Related papers: The Loop Group of E8 and Targets for Spacetime

We show that N=8 spontaneously broken supergravity in four dimensions obtained by Scherk-Schwarz generalized dimensional reduction can be obtained from a pure four dimensional perspective by gauging a suitable electric subgroup of E_{7,7}.…

In heterotic string theories consistency requires the introduction of a non-trivial vector bundle. This bundle breaks the original ten-dimensional gauge groups $\text{E}_8\times\text{E}_8$ or $\text{SO}(32)$ for the supersymmetric heterotic…

We study brane configurations that give rise to large-N gauge theories with eight supersymmetries and no hypermultiplets. These configurations include a variety of wrapped, fractional, and stretched branes or strings. The corresponding…

We study the theory of NS five-branes in string theory with a smooth non-trivial transverse space. We show that in the limit that the bulk physics decouples, these theories become equivalent to theories with a flat and non-compact…

The Matrix theory description of Type IIA string theory on a compact K3 surface as the theory of Neveu-Schwarz five-branes on $\tilde{K3}\times S^1$ is analyzed. The full multiplet of space-time BPS states is identified in the five-brane…

We show that three-dimensional N=8 $Sp(N)$ and $SO(2N+1)$ gauge theories flow to the same strong coupling fixed point. As a consequence, the corresponding orientifold two-planes in type IIA string theory are described at strong coupling and…

The $\mathcal{A}$-theory takes U-duality symmetry as a guiding principle, with the SL(5) U-duality symmetry being described as the world-volume theory of a 5-brane. Furthermore, by unifying the 6-dimensional world-volume Lorentz symmetry…

We present a string theory that reproduces the large-$N$ expansion of two dimensional Yang-Mills gauge theory on arbitrary surfaces. First, a new class of topological sigma models is introduced, with path integrals localized to the moduli…

Classical gravitating field theories reduced to three dimensions admit manifest gauge invariances and hidden symmetries, which together make up the invariance group G of the theory. If this group is large enough, the target space is a…

We consider a theory with the gauge group $E_8$ assuming that the gauge symmetry breaking pattern is $E_8 \to E_7 \times U_1 \to E_6 \times U_1 \to SO_{10} \times U_1 \to SU_5 \times U_1 \to SU_3 \times SU_2 \times U_1$ and vacuum…

We study some geometrical and topological aspects of the generalised dimensional reduction of supergravities in D=11 and D=10 dimensions, which give rise to massive theories in lower dimensions. In these reductions, a global symmetry is…

We determine the maximal gauge groups arising in $E_8$ heterotic string theory on $T^2$. Our analysis proceeds along two approaches. First, we start the moduli space of the supersymmetric heterotic string theory on $T^2$ focusing on points…

SU(N_L) X SU(N_R) gauge theories are investigated as effective field theories on D_4 branes in type IIA string theory. The classical gauge configuration is shown to match quantitatively with a corresponding classical U(N_L) X U(N_R) gauge…

We study curved space versions of matrix string theory taking as a definition of the theory a gauged matrix sigma model. By analyzing the divergent terms in the loop expansion for the effective action we reduce the problem to a simple…

We propose a mechanism in which, using an eightbrane, a sixbrane ends on a NS brane in type IIA superstring theory. We use this mechanism to construct N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories in four dimensions with chiral matter localized in…

In any dimension, the positive level generators of the very-extended Kac-Moody algebra $E_{11}$ with completely antisymmetric spacetime indices are associated to the form fields of the corresponding maximal supergravity. We consider the…

Recently, Diaconescu, Moore and Witten provided a nontrivial link between K-theory and M-theory, by deriving the partition function of the Ramond-Ramond fields of Type IIA string theory from an E8 gauge theory in eleven dimensions. We give…

We present a Lagrangian formulation for ${\cal N}=8$ superconformal field theories in three spacetime dimensions that is general enough to encompass infinite-dimensional gauge algebras that generally go beyond Lie algebras. To this end we…

String and 5-brane junctions are shown to succinctly classify all known 8d ${\cal N}$=1 string vacua. This requires an extension of the description for ordinary $[p,q]$-7-branes to consistently include O7$^+$-planes, which then naturally…

A ten-dimensional supersymmetric $E_8$ gauge theory is compactified over six-dimensional coset spaces, establishing further our earlier conjecture that the resulting four dimensional theory is a softly broken supersymmetric gauge theory in…