N=2 SU Quiver with USP Ends or SU Ends with Antisymmetric Matter

We consider the four dimensional scale invariant N=2 SU quiver gauge theories with USp(2N) ends or SU(2N) ends with antisymmetric matter representations. We argue that these theories are realized as six dimensional A_{2N-1} (0,2) theories compactified on spheres with punctures. With this realization, we can study various strongly coupled cusps in moduli space and find the S-dual theories. We find a class of isolated superconformal field theories with only odd dimensional operators $D(\phi)\geq3$ and superconformal field theories with only even dimensional operators $D(\phi)\geq4$.Comment: Minor changes are made; refrences are added; 21 pages, 18 figure

Expectation values of chiral primary operators in holographic interface CFT

We consider the expectation values of chiral primary operators in the presence of the interface in the 4 dimensional N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. This interface is derived from D3-D5 system in type IIB string theory. These expectation values are computed classically in the gauge theory side. On the other hand, this interface is a holographic dual to type IIB string theory on AdS_5 x S^5 spacetime with a probe D5-brane. The expectation values are computed by GKPW prescription in the gravity side. We find non-trivial agreement of these two results: the gauge theory side and the gravity side.Comment: 17pages, no figur

Surface Operators in N=2 4d Gauge Theories

N=2 four dimensional gauge theories admit interesting half BPS surface operators preserving a (2,2) two dimensional SUSY algebra. Typical examples are (2,2) 2d sigma models with a flavor symmetry which is coupled to the 4d gauge fields. Interesting features of such 2d sigma models, such as (twisted) chiral rings, and the tt* geometry, can be carried over to the surface operators, and are affected in surprising ways by the coupling to 4d degrees of freedom. We will describe in detail a relation between the parameter space of twisted couplings of the surface operator and the Seiberg-Witten geometry of the bulk theory. We will discuss a similar result about the tt* geometry of the surface operator. We will predict the existence and general features of a wall-crossing formula for BPS particles bound to the surface operator.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figure

Cubic Twistorial String Field Theory

Witten has recently proposed a string theory in twistor space whose D-instanton contributions are conjectured to compute N=4 super-Yang-Mills scattering amplitudes. An alternative string theory in twistor space was then proposed whose open string tree amplitudes reproduce the D-instanton computations of maximal degree in Witten's model. In this paper, a cubic open string field theory action is constructed for this alternative string in twistor space, and is shown to be invariant under parity transformations which exchange MHV and googly amplitudes. Since the string field theory action is gauge-invariant and reproduces the correct cubic super-Yang-Mills interactions, it provides strong support for the conjecture that the string theory correctly computes N-point super-Yang-Mills tree amplitudes.Comment: 19+1 pages, 4+1 EPS figures, JHEP3 LaTeX; v2: minor corrections, references added; v3: the final version published in JHEP with a new footnote on the d=0 on-shell contributio

Computing topological invariants with one and two-matrix models

A generalization of the Kontsevich Airy-model allows one to compute the intersection numbers of the moduli space of p-spin curves. These models are deduced from averages of characteristic polynomials over Gaussian ensembles of random matrices in an external matrix source. After use of a duality, and of an appropriate tuning of the source, we obtain in a double scaling limit these intersection numbers as polynomials in p. One can then take the limit p to -1 which yields a matrix model for orbifold Euler characteristics. The generalization to a time-dependent matrix model, which is equivalent to a two-matrix model, may be treated along the same lines ; it also yields a logarithmic potential with additional vertices for general p.Comment: 30 pages, added references, changed conten

Janus Configurations, Chern-Simons Couplings, And The Theta-Angle in N=4 Super Yang-Mills Theory

We generalize the half-BPS Janus configuration of four-dimensional N=4 super Yang-Mills theory to allow the theta-angle, as well as the gauge coupling, to vary with position. We show that the existence of this generalization is closely related to the existence of novel three-dimensional Chern-Simons theories with N=4 supersymmetry. Another closely related problem, which we also elucidate, is the D3-NS5 system in the presence of a four-dimensional theta-angle.Comment: 66 p

Argyres-Douglas theories and S-duality

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits any use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are creditedM.B. and T.N. are partly supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under grants DOE-SC0010008, DOE-ARRA-SC0003883, and DOE-DE-SC0007897. This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. NSF PHY11-25915. S.G. is partially supported by the ERC Advanced Grant “SyDuGraM”, by FNRS-Belgium (convention FRFC PDR T.1025.14 and convention IISN 4.4514.08) and by the “Communaut´e Francaise de Belgique” through the ARC progra

On different actions for the vacuum of bosonic string field theory

We study a family of kinetic operators in string field theory describing the theory around the closed string vacuum. Those operators are based on the analytical classical solutions of Takahashi and Tanimoto and are analogous to the pure ghost action usually referred to as "vacuum string field theory," but are much more general, and less singular than the pure ghost operator. The closed string vacuum is related to the D-brane vacuum by large, singular, gauge transformations or field redefinition, and all those different representations are related to each other by small gauge transformations. We try to clarify the nature of this singular gauge transformation. We also show that by choosing the Siegel gauge one recovers the propagator proposed in hep-th/0207266 that generates closed string surfaces.Comment: 15 page

Notes on Superconformal Chern-Simons-Matter Theories

The three dimensional N=2 supersymmetric Chern-Simons theory coupled to matter fields, possibly deformed by a superpotential, give rise to a large class of exactly conformal theories with Lagrangian descriptions. These theories can be arbitrarily weakly coupled, and hence can be studied perturbatively. We study the theories in the large N limit, and compute the two-loop anomalous dimension of certain long operators. Our result suggests that various N=2 U(N) Chern-Simons theories coupled to suitable matter fields are dual to open or closed string theories in AdS4, which are not yet constructed.Comment: 47 pages, 20 figure