We study AdS$_3\times \text{S}^2$ solutions in massive IIA that preserve small ${\cal N}=(4,0)$ supersymmetry in terms of an SU(2)-structure on the remaining internal space. We find two new classes of solutions that are warped products of the form AdS$_3\times \text{S}^2\times \text{M}_4\times \mathbb{R}$. For the first, M$_4$=CY$_2$ and we find a generalisation a D4-D8 system involving possible additional branes. For the second, M$_4$ need only be Kahler, and we find a generalisation of the T-dual of solutions based on D3-branes wrapping curves in the base of an elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau 3-fold. Within these classes we find many new locally compact solutions that are foliations of AdS$_3\times \text{S}^2\times\text{CY}_2$ over an interval, bounded by various D brane and O plane behaviours. We comment on how these local solutions may be used as the building blocks of infinite classes of global solutions glued together with defect branes. Utilising T-duality we find two new classes of AdS$_3\times \text{S}^3\times \text{M}_4$ solutions in IIB. The first backreacts D5s and KK monopoles on the D1-D5 near horizon. The second is a generalisation of the solutions based on D3-branes wrapping curves in the base of an elliptically fibered CY$_3$ that includes non trivial 3-form flux.
Using finite abelian automorphism groups of $K3$ we construct orbifold candidates for Type IIA-heterotic dual pairs with maximal supersymmetry in six and lower dimensions. On the heterotic side, these results extend the series of known reduced rank theories with maximal supersymmetry. The corresponding Type IIA theories generalize the Schwarz and Sen proposal for the dual of the simplest of the reduced rank theories constructed as a novel Type IIA $\IZ_2$ orbifold.
We analyze the space of linearized non-supersymmetric deformations around a IIA solution found by Cvetic, Gibbons, Lu and Pope (CGLP) in hep-th/0101096. We impose boundary conditions aimed at singling out among those perturbations those describing the backreaction of anti-D2 branes on the CGLP background. The corresponding supergravity solution is a would-be dual to a metastable supersymmetry-breaking state. However, it turns out that this candidate bulk solution is inevitably riddled with IR divergences of its flux densities and action, whose physical meaning and implications for models of st…
The connection between IIA superstring theory compactified on a circle of radius R and IIB theory compactified on a circle of radius 1/R is reexamined from the perspective of N=2, D=9 space-time supersymmetry. We argue that the consistency of IIA/B duality requires the BPS states corresponding to momentum and winding of either of the type-II superstrings to transform as inequivalent supermultiplets. We show that this is indeed the case for any finite compactification radius, thus providing a nontrivial confirmation of IIA/B duality. From the point of view of N=2, D=9 supergravity, one is natur…
Motivated by the AdS_6/CFT_5 correspondence, we study general supersymmetric solutions of massive type IIA supergravity, consisting of a warped product of six-dimensional anti-de Sitter space AdS_6 with a four-dimensional Riemannian manifold M_4, and fluxes compatible with the SO(5,2) symmetry. We find that the only local solution of this form is the warped AdS_6 x_w S^4 solution, originally discovered by Brandhuber and Oz. We discuss the supersymmetric properties of this solution.
We present a family of N=1 supersymmetric backgrounds in type-IIA supergravity and their lifts to eleven-dimensional supergravity. These are of the form $AdS_5 \times X^5$ and are characterised by an $SU(2)$ structure. The internal space, $X^5$, is obtained from the known Sasaki-Einstein manifolds, $Y^{p,q}$, via an application of non-Abelian T-duality.
We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for N=1 compactifications of (massive) IIA supergravity to AdS(4) in the language of SU(3) structures. We find new solutions characterized by constant dilaton and nonzero fluxes for all form fields. All fluxes are given in terms of the geometrical data of the internal compact space. The latter is constrained to belong to a special class of half-flat manifolds.
We present the Green-Schwarz action for Type IIA strings on $AdS_4\times CP^3$. The action is based on a $\Zop_4$ automorphism of the coset $OSp(4|6)/(SO(1,3)\times SU(3)\times U(1))$. The equations of motion admit a representation in terms of a Lax connection, showing that the system is classically integrable.
