Related papers: The Weight of $Spin(32)/\mathbb{Z}_2$ Little Strin…
An intriguing class of 6d supersymmetric theories are known as little strings theories, which exhibit a rich network of T-dualities. A robust feature of these theories are their Higgs branches. Focusing on the little string theories that…
We study the Higgs branches of the 6d $(1,0)$ little string theories that live on the worldvolume of NS5-branes probing an ADE-singularity in the heterotic $E_8 \times E_8$ and $\mathrm{Spin}(32)/\mathbb{Z}_2$ string theories. On the $E_8…
We study a class of eight-supercharge little string theories (LSTs) on the world-volume of $N$ M5-branes with transverse space $\mathbb{S}^{1}\times (\mathbb{C}^2/\mathbb{Z}_M)$. These M-brane configurations compactified on a circle are…
In this paper we begin revisiting the little string theories (LSTs) which govern the dynamics of the instantonic heterotic $E_8 \times E_8$ five-branes probing ALE singularities, building on and extending previous results on the subject by…
In this work, we significantly expand the web of T-dualities among heterotic NS5-brane theories with eight supercharges. This is achieved by introducing twists involving outer automorphisms of discrete gauge/flavor factors and tensor…
We explore the T-duality web of 6D Heterotic Little String Theories, focusing on flavor algebra reducing deformations. A careful analysis of the full flavor algebra, including Abelian factors, shows that the flavor rank is preserved under…
We explore the symmetry structure of Type II Little String Theories and their T-dualities. We construct these theories both from the bottom-up perspective starting with seed Superconformal Field Theories, and from the top-down using…
In this paper, we study the 6d Little String Theory (LST) (the decoupled theory on the worldvolume of $N$ NS5-branes) on curved manifolds, by using its holographic duality to Type II string theory in asymptotically linear dilaton…
We study Little String Theories (LST) with ${\cal N}=(1,0)$ supersymmetry arising, in a suitable double scaling limit, from 5-branes in heterotic string theory or in the heterotic-like type II/$(-)^{F_L}\times {\rm shift}$. The limit in…
Recent work on 6D superconformal field theories (SCFTs) has established an intricate correspondence between certain Higgs branch deformations and nilpotent orbits of flavor symmetry algebras associated with T-branes. In this paper, we…
This work is the second of a series of papers devoted to revisiting the properties of Heterotic string compactifications on ALE spaces. In this project we study the geometric counterpart in F-theory of the T-dualities between Heterotic ALE…
We explore two classes of 6d $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ little string theories obtained from type IIA/IIB NS5-branes probing $D_n$ singularities. Their tensor branches are described by effective gauge theories whose instanton solitons are…
We explore 6d (1,0) superconformal field theories with SU(3) and SU(2) gauge symmetries which cascade after Higgsing to the E-string theory on a single M5 near an $E_8$ wall. Specifically, we study the 2d $\mathcal{N}=(0,4)$ gauge theories…
We consider non-critical heterotic strings compactified on $S^1$. For full rank theories, they are related to odd self-dual lattices and are structurally of the same form as the critical non-supersymmetric theories. For dimensions up to 14…
Little String Theory (LST) is a still somewhat mysterious theory that describes the dynamics near a certain class of time-like singularities in string theory. In this paper we discuss the topological version of LST, which describes…
It has been conjectured that Little String Theories in six dimensions are holographic to critical string theory in a linear dilaton background. We test this conjecture for theories arising on the worldvolume of heterotic fivebranes. We…
We study the 2d N = 4 gauge theory descriptions of little strings on type II NS5- branes. The IIB strings on N NS5-branes are described by the N = (4,4) gauge theories, whose Higgs branch CFTs on U(N) instanton moduli spaces are relevant.…
We study NSR strings in the Nappi-Witten background, which is the Penrose limit of a certain NS5-brane supergravity solution. We solve the theory in the light-cone gauge, obtaining the spectrum, which is space-time supersymmetric. In light…
We present evidence for a new deconstruction of Little String Theory (LST). The starting point is a four-dimensional conformal field theory on its Higgs branch which provides a lattice regularization of six-dimensional gauge theory. We…
By studying 2d string compactifications with half-maximal supersymmetry in a variety of duality frames, we find a natural physical setting for understanding Umbral moonshine. Near points in moduli space with enhanced gauge symmetry, we find…