymmetric vacuum of a general N=1 supergravity theory, with the Kahler potential and superpotential taken to be random functions of N complex scalar fields. We derive a random matrix model for the Hessian matrix and compute the eigenvalue spectrum. Tachyons consistent with the Breitenlohner-Freedman bound are generically present, and although these tachyons cannot destabilize the supersymmetric vacuum, they do influence the likelihood of the existence of an `uplift' to a metastable vacuum with positive cosmological constant. We show that the…
The empirical mass of the Higgs boson suggests small to vanishing values of the quartic Higgs self--coupling and the corresponding beta function at the Planck scale, leading to degenerate vacua. This leads us to suggest that the measured value of the cosmological constant can originate from supergravity (SUGRA) models with degenerate vacua. This scenario is realised if there are at least three exactly degenerate vacua. In the first vacuum, associated with the physical one, local supersymmetry (SUSY) is broken near the Planck scale while the breakdown of the SU(2)_W\times U(1)_Y symmetry takes …
We study the dynamics of certain 3d ${\cal N}=1$ time reversal invariant theories. Such theories often have exact moduli spaces of supersymmetric vacua. We propose several dualities and we test these proposals by comparing the deformations and supersymmetric ground states. First, we consider a theory where time reversal symmetry is only emergent in the infrared and there exists (nonetheless) an exact moduli space of vacua. This theory has a dual description with manifest time reversal symmetry. Second, we consider some surprising facts about ${\cal N}=2$ $U(1)$ gauge theory coupled to two chir…
We propose the unified models of cosmological inflation, spontaneous SUSY breaking, and the dark energy (de Sitter vacuum) in $N=1$ supergravity with the dilaton-axion chiral superfield $T$ in the presence of an $N=1$ vector multiplet with the alternative Fayet-Iliopoulos term. By using the Kähler potential as $K=-α\log(T+\bar{T})$ and the superpotential as a sum of a constant and a linear term, we find that viable inflation is possible for $3\leqα\leqα_{\rm max}$ where $α_{\rm max}\approx 7.235$. Observations of the amplitude of primordial scalar perturbations fix the SUSY breaking scale in o…
In six- and seven-dimensional gauged supergravity, each scalar potential has one supersymmetric and one non-supersymmetric fixed points. The non-supersymmetric $AdS_7$ fixed point is perturbatively unstable. On the other hand, the non-supersymmetric $AdS_6$ fixed point is known to be perturbatively stable. In this note we examine the newly proposed non-perturbative decay channel, called brane-jet instabilities of the $AdS_6$ and $AdS_7$ vacua. We find that when they are uplifted to massive type IIA and eleven-dimensional supergravity, respectively, the non-supersymmetric $AdS_6$ and $AdS_7$ va…
BPS walls and junctions are studied in ${\cal N}=1$ SUSY nonlinear sigma models in four spacetime dimensions. New BPS junction solutions connecting N discrete vacua are found for nonlinear sigma models with several chiral scalar superfields. A nonlinear sigma model with a single chiral scalar superfield is also found which has a moduli space of the topology of $S^1$ and admits BPS walls and junctions connecting arbitrary points in moduli space. SUSY condition in nonlinear sigma models are classified either as stationary points of superpotential or singularities of the Kähler metric in field sp…
We initiate a systematic study of four dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal field theories (SCFTs) based on the analysis of their Coulomb branch geometries. Because these SCFTs are not uniquely characterized by their scale-invariant Coulomb branch geometries we also need information on their deformations. We construct all inequivalent such deformations preserving $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetry and additional physical consistency conditions in the rank 1 case. These not only include all the ones previously predicted by S-duality, but also 16 additional deformations satisfying all the known…
We study confinement in softly broken N=2 SUSY QCD with gauge group SU(N_c) and N_f hypermultiplets of fundamental matter (quarks) when the Coulomb branch is lifted by small mass of adjoint matter. Concentrating mostly on the theory with SU(3) gauge group we discuss the N=1 vacua which arise in the weak coupling at large values of quark masses and study flux tubes and monopole confinement in these vacua. In particular we find the BPS strings in SU(3) gauge theory formed by two interacting U(1) gauge fields and two scalar fields generalizing ordinary Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen vortices. Then we f…
Half-maximal gauged supergravity in seven dimensions coupled to $n$ vector multiplets contains $n+3$ vectors and $3n+1$ scalars parametrized by $\mathbb{R}^+\times SO(3,n)/SO(3)\times SO(n)$ coset manifold. The two-form field in the gravity multiplet can be dualized to a three-form field which admits a topological mass term. Possible non-compact gauge groups take the form of $G_0\times H\subset SO(3,n)$ with a compact group $H$. $G_0$ is one of the five possibilities; $SO(3,1)$, $SL(3,\mathbb{R})$, $SO(2,2)$, $SO(2,1)$ and $SO(2,2)\times SO(2,1)$. We investigate all of these possible non-compa…
We show that supersymmetric flux vacua with intermediate SU(2) structure is closely related to some special classes of half-flat structures. More concretely, solutions of the SUSY equations IIA possess a symplectic half-flat structure, whereas solutions of the SUSY equations IIB admit a half-flat structure which is in certain sense near to the balanced condition. Using this result we show that compact simply connected manifolds do not admit type IIB solutions. New solutions of the SUSY equations IIA and IIB are constructed from hyperkähler 4-manifolds, special hypo 5-manifolds and 6-dimensiona…
