Related papers: Anomaly Nucleation Constrains SU(2) Gauge Theories

We consider consequences of triviality of cobordism classes and anomaly cancellation in supergravity theories in $d>6$. We argue that this leads to the existence of certain defects which we call "I-folds" (a generalization of orientifolds).…

Vacuum compactifications may suffer from instabilities under small perturbations or tunnel effects; both are difficult to analyze. In this paper we consider the issue from a higher-dimensional perspective. We first look at how stability…

The generalization of 4D confining string theory to the SU(3)-inspired case is derived. It describes string representation of the Wilson loop in the SU(3)-analogue of compact QED extended by the $\theta$-term. It is shown that although the…

In this paper we discuss compactifications of M-theory to four dimensions on X \times S^1/Z_2, in which nonstandard embeddings in the E_8 \times E_8 vacuum gauge bundle are considered. At the level of the effective field theory description…

We study N=1 dualities in four dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories in terms of wrapping D 6-branes around 3-cycles of Calabi-Yau threefolds in type IIA string theory. We generalize the recent work of geometrical realization for the…

We review recent progress in determining the effects of D-brane instantons in N=1 supersymmetric compactifications of Type II string theory to four dimensions. We describe the abstract D-brane instanton calculus for holomorphic couplings…

We show how enhanced gauge symmetry in type II string theory compactified on a Calabi--Yau threefold arises from singularities in the geometry of the target space. When the target space of the type IIA string acquires a genus $g$ curve $C$…

We present a systematic study of the constraints coming from target-space duality and the associated duality anomaly cancellations on orbifold-like 4-D strings. A prominent role is played by the modular weights of the massless fields. We…

We study M-theory compactified on a specific class of seven-dimensional manifolds with SU(3) structure. The manifolds can be viewed as a fibration of an arbitrary Calabi-Yau threefold over a circle, with a U-duality twist around the circle.…

The conditions for the cancellation of all gauge, gravitational, and mixed anomalies of $N=1$ supersymmetric models in six dimensions are reviewed and illustrated by a number of examples. Of particular interest are models that cannot be…

We propose a method for constructing pairs of nonsupersymmetric gauge theories related by S-duality. Starting from a known S-duality of supersymmetric theories realized on the worldvolume of D3 branes in type IIB string theory, a new…

We study a class of extremal transitions between topological distinct Calabi--Yau manifolds which have an interpretation in terms of the special massless states of a type II string compactification. In those cases where a dual heterotic…

In seven dimensions any spin manifold admits an SU(2) structure and therefore very general M-theory compactifications have the potential to allow for a reduction to N=4 gauged supergravity. We perform this general SU(2) reduction and give…

We realize four-dimensional N=2 superconformal quiver gauge theories with alternating SO and USp gauge groups as compactifications of the six-dimensional D_N theory with defects. The construction can be used to analyze infinitely…

We investigate cosmological constraints on phenomenological models with discrete gauge symmetries by discussing the radiation of standard model particles from Aharonov-Bohm strings. Using intersecting D-brane models in Type IIA string…

We discuss anomaly cancellation in $U(2)$ gauge theories in four dimensions. For a $U(2)$ gauge theory defined with a spin structure, the vanishing of the bordism group $\Omega_5^{\text{Spin}}(BU(2))$ implies that there can be no global…

We review exact results obtained for R^4 couplings in maximally supersymmetric type II string theories. These couplings offer a privileged scene to understand the rules of semiclassical calculus in string theory. Upon expansion in weak…

We summarize some results in 4d, N=1 supersymmetric SU(2) gauge theories: the exact effective superpotentials, the vacuum structure, and the exact effective Abelian couplings for arbitrary bare masses and Yukawa couplings.

We consider effective actions for six-dimensional non-critical superstrings. We show that the addition of $N$ units of R-R flux and of $N_f$ space-time filling D5-branes produces $AdS_5 \times S^1$ solutions with curvature comparable to the…

At an elementary level, we present some non-perturbative aspects of non-abelian gauge theories in four dimensional space-time. Some rigorous results have been obtained in the framework of supersymmetric theories, and a very rich physics…