In this note we examine certain classes of solutions of IIA theory without sources, of the form AdS$_2\times {\cal M}^{(1)}\times \dots \times {\cal M}^{(n)}$, where ${\cal M}^{(i)}$ are Riemannian spaces. We show that large hierarchies of curvatures can be obtained between the different factors, however the absolute value of the scalar curvature of AdS$_2$ must be of the same order or larger than the absolute values of the scalar curvatures of all the other factors.
We revisit various aspects of AdS$_4$ flux vacua with scale separation in type II supergravity and M-theory. We show that massless IIA allows both weakly and strongly coupled solutions for which the classical orientifold backreaction can be tuned small. This is explicitly verified by computing the backreaction at leading order in perturbation theory. We give evidence that the strongly coupled solutions can be lifted to scale-separated and sourceless (but classically singular) geometries in 11D supergravity.
This is a summary of arXiv:0806.3458, where the low energy effective theory of type IIA AdS_4 N=1 flux compactifications on nilmanifolds and cosets has been analyzed. We compute the superpotential, the Kähler potential and the mass spectrum for the light moduli. For the nilmanifold examples we perform a cross-check on the result for the mass spectrum by calculating it from a direct Kaluza-Klein reduction.
We present a new Type IIB supergravity background of the warped form AdS$_4\times \mathcal{M}_6$ with dilaton, $B$-field and all Ramond-Ramond fluxes turned on. We obtain the solution by applying non-Abelian T-duality to a certain representative of a class of AdS$_4$ backgrounds in massive IIA supergravity. By explicitly constructing the Killing spinor of the seed solution and using an argument involving Kosmann spinorial Lie derivative we demonstrate that the background is supersymmetric.
We consider warped $\mathrm{AdS}_2\times \mathcal M_4$ backgrounds within $F(4)$ gauged supergravity in six dimensions. In particular, we are able to find supersymmetric solutions of the aforementioned type characterized by $\textrm{AdS}_{6}$ asymptotics and an $\mathcal M_4$ given by a three-sphere warped over a segment. Subsequently, we provide the 10D uplift of the solutions to massive type IIA supergravity, where the geometry is $\mathrm{AdS}_2\times S^{3}\times\tilde{S}^3$ warped over a strip. Finally we construct the brane intersection underlying one of these supergravity backgrounds. Th…
In this paper we discuss an infinite family of new solutions in massive Type IIA supergravity with AdS$_3\times$S$^2$ factors, preserving ${\cal N}=(0,4)$ SUSY. After studying geometrical aspects of the backgrounds we propose a duality with a precise family of quivers that flow to (0,4) fixed points at low energies. These quivers consist on two families of (4,4) linear quivers coupled by matter fields. We present various tests of our proposal.
We introduce an ansatz which allows us to solve the supersymmetry equations for warped N=1 AdS4 type II supergravity compactifications of general SU(3)xSU(3) structure. As a byproduct we obtain a set of necessary conditions which every supersymmetric AdS4 vacuum should obey. The case of AdS4 compactifications of IIB on manifolds of static SU(2) structure is examined in detail. Several examples of solutions are presented. In the limit of four-dimensional Minkowski space, we present examples of supersymmetric IIB warped compactifications with partially localized NS5- and D5-branes. We also prese…
The geometry of the ${\cal N} = 3$, SO(4)--invariant, AdS$_4$ solution of massive type IIA supergravity that uplifts from the ${\cal N} = 3 $ vacuum of $D=4$ ${\cal N} = 8$ dyonic ISO(7) supergravity is investigated. Firstly, a $D=4$, SO(4)--invariant restricted duality hierarchy is constructed and used to uplift the entire, dynamical SO(4)--invariant sector to massive type IIA. The resulting consistent uplift formulae are used to obtain a new local expression for the ${\cal N} = 3 $ AdS$_4$ solution in massive IIA and analyse its geometry. Locally, the internal $S^6$ geometry corresponds to a…
Fermionic T-duality transformation is studied for the N=1 supersymmetric solutions of massive type IIA supergravity with the metric AdS_{10-k} x M_k for k=3 and 5. We derive the Killing spinors of these backgrounds and use them as an input for the fermionic T-duality transformation. The resulting dual solutions form a large family of supersymmetric deformations of the original solutions by complex valued RR fluxes. We observe that the Romans mass parameter does not change under fermionic T-duaity, and prove its invariance in the k=3 case.
