Related papers: Geometric Approaches to Quantum Fields and Strings…
Extending recent work on SU gauge theory, we engineer local string models for N=1 four-dimensional SO and USp gauge theories coupled to matter in the fundamental. The local models are type IIB orientifolds with D7 branes on a curved…
Poisson-Lie duality is a generalization of abelian and non-abelian T-duality, and it can be viewed as a map between solutions of the low-energy effective equations of string theory, i.e. at the (super)gravity level. We show that this fact…
In string theory it is known that abelian isometries in the sigma model lead to target space duality. We generalize this duality to backgrounds with non--abelian isometries. The procedure we follow consists of gauging the isometries of the…
The doubled formulation of string theory, which is T-duality covariant and enlarges spacetime with extra coordinates conjugate to winding number, is reformulated and its geometric and topological features examined. It is used to formulate…
This report presents some studies of the gauge/string theory correspondence, a deep relation that is possible to establish between quantum field theories with local gauge symmetry and superstring theories including gravity. In its original…
Gravity duals for little string theories --- which give rise to four-dimensional theories that undergo permanent confinement in the infrared --- have not been studied in great detail. We address this question in the framework of heterotic…
Recently, a D-brane construction in type IIA string theory was shown to yield the electric/magnetic duality of four dimensional N=1 supersymmetric U(N_c) gauge theories with N_f flavours of quark. We present here an extension of that…
We study large N dualities for a class of ${\cal N} = 1$ theories realized on type IIB D5 branes wrapping 2-cycles of local Calabi-Yau threefolds which is obtained from resolving orbifolded conifolds or as effective field theories on D4…
We examine the structure of higher-derivative string corrections under a cosmological reduction and make connection to generalized geometry and T-duality. We observe that, while the curvature $R^\mu{}_{\nu\rho\sigma}(\Omega_+)$ of the…
We propose a large N dual of 4d, N=1 supersymmetric, SU(N) Yang-Mills with adjoint field \Phi and arbitrary superpotential W(\Phi). The field theory is geometrically engineered via D-branes partially wrapped over certain cycles of a…
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…
This is a general introduction to duality in field theories. The existence and breaking of global symmetries is used as a guideline to systematically prove duality between different field theories. Systems discussed include abelian and…
In recent years, a close connection between supergravity, string effective actions and generalized geometry has been discovered that typically involves a doubling of geometric structures. We investigate this relation from the point of view…
I investigate two discrete models of random geometries, namely simplicial quantum gravity and quantum string theory. In four-dimensional simplicial quantum gravity, I show that the addition of matter gauge fields to the model is capable of…
Decoupling limits of physical interest occur in regions of space--time where the string coupling diverges. This is illustrated in the celebrated example of five-branes. There are several ways to overcome this strong-coupling problem. We…
This Ph.D. thesis investigates effective field and string theories in which supersymmetry is realized and broken in various ways. Chapter 1 addresses effective theories with nonlinearly realized supersymmetry, constructed using the…
We briefly review a class of four dimensional $\mathcal N=3$ field theories constructed by taking a quotient of $\mathcal N=4$ SYM with gauge group $U(N)$. The quotient involves a discrete symmetry that only exists for specific, order one,…
Recently, developments in the understanding of low-energy N=1 supersymmetric gauge theory have revealed two important phenomena: the appearance of new four-dimensional superconformal field theories and a non-Abelian generalization of…
We study the gauge/gravity duality for theories with four dimensional ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetries. We consider the large class of generalized quiver field theories constructed recently by one of us (D.G.). These field theories can also be…
Recent results of A. Sen on quantum field theory models with self-dual field strengths use string field theory as a starting point. In the present work, we show that combining string field theory and supergeometry we can provide a…