We investigate the geometry of the moduli spaces $\mathscr{M}_{\HE}^*(M^{2n})$ of Hermitian-Einstein irreducible connections on a vector bundle $E$ over a Kähler with torsion (KT) manifold $M^{2n}$ that admits holomorphic and $\h\nabla$-covariantly constant vector fields, where $\h\nabla$ is the connection with skew-symmetric torsion $H$. We demonstrate that such vector fields induce an action on $\mathscr{M}_{\HE}^*(M^{2n})$ that leaves both the metric and complex structure invariant. Moreover, if an additional condition is satisfied, the induced vector fields are covariantly constant with respect to the connection with skew-symmetric torsion $\h{\mathcal{ D}}$ on $\mathscr{M}_{\HE}^*(M^{2n})$. We demonstrate that in the presence of such vector fields, the geometry of $\mathscr{M}_{\HE}^*(M^{2n})$ can be modelled on that of holomorphic toric principal bundles with base space KT manifolds and give some examples.
We also extend our analysis to the moduli spaces $\mathscr{M}_{\asd}^*(M^{4})$ of instanton connections on vector bundles over KT, bi-KT (generalised Kähler) and hyper-Kähler with torsion (HKT) manifolds $M^4$. We find that the geometry of $\mathscr{M}_{\asd}^*(S^3\times S^1)$ can be modelled on that of principal bundles with fibre $S^3\times S^1$ over Quaternionic Kähler manifolds with torsion (QKT). In addition motivated by applications to AdS/CFT, we explore the (superconformal) symmetry algebras of two-dimensional sigma models with target spaces such moduli spaces.
We construct the moduli space of Spin(7)-instantons on a hermitian complex vector bundle over a closed 8-dimensional manifold endowed with a (possibly non-integrable) Spin(7)-structure. We find suitable perturbations that achieve regularity of the moduli space, so that it is smooth and of the expected dimension over the irreducible locus.
Let $(M,Ω)$ be a closed $8$-dimensional manifold equipped with a generically non-integrable $\mathrm{Spin}(7)$-structure $Ω$. We prove that if $\mathrm{Hom}(H^{3}(M,\mathbb{Z}), \mathbb{Z}_{2}) = 0$ then the moduli space of irreducible $\mathrm{Spin}(7)$-instantons on $(M,Ω)$ with gauge group $\mathrm{SU}(r)$, $r\geq 2$, is orientable.
We describe the infinitesimal moduli space of pairs $(Y, V)$ where $Y$ is a manifold with $G_2$ holonomy, and $V$ is a vector bundle on $Y$ with an instanton connection. These structures arise in connection to the moduli space of heterotic string compactifications on compact and non-compact seven dimensional spaces, e.g. domain walls. Employing the canonical $G_2$ cohomology developed by Reyes-Carrión and Fernández and Ugarte, we show that the moduli space decomposes into the sum of the bundle moduli $H^1_{\check{d}_A}(Y,\mathrm{End}(V))$ plus the moduli of the $G_2$ structure preserving the i…
We investigate supergravity instantons in Euclidean $\rm AdS_5\times S^5/\mathbb{Z}_k$. These solutions are expected to be dual to instantons of $\mathcal{N}=2$ quiver gauge theories. On the supergravity side the (extremal) instanton solutions are neatly described by the (lightlike) geodesics on the AdS moduli space for which we find the explicit expression and compute the on-shell actions in terms of the quantised charges. The lightlike geodesics fall into two categories depending on the degree of nilpotency of the Noether charge matrix carried by the geodesic: For degree 2 the instantons pre…
Hasse diagrams (or phase diagrams) for moduli spaces of supersymmetric field theories have been intensively studied in recent years, and many tools to compute them have been developed. The moduli space of instantons, despite being well studied, has proven difficult to deal with. In this note we explore the Hasse diagram of this moduli space from several perspectives -- using the partial Higgs mechanism, using brane systems and using quiver subtraction -- having to refine previously developed techniques. In particular we introduce the new concept of decorated quiver, which allows to deal with a…