We study the conformal field theory dual of the type IIA flux compactification model of DeWolfe, Giryavets, Kachru and Taylor, with all moduli stabilized. We find its central charge and properties of its operator spectrum. We concentrate on the moduli space of the conformal field theory, which we investigate through domain walls in the type IIA string theory. The moduli space turns out to consist of many different branches. We use Bezout's theorem and Bernstein's theorem to enumerate the different branches of the moduli space and estimate their dimension.
We establish a map between AdS$_3 \times$S$^2$ and AdS$_7$ solutions to massive IIA supergravity that allows one to interpret the former as holographic duals to D2-D4 defects inside 6d (1,0) CFTs. This relation singles out in a particular manner the AdS$_3\times$S$^2$ solution constructed from AdS$_3\times$S$^3\times $CY$_2$ through non-Abelian T-duality, with respect to a freely acting SU(2). We find explicit global completions to this solution and provide well-defined (0,4) 2d dual CFTs associated to them. These completions consist of linear quivers with colour groups coming from D2 and D6 b…
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…
We evaluate the backreaction of O6-planes in scale-separated $\text{AdS}_3$ flux vacua of massive Type IIA. Using the appropriate flux scaling we show that the corrections to the various background fields and moduli are controlled and subleading when going from smeared to localized sources. Similarly, the backreaction corrections to the scalar potential are parametrically small in the scale-separation limit, assuming always that the near-O6-plane singularities will find a resolution within string theory, even in the presence of a Romans mass. Our analysis is based on the equations of motion an…
Scherk-Schwarz compactification in string theory can be defined as orbifolding by an R symmetry, a symmetry that acts differently on bosons and fermions. Such a symmetry can arise in many situations, including toroidal and orbifold compactifications, as well as smooth Calabi-Yau spaces. If the symmetry acts freely then for large radius there are no tachyons in the spectrum. We focus mainly on stabilization by fluxes, and give examples with all moduli stabilized where the coupling is small and the internal manifold is large. Such models appear to be perturbatively stable with supersymmetry brok…
We perform a careful investigation of which p-form fields can be introduced consistently with the supersymmetry algebra of IIA and/or IIB ten-dimensional supergravity. In particular the ten-forms, also known as "top-forms", require a careful analysis since in this case, as we will show, closure of the supersymmetry algebra at the linear level does not imply closure at the non-linear level. Consequently, some of the (IIA and IIB) ten-form potentials introduced in earlier work of some of us are discarded. At the same time we show that new ten-form potentials, consistent with the full non-linear …
We present Wess-Zumino actions for general IIA D-p-branes in explicit forms. We perform the covariant and irreducible separation of the fermionic constraints of IIA D-p-branes into the first class and the second class. A necessary condition which guarantees this separation is discussed. The generators of the local supersymmetry (kappa symmetry) and the kappa algebra are obtained. We also explicitly calculate the conserved charge of the global supersymmetry (SUSY) and the SUSY algebra which contains topological charges.
