Related papers: On Exceptional Instanton Strings

We construct and classify $SU(3)$-invariant primitive Hermitian Yang-Mills connections and $Sp(2)$-instantons with gauge groups $S = S^1$ and $S = SO(3)$ over the Calabi manifold $X = T^*CP^2$, the unique non-flat, complete,…

We interpret a class of 4k-dimensional instanton solutions found by Ward, Corrigan, Goddard and Kent as four-dimensional instantons at angles. The superposition of each pair of four-dimensional instantons is associated with four angles…

The non-perturbative dynamics of quantum field theories is studied using theoretical tools inspired by string formalism. Two main lines are developed: the analysis of stringy instantons in a class of four-dimensional N=2 gauge theories and…

We study 5d supersymmetric black holes which descend from strings of generic $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ supergravity in 6d. These strings have an F-theory realization in 6d as D3 branes wrapping smooth genus $g$ curves in the base of elliptic…

Two dimensional N=(4,4) gauge theories flow to interacting superconformal field theories on their Higgs branch. We examine worldsheet instantons in these theories through the eyes of a D-brane construction. The effective instanton partition…

We propose a set of novel expansions of Nekrasov's instanton partition functions. Focusing on 5d supersymmetric pure Yang-Mills theory with unitary gauge group on $\mathbb{C}^2_{q,t^{-1}} \times \mathbb{S}^1$, we show that the instanton…

A recently proposed correspondence between 4-dimensional N=2 SUSY SU(k) gauge theories on R^4/Z_m and SU(k) Toda-like theories with Z_m parafermionic symmetry is used to construct four-point N=1 super Liouville conformal block, which…

We consider an infinite class of 5d supersymmetric gauge theories involving products of symplectic and unitary groups that arise from D4-branes at orbifold singularities in Type I' string theory. The theories are argued to be dual to warped…

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…

We study strings associated with minimal 6d SCFTs, which by definition have only one string charge and no Higgs branch. These theories are labelled by a number n with 1 <= n <= 8 or n = 12. Quiver theories have previously been proposed…

We compute the instanton partition functions of $\mathcal{N}=1$ SCFTs in class $\mathcal{S}_k$. We obtain this result via orbifolding Dp/D(p-4) brane systems and calculating the partition function of the supersymmetric gauge theory on the…

We compute instantonic effects in globally consistent T^6/Z2xZ2 orientifold models with discrete torsion and magnetised D-branes. We consider fractional branes and instantons wrapping the same rigid cycles. We clarify and analyse in detail…

We discuss the effects of instantons in partially broken gauge groups on the low-energy effective gauge theory. Such effects arise when some of the instantons of the original gauge group G are no longer contained in (or can not be gauge…

We study chiral gauge-invariant operators on moduli spaces of G instantons for any classical group G on A-type ALE spaces using Hilbert Series (HS). Moduli spaces of instantons on an ALE space can be realized as Higgs branches of certain…

We present and discuss BPS instanton solutions that appear in type II string theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau threefolds. From an effective action point of view these arise as finite action solutions of the Euclidean equations of…

We discuss a set of generalized, necessary conditions for non-trivial, interacting fixed points in six dimensional supersymmetric field theories. We use string theory to argue for the existence of infinite families of interacting RG fixed…

When eight-dimensional instantons, satisfying F \wedge F = \pm \star_8 (F\wedge F), shrink to zero size, we find stringy objects in higher order ten-dimensional Yang-Mills (viewed as a low-energy limit of open string theory). The associated…

For gauge groups $U(1)$ and $SO(3)$ we classify invariant $G_2$-instantons for homogeneous coclosed $G_2$-structures on Aloff-Wallach spaces $X_{k,l}$. As a consequence, we give examples where $G_2$-instantons can be used to distinguish…

We construct explicitly all extremal instanton solutions to $\mathcal{N}=4,\, D=4$ supergravity truncated to one vector field (Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton-axion (EMDA) theory). These correspond to null geodesics of the target space of the…

We classify four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge theories with a simple gauge group admitting a large $N$ limit that flow to non-trivial superconformal fixed points in the infrared. We focus on the cases where the large $N$…