Academic literature on the topic 'Topological strings, orientifolds, supersymmetric gauge theories'

We review and elaborate on certain aspects of the connections between instanton counting in maximally supersymmetric gauge theories and the computation of enumerative invariants of smooth varieties. We study in detail three instances of gauge theories in six, four, and two dimensions which naturally arise in the context of topological string theory on certain noncompact threefolds. We describe how the instanton counting in these gauge theories is related to the computation of the entropy of supersymmetric black holes and how these results are related to wall-crossing properties of enumerative invariants such as Donaldson-Thomas and Gromov-Witten invariants. Some features of moduli spaces of torsion-free sheaves and the computation of their Euler characteristics are also elucidated.

We consider gauge coupling unification in models with TeV scale strings and large compact dimensions realized as type IIB string orientifolds. Following an observation by Ibanez we show that the gauge couplings at low energies can behave as if they effectively unify at MU~2 × 1016 GeV with αU~1/24. This requires the σ model anomaly coefficients [Formula: see text] not to be all equal and their ratio to the β-functions of minimally supersymmetric standard model βa to be a constant independent of the gauge group. If, in addition, [Formula: see text] have a gauge group independent constant piece, the relation between the unified gauge coupling and the dilaton vev is modified so that there can be weakly coupled gauge theories arising from strongly coupled strings.

We discuss R symmetries in locally supersymmetric N = 2 gauge theories coupled to hypermultiplets which can be thought of as effective theories of heterotic superstring models. In this type of supergravities a suitable R symmetry exists and can be used to topologically twist the theory: the vector multiplet containing the dilaton–axion field has different R charge assignments with respect to the other vector multiplets. Correspondingly a system of coupled instanton equations emerges, mixing gravitational and Yang–Mills instantons with triholomorphic hyperinstantons and axion instantons. For the tree level classical special manifolds ST(n) = SU(1,1)/U(1) × SO(2,n)/[SO(2) × SO(n)], R symmetry with the specified properties is a continuous symmetry, but for the quantum-corrected manifolds [Formula: see text] a discrete R group of electric–magnetic duality rotations is sufficient and we argue that it exists.

The Thesis comprises work done at SISSA (Trieste) and UAM (Madrid) under supervision of A. Uranga during academic years 2013-2016 and published in the following works. In the first one we describe the type IIA physical realization of the unoriented topological string introduced by Walcher, describe its M-theory lift, and show that it allows to compute the open and unoriented topological amplitude in terms of one-loop diagram of BPS M2-brane states. This confirms and allows to generalize the conjectured BPS integer expansion of the topological amplitude. The M-theory lift of the orientifold is freely acting on the M-theory circle, so that integer multiplicities are a weighted version of the (equivariant subsector of the) original closed oriented Gopakumar-Vafa invariants. The M-theory lift also provides new perspective on the topological tadpole cancellation conditions. We finally comment on the M-theory version of other unoriented topological strings, and clarify certain misidentifications in earlier discussions in the literature. In the second we consider the real topological string on certain non-compact toric Calabi-Yau three-folds X, in its physical realization describing an orientifold of type IIA on X with an O4-plane and a single D4-brane stuck on top. The orientifold can be regarded as a new kind of surface operator on the gauge theory with 8 supercharges arising from the singular geometry. We use the M-theory lift of this system to compute the real Gopakumar-Vafa invariants (describing wrapped M2-brane BPS states) for diverse geometries. We show that the real topological string amplitudes pick up certain signs across flop transitions, in a well-defined pattern consistent with continuity of the real BPS invariants. We further give some preliminary proposals of an intrinsically gauge theoretical description of the effect of the surface operator in the gauge theory partition function. In the third, which is in preparation, we focus on target space physics related to real topological strings, namely we discuss the physical superstring correlation functions in type I theory (or equivalently type II with orientifold) that compute real topological string amplitudes. As it turns out that direct computation presents a problem, which also affects the standard case, we consider the correlator corresponding to holomorphic derivative of the real topological amplitude $G_\chi$, at fixed worldsheet Euler character $\chi$. This corresponds in the low-energy effective action to N=2 Weyl tensor, appropriately reduced to the orientifold invariant part, and raised to power $g'=-\chi+1$. In this case, we are able to perform computation, and show that appropriate insertions in the physical string correlator give precisely the holomorphic derivative of topological amplitude. Finally, we apply this method to the standard closed oriented case as well, and prove a similar statement for the topological amplitude $F_g$, which solves a small issue affecting that computation.

This article discusses the link between matrix models and string theory, giving emphasis on topological string theory and the Dijkgraaf–Vafa correspondence, along with applications of this correspondence and its generalizations to supersymmetric gauge theory, enumerative geometry, and mirror symmetry. The article first provides an overview of strings and matrices, noting that the correspondence between matrix models and string theory makes it possible to solve both non-critical strings and topological strings. It then describes some basic aspects of topological strings on Calabi-Yau manifolds and states the Dijkgraaf–Vafa correspondence, focusing on how it is connected to string dualities and how it can be used to compute superpotentials in certain supersymmetric gauge theories. In addition, it shows how the correspondence extends to toric manifolds and leads to a matrix model approach to enumerative geometry. Finally, it reviews matrix quantum mechanics and its applications in superstring theory.