Related papers: T-Branes and $G_2$ Backgrounds
A gauge theory with gauge group G defined in D>4 space-time dimensions can be broken to a subgroup H on four dimensional fixed point branes, when compactified on an orbifold. Mass terms for extra dimensional components of gauge fields A_i…
By reinterpreting the familiar tools and ideas of M-theory model building, we show how a G2-manifold locally engineered to give rise to massless matter representations of an SU(5) grand unified model can be smoothly unfolded into a…
We consider the interplay between brane constructions and type IIA, IIB or M-theory geometries on Calabi-Yau (CY) and G_2 holonomy manifolds. This is related to N=1 (and N=2) gauge theories in four dimensions. We first discuss simple…
We develop a gauge theory or theory of bundles and connections on them at the level of braids and tangles. Extending recent algebraic work, we provide now a fully diagrammatic treatment of principal bundles, a theory of global gauge…
Seiberg-Witten geometry of mass deformed $\mathcal N=2$ superconformal ADE quiver gauge theories in four dimensions is determined. We solve the limit shape equations derived from the gauge theory and identify the space $\mathfrak M$ of…
We consider M-theory on (T^2\times R^2)/Z_n with M5 branes wrapped on R^2. One can probe this background with M5 branes wrapped on T^2. The theories on the probes provide many new examples of N=2 field theories without Lagrangian…
We consider two generalizations of the N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons-matter theories with gauge group U(N)xU(N). The first generalization is to N=6 superconformal U(M)xU(N) theories, and the second to N=5 superconformal O(2M)xUSp(2N) and…
We write down M2-branes on the resolved $C_4/Z_4$ orbifold space. The resolved spatial geometry is such that it interpolates between $R^2\times CP_3$ near the branes and $C_4/Z_4$ asymptotically. The near horizon geometry of these branes is…
The presence of non-Abelian discrete gauge symmetries in four-dimensional F-theory compactifications is investigated. Such symmetries are shown to arise from seven-brane configurations in genuine F-theory settings without a weak string…
We describe duality cascades and their infrared behavior for systems of D3-branes at singularities given by complex cones over del Pezzo surfaces (and related examples), in the presence of fractional branes. From the gauge field theory…
We study compactification of 6 dimensional (1,0) theories on T^2. We use geometric engineering of these theories via F-theory and employ mirror symmetry technology to solve for the effective 4d N=2 geometry for a large number of the (1,0)…
We construct an explicit example of a generalized Lie 3-algebra from the octonions. In combination with the result of arXiv:0807.0808, this gives rise to a three-dimensional N=2 Chern-Simons-matter theory with exceptional gauge group G_2…
We construct an explicit class of solutions of type IIB supergravity that is a smooth deformation of the 3-brane class of solutions. The solution is nonsupersymmetric and involves nontrivial dilaton and axion fields as well as the standard…
We construct brane configurations leading to chiral four dimensional N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories. The brane realizations consist of intersecting Neveu-Schwarz five-branes and Dirichlet four-branes in non-flat spacetime backgrounds. We…
In these notes we review aspects of semi-realistic particle physics from the point of view of type II orientifold compactifications. We discuss the appearance of gauge theories on spacetime filling D-branes which wrap non-trivial cycles in…
M-theory geometric engineering on manifolds of special holonomy yields a rich class of novel field theories. In this paper, we construct new 3d $\mathcal{N}=2^{\ast}$ and $\mathcal{N}=4^{\ast}$ gauge theories, realized as mass-deformations…
We show that M-theory admits a supersymmetric compactification to the Godel universe of the form Godel3 x S2 x CY3. We interpret this geometry as coming from the backreaction of M2-branes wrapping the S2 in an AdS3 x S2 x CY3 flux…
We investigate the statistics of the phenomenologically important D-brane sector of string compactifications. In particular for the class of intersecting D-brane models, we generalise methods known from number theory to determine the…
In this paper we study M-theory compactifications on manifolds of G2 structure. By computing the gravitino mass term in four dimensions we derive the general form for the superpotential which appears in such compactifications and show that…
In this thesis, we explore two approaches to string phenomenology. In the first half of the work, we investigate M-theory compactifications on spaces with co-dimension four, orbifold singularities. We construct M-theory on C^2/Z_N by…