We derive the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy for a class of BPS black holes in the massive type IIA supergravity background AdS$_4 \times S^6$ from a microscopic counting of supersymmetric ground states in a holographically dual field theory. The counting is performed by evaluating the topologically twisted index of three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ Chern-Simons-matter gauge theories in the large $N$ limit. The $\mathcal{I}$-extremization principle is shown to match the attractor mechanism for the near-horizon geometries constructed in the four-dimensional dyonic $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauged supergravit…
We review recent developments in the study of the AdS/CFT correspondence in low dimensions, focusing on the construction of AdS$_3$/CFT$_2$ and AdS$_2$/CFT$_1$ dual pairs in massive Type IIA string theory. We start discussing the $\text{AdS}_3\times S^2\times \text{CY}_2\times I$ solutions to massive IIA supergravity with $\mathcal{N}=(0,4)$ supersymmetry constructed in 1908.09851. We review the 2d CFTs dual to these solutions, together with their defect interpretation as surface defects within 5d fixed point theories living in D4-D8 bound states. Next, we discuss the $\text{AdS}_2\times S^3\t…
We find AdS5 solutions holographically dual to compactifications of six-dimensional N=(1,0) supersymmetric field theories on Riemann surfaces with punctures. We simplify a previous analysis of supersymmetric AdS5 IIA solutions, and with a suitable Ansatz we find explicit solutions organized in three classes, where an O8--D8 stack, D6- and D4-branes are simultaneously present, localized and partially localized. The D4-branes are smeared over the Riemann surface and this is interpreted as the presence of a uniform distribution of punctures. For the first class we identify the corresponding six-d…
In this paper we consider the non-Abelian T-dual geometry of the type $IIB$ supergravity theory on $AdS_3\times S^3\times T^4$ background along a convenient $SU(2)$ subgroup of the $SO(4)$ R-symmetry. We examine various null geodesics of the resulting massive type $IIA$ supergravity theory and investigate the Penrose limits along these geodesics. We find that one of the resulting backgrounds admits pp-wave geometry in the neighbourhood of a suitable null geodesic. We carry out the supersymmetry analysis of the resulting pp-wave geometry and observe that it preserves sixteen supercharges. Furth…
We study various aspects of N=(4,4) type IIA GS superstring theory in the pp-wave background, which arises as the compactification of maximally supersymmetric eleven-dimensional pp-wave geometry along the spacelike isometry direction. We show the supersymmetry algebra of N=(4,4) worldsheet supersymmetry as well as non-linearly realized supersymmetry. We also give quantization of closed string and open string incorporating various boundary conditions. From the open string boundary conditions, we find configurations of D-branes which preserve half the supersymmetries. Among these we identify D4 …
We consider the dimensional reduction of eleven dimensional supergravity to type IIA in ten dimensions, and study the conditions for supersymmetry in terms of p-form spinor bi-linears of the supersymmetry parameter. For a bosonic solution to be supersymmetric these p-forms must satisfy a set of differential relations, which we derive in full; the supersymmetry variations of the dilatino give a set of algebraic relations which are also derived. These results are then used to provide the generalized calibration conditions for some of the basic brane solutions, we also follow up a suggestion of H…
We lift the bosonic AdS_4 x CP^3 solution of type IIA supergravity preserving 24 supersymmetries to a D=10 superspace which has 32 Grassmann-odd directions. The type IIA superspace is obtained from D=11 via dimensional reduction of the coset superspace OSp(8|4)/SO(7) x SO(1,3) by realizing the latter as a Hopf fibration over the former. This construction generalizes to superspace the Hopf fibration of S^7 as a U(1) bundle over CP^3, and is suitable for writing the explicit form of Green-Schwarz-type actions encoding the dynamics of the type IIA string and branes in the AdS_4 x CP^3 superbackgr…
Motivated by a recently found class of AdS_7 solutions, we classify AdS_5 solutions in massive IIA, finding infinitely many new analytical examples. We reduce the general problem to a set of PDEs, determining the local internal metric, which is a fibration over a surface. Under a certain simplifying assumption, we are then able to analytically solve the PDEs and give a complete list of all solutions. Among these, one class is new and regular. These spaces can be related to the AdS_7 solutions via a simple universal map for the metric, dilaton and fluxes. The natural interpretation of this map …
We show that the string backgrounds AdS2 x S2 x T6 and AdSd x Sd x Sd x T{10 - 3d} (d = 2, 3) are self-dual under a series of bosonic and fermionic T-dualities. We do this using the fermionic Buscher rules derived by Berkovits and Maldacena, thus working at the level of the supergravity fields. This allows us to explicitly track the behaviour of the RR fields, from which we see that we need T-duality along some torus directions. For the AdS x S x S cases, which contain cosets of D(2,1;alpha), it is necessary to perform bosonic T-duality along some complexified Killing spinors in one of the sph…
We describe brane configurations that interpolate between the N=6 AdS4xCP3 background of Type IIA supergravity and the N=0 AdS4xCP3 background of massive Type IIA supergravity. Using the T-dual Type IIB configurations we prove that this leads to unequal Chern-Simons levels in the dual gauge theory, and find the precise relation between the parameters of the gauge theory and the RR fluxes of the background. This provides further evidence for the conjecture of Gaiotto and Tomasiello about the CFT dual of the massive Type IIA background.