We consider non-perturbative superpotentials from world-sheet instantons wrapped on holomorphic genus zero curves in heterotic string theory. These superpotential contributions feature prominently in moduli stabilization and large field axion inflation, which makes their presence or absence, as well as their functional dependence on moduli, an important issue. We develop geometric methods to compute the instanton superpotentials for heterotic string theory with monad and extension bundles. Using our methods, we find a variety of examples with a non-vanishing superpotential. In view of standard…
We show that Hermitian-Einstein metrics can be locally constructed by a map from (anti-)self-dual two-forms on Euclidean ${\mathbb R}^4$ to symmetric two-tensors introduced in "Gravitational instantons from gauge theory," H. S. Yang and M. Salizzoni, Phys. Rev. Lett. (2006) 201602, [hep-th/0512215]. This correspondence is valid not only for a commutative space but also for a noncommutative space. We choose $U(1)$ instantons on a noncommutative ${\mathbb C}^2$ as the self-dual two-form, from which we derive a family of Hermitian-Einstein metrics. We also discuss the condition when the metric be…
The moduli space of instantons on an ALE space is studied using the moduli space of $\mathcal{N}=4$ field theories in three dimensions. For instantons in a simple gauge group $G$ on $\mathbb{C}^2/\mathbb{Z}_n$, the Hilbert series of such an instanton moduli space is computed from the Coulomb branch of the quiver given by the affine Dynkin diagram of $G$ with flavour nodes of unitary groups attached to various nodes of the Dynkin diagram. We provide a simple prescription to determine the ranks and the positions of these flavour nodes from the order of the orbifold $n$ and from the residual subg…
I will explain my joint paper `Instantons moduli spaces and W-algebras' with A.Braverman, M.Finkelberg, arXiv:1406.2381. I will concentrate on the geometric part, that is a study of perverse sheaves on instanton moduli spaces. I place a particular emphasize on the hyperbolic restriction functor and stable envelop, which are our key tools, and appear also in other situations in geometric representation theory. These are lecture notes for a course in 2015 PCMI.
We address the issue why Calabi-Yau manifolds exist with a mirror pair. We observe that the irreducible spinor representation of the Lorentz group Spin(6) requires us to consider the vector spaces of two-forms and four-forms on an equal footing. The doubling of the two-form vector space due to the Hodge duality doubles the variety of six-dimensional spin manifolds. We explore how the doubling is related to the mirror symmetry of Calabi-Yau manifolds. Via the gauge theory formulation of six-dimensional Riemannian manifolds, we show that the curvature tensor of a Calabi-Yau manifold satisfies th…
Motivated by the swampland program, we show that the Weil-Petersson geometry of the moduli space of a Calabi-Yau manifold of complex dimension $d\leq4$ is a gravitational instanton (i.e. a finite-action solution of the Euclidean equations of motion of gravity with matter). More precisely, the moduli geometry of Calabi-Yau $d$-folds ($d\leq4$) describes instantons of (E)AdS Einstein gravity coupled to a standard chiral model. From the point of view of the low-energy physics of string/M-theory compactified on the Calabi-Yau $X$, the various fields propagating on its moduli space are the coupling…
We describe semiuniversal deformation spaces for the noncompact surfaces $Z_k := \operatorname{Tot} (\mathcal O_{\mathbb P^1} (-k))$ and prove that any nontrivial deformation $Z_k (τ)$ of $Z_k$ is affine. It is known that the moduli spaces of instantons of charge $j$ on $Z_k$ are quasi-projective varieties of dimension $2j-k-2$. In contrast, our results imply that the moduli spaces of instantons on any nontrivial deformation $Z_k (τ)$ are empty.
We examine the dynamics of noncommutative instantons of instanton number $2$ and commutative instantons of instanton number $3$ in 5d Super Yang Mills theory. We begin by detailing the construction of the 1/4-BPS instanton solutions, their moduli space, and the moduli space potential using an explicit parametrisation of the moduli space coordinates in terms of the biquaternions. We then go on to numerically analyse the dynamics on the moduli spaces we have constructed, discussing some of the numerical issues which arose and describing the code we developed to solve them
