Geometry of 6D RG Flows

Abstract

We study renormalization group flows between six-dimensional superconformal field theories (SCFTs) using their geometric realizations as singular limits of F-theory compactified on elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds. There are two general types of flows: One corresponds to giving expectation values to scalars in the tensor multiplets (tensor branch flow) realized as resolving the base of the geometry. The other corresponds to giving expectation values to hypermultiplets (Higgs branch flow) realized as complex structure deformations of the geometry. To corroborate this physical picture we calculate the change in the anomaly polynomial for these theories, finding strong evidence for a flow from a UV fixed point to an IR fixed point. Moreover, we find evidence against non-trivial dualities for 6D SCFTs. In addition we find non-trivial RG flows for theories realizing small E8 instantons on ALE spaces.

v2: 34 pages, 5 figures, typos corrected

References in corpus (4)

• Anomaly polynomial of general 6d SCFTs
• Anomaly polynomial of E-string theories
• Classification of 6d N=(1,0) gauge theories
• 6D SCFTs and Gravity

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Anomalies, Renormalization Group Flows, and the a-Theorem in Six-Dimensional (1,0) Theories
• Instanton operators and symmetry enhancement in 5d supersymmetric quiver gauge theories
• 6D RG Flows and Nilpotent Hierarchies
• T-branes, Anomalies and Moduli Spaces in 6D SCFTs
• From 6D SCFTs to Dynamic GLSMs
• Evidence for C-theorems in 6D SCFTs