We find explicit AdS4 solutions of massive type IIA with N=2 supersymmetry obtained deforming with a Roman mass the type IIA supersymmetric reduction of the M theory background AdS4 times M111. The family of solutions have SU(3) times SU(3) structure and isometry SU(3) times U(1)^2. They are conjectured to be dual to three-dimensional N=2 Chern-Simons theories with generic Chern-Simons couplings and gauge group ranks.
In this note, we construct explicit Type IIA uplifts of $D=5$ minimal gauged supergravity, by T-dualising known Type IIB uplifts on $N_5 = S^5$, $T^{1,1}$ and $Y^{p,q}$ along their $SU(2)$ isometries. When the $D=5$ gauge field is set to zero, our uplifts recover precisely the known non-Abelian T-duals of the $AdS_5\times N_5$ solutions. As an application, we obtain new supersymmetric $AdS_3\timesΣ\times M_5$ solutions in Type IIA, where $Σ= \mathbb{WCP}^1_{[n_-,n_+]}$ is a weighted projective space. Existing holographic results of T-dualised AdS solutions suggest that our solutions capture fe…
We show that a class of type IIA vacua recently found within the N=4 effective approach corresponds to compactification on Ads_4 \times S^3 \times S^3/Z_2^3. The results obtained using the effective method completely match the general ten-dimensional analysis for the existence of N=1 warped compactifications on Ads_4 \times M_6. In particular, we verify that the internal metric is nearly-Kahler and that for specific values of the parameters the Bianchi identity of the RR 2-form is fulfilled without sources. For another range of parameters, including the massless case, the Bianchi identity is s…
Employing uplift formulae, we uplift supersymmetric $AdS_6$ black holes from $F(4)$ gauged supergravity to massive type IIA and type IIB supergravity. In massive type IIA supergravity, we obtain supersymmetric $AdS_6$ black holes asymptotic to the Brandhuber-Oz solution. In type IIB supergravity, we obtain supersymmetric $AdS_6$ black holes asymptotic to the non-Abelian T-dual of the Brandhuber-Oz solution. For the uplifted black hole solutions, we calculate the holographic entanglement entropy. In massive type IIA supergravity, it precisely matches the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the black …
A covariant action for closed D=11 superstring with local $κ$-symmetry and global supersymmetry transformations obeying the algebra $\{Q_α,Q_β\}=CΓ^{μν}P_μn_ν$ is suggested. Physical sector variables of the model and their dynamics exactly coincide with those of the D=10 type IIA Green-Schwarz superstring. It is shown that action of the D=10 type IIA Green-Schwarz superstring can be considered as a partially gauge fixed version of the D=11 superstring action.
We study the entropy of static dyonic BPS black holes in AdS$_4$ in 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauged supergravities with vector and hyper multiplets, and how the entropy can be reproduced with a microscopic counting of states in the AdS/CFT dual field theory. We focus on the particular example of BPS black holes in AdS$_4 \times S^6$ in massive Type IIA, whose dual three-dimensional boundary description is known and simple. To count the states in field theory we employ a supersymmetric topologically twisted index, which can be computed exactly with localization techniques. We find perfect match at le…
Supersymmetric $\,\textrm{AdS}_{4}\,$, $\,\textrm{AdS}_{2} \times Σ_{2}\,$ and asymptotically AdS$_{4}$ black hole solutions are studied in the context of non-minimal $\,\mathcal{N}=2\,$ supergravity models involving three vector multiplets (STU-model) and Abelian gaugings of the universal hypermultiplet moduli space. Such models correspond to consistent subsectors of the $\,\textrm{SO}(p,q)\,$ and $\,\textrm{ISO}(p,q)\,$ gauged maximal supergravities that arise from the reduction of 11D and massive IIA supergravity on $\,\textrm{H}^{(p,q)}\,$ spaces down to four dimensions. A unified descript…
We discuss flux compactifications of IIA string theory on G2 holonomy spaces with O2/O6-planes to three dimensions and find two classes of solutions: 1) No-scale Minkowski vacua from NSNS 3-form fluxes and RR 4-form fluxes. 2) By adding Romans mass we find AdS$_3$ vacua for which the AdS scale can be decoupled completely from the KK scale while the solution is at tunable weak coupling and large volume. For the AdS$_3$ vacuum we only have a proper 3D description (i.e. smeared orientifold description) of the solution like the 4D analogue of IIA moduli stabilization from fluxes and O6-planes. Thi…
The usual T-duality that relates the type IIA and IIB theories compactified on circles of inversely-related radii does not operate if the dimensional reduction is performed on the time direction rather than a spatial one. This observation led to the recent proposal that there might exist two further ten-dimensional theories, namely type IIA^* and type IIB^*, related to type IIB and type IIA respectively by a timelike dimensional reduction. In this paper we explore such dimensional reductions in cases where time is the coordinate of a non-trivial U(1) fibre bundle. We focus in particular on sit…
Noting that T-duality untwists S^5 to CP^2 x S^1, we construct the duality chain: n=4 super Yang-Mills --> Type IIB superstring on AdS_5 x S^5 --> Type IIA superstring on AdS_5 x CP^2 x S^1 --> M-theory on AdS_5 x CP^2 x T^2. This provides another example of supersymmetry without supersymmetry: on AdS_5 x CP^2 x S^1, Type IIA supergravity has SU(3) x U(1) x U(1) x U(1) and N=0 supersymmetry but Type IIA string theory has SO(6) and N=8. The missing superpartners are provided by stringy winding modes. We also discuss IIB compactifications to AdS_5 with N=4, N=2 and N=0.
We construct a new class of $\text{AdS}_3\times $S$^3\times $M$_4$ solutions of massive Type IIA supergravity with $(0,4)$ supersymmetries and SU(3) structure. We study in detail two subclasses of these solutions. The first subclass is when M$_4=$S$^2\times Σ_2$, with $Σ_2$ a 2d Riemann surface, and the geometry is foliated over the $Σ_2$. We interpret these solutions as duals to surface defect CFTs within the 6d $(1,0)$ CFTs dual to the $\text{AdS}_7\times$S$^2\times I$ solutions of massive IIA supergravity. The second subclass is when M$_4=\mathbb{T}^3\times I$ and the geometry is foliated o…
We describe three analytic classes of infinitely many AdS_d supersymmetric solutions of massive IIA supergravity, for d = 7, 5, 4. The three classes are related by simple universal maps. For example, the AdS_7 x M_3 solutions (where M_3 is topologically S^3) are mapped to AdS_5 x Sigma_2 x M'_3, where Sigma_2 is a Riemann surface of genus g >= 2 and the metric on M'_3 is obtained by distorting M_3 in a certain way. The solutions can have localized D6 or O6 sources, as well as an arbitrary number of D8-branes. The AdS_7 case (previously known only numerically) is conjecturally dual to an NS5-D6…
Massive type IIA supergravity admits a warped AdS_6 x S^4 vacuum solution, which is expected to be dual to an N=2, D=5 super-conformal Yang-Mills theory. We study solutions for strings rotating or spinning in this background. The warp factor plays no essential role when the string spins in the AdS_6, implying a commonality in the leading Regge trajectories between the D=4 and D=5 super-conformal field theories. The warp factor does, however, become important when the string rotates in the S^4, in particular for long strings, which have the the relation E- 3J/2=c_1 + c_2/J^5+..., where the angu…
We study four kinds of 1/4 BPS solutions in massive IIA supergravity corresponding to D8-D0-F1, D8-D2, D8-D4 and D8-D6-NS5 systems. We show that these solutions are reproduced without making nontrivial assumptions by using supersymmetry conditions. D8-D2 and D8-D4 solutions are represented by harmonic functions, as usual, while the other two are represented by solutions of non-linear differential equations. Because these four solutions can be treated in almost identical ways, we mainly focus on the D8-D6-NS5 systems. We first discuss D6-NS5 solutions with uniform mass parameters. Then, we intr…
We present a version of ten-dimensional IIA supergravity containing a 9-form potential for which the field equations are equivalent to those of the standard, massless, IIA theory for vanishing 10-form field strength, $F_{10}$, and to those of the `massive' IIA theory for non-vanishing $F_{10}$. We exhibit a multi 8-brane solution of this theory which preserves half the supersymmetry. We propose this solution as the effective field theory realization of the Dirichlet 8-brane of type IIA superstring theory.
We perform a detailed study of the type IIA superstring in AdS(4) x CP(3). After introducing suitable bosonic light-cone and fermionic kappa worldsheet gauges we derive the pure boson and fermion SU(2|2) x U(1) covariant light-cone Hamiltonian up to quartic order in fields. As a first application of our derivation we calculate energy shifts for string configurations in a closed fermionic subsector and successfully match these with a set of light-cone Bethe equations. We then turn to investigate the mismatch between the degrees of freedom of scattering states and oscillatory string modes. Since…
We construct AdS$_4$ flux vacua of type IIA string theory in the supergravity (large volume, small $g_s$) regime, including the backreaction of O6-planes. Our solutions are the localized versions of the smeared solutions on Calabi-Yau orientifolds studied by DeWolfe, Giryavets, Kachru and Taylor and in other works. We find that the O-plane backreaction in these solutions generates warping, a varying dilaton, non-closed RR field strengths and internal curvature. Just like their smeared counterparts, the localized solutions admit stabilized moduli, a parametric control over string corrections an…
We present a new BPS flow within minimal $\mathcal{N}=1$ supergravity in seven dimensions describing a warped $\textrm{AdS}_{3}$ background supported by a "dyonic" profile of the three-form. Furthermore, we discuss the holographic interpretation of the above solution in terms of a defect $\textrm{SCFT}_{2}$ inside the 6d $(1,0)$ theory dual to the AdS in the asymptotic region. Finally we provide the brane picture of the aforementioned defect CFT as D2- and wrapped D4-branes ending on a D6 - NS5 - D8 funnel in massive type IIA string theory.
We study compactifications of type IIA string theory on Calabi-Yau manifolds that are mirror to a subset of the type IIB LARGE-volume models. A combination of flux, alpha' corrections and non-perturbative effects stabilises the moduli in a non-supersymmetric AdS vacuum. This vacuum has the feature that the (ten-dimensional) string coupling is exponentially small which can naturally lead to a TeV supersymmetry breaking scale with an intermediate string scale. The AdS vacuum can be uplifted to a dS one through the introduction of D6 branes, and complex-structure modular inflation can be realised…
Understanding the strong coupling limit of massive type IIA string theory is a longstanding problem. We argue that perhaps this problem does not exist; namely, there may be no strongly coupled solutions of the massive theory. We show explicitly that massive type IIA string theory can never be strongly coupled in a weakly curved region of space-time. We illustrate our general claim with two classes of massive solutions in AdS4xCP3: one, previously known, with N = 1 supersymmetry, and a new one with N = 2 supersymmetry. Both solutions are dual to d = 3 Chern-Simons-matter theories. In both these…
We discuss a generalized form of IIA/IIB supergravity depending on all R-R potentials C^(p) (p=0,1,...,9) as the effective field theory of Type IIA/IIB superstring theory. For the IIA case we explicitly break this R-R democracy to either p<=3 or p>=5 which allows us to write a new bulk action that can be coupled to N=1 supersymmetric brane actions. The case of 8-branes is studied in detail using the new bulk & brane action. The supersymmetric negative tension branes without matter excitations can be viewed as orientifolds in the effective action. These D8-branes and O8-planes are fundamental i…
