Negative Branes, Supergroups and the Signature of Spacetime

Abstract

We study the realization of supergroup gauge theories using negative branes in string theory. We show that negative branes are intimately connected with the possibility of timelike compactification and exotic spacetime signatures previously studied by Hull. Isolated negative branes dynamically generate a change in spacetime signature near their worldvolumes, and are related by string dualities to a smooth M-theory geometry with closed timelike curves. Using negative D3 branes, we show that $SU(0|N)$ supergroup theories are holographically dual to an exotic variant of type IIB string theory on $d{S}_{3,2}\times {\bar{S}}^5$, for which the emergent dimensions are timelike. Using branes, mirror symmetry and Nekrasov's instanton calculus, all of which agree, we derive the Seiberg-Witten curve for $\mathcal{N}=2SU(N|M)$ gauge theories. Together with our exploration of holography and string dualities for negative branes, this suggests that supergroup gauge theories may be non-perturbatively well-defined objects, though several puzzles remain.

66 pages, 12 figures. V2: additional references, minor typo corrections

References in corpus (8)

• De Sitter Space and Eternity
• Critical $O(N)$ Models in $6-\epsilon$ Dimensions
• Ghost D-branes
• Free fermion resolution of supergroup WZNW models
• Signature reversal invariance
• Non-Unitary Holography
• Metric and coupling reversal in string theory
• Multiple Time Dimensions

Cited by in corpus (40)

• What if string theory has no de Sitter vacua?
• A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation?
• Universal correlation functions in rank 1 SCFTs
• The Geometry, Branes and Applications of Exceptional Field Theory
• A worldsheet supersymmetric Newton-Cartan string
• A non-relativistic limit of M-theory and 11-dimensional membrane Newton-Cartan geometry
• Twisted supergravity and its quantization
• M-theory in the Omega-background and 5-dimensional non-commutative gauge theory
• Non-Riemannian geometry of M-theory
• Surface defects and instanton-vortex interaction
• Non-relativistic duality and $T\bar{T}$ deformations
• Higgsed network calculus
• Superspin chains and supersymmetric gauge theories
• Stochastic Emergent Quantum Gravity
• Intersecting Defects and Supergroup Gauge Theory
• Instanton Counting, Quantum Geometry and Algebra
• Unified non-metric (1,0) tensor-Einstein supergravity theories and (4,0) supergravity in six dimensions
• Tetrahedron instantons
• Squashed Holography with Scalar Condensates
• Quantum Integrable Systems from Supergroup Gauge Theories
• 5d AGT correspondence of supergroup gauge theories from quantum toroidal ${\mathfrak{gl}}_1$
• Five-dimensional vector multiplets in arbitrary signature
• Identifying Riemannian singularities with regular non-Riemannian geometry
• Topological Vertex/anti-Vertex and Supergroup Gauge Theory
• On the Protected Spectrum of the Minimal Argyres-Douglas Theory
• Peculiar Index Relations, 2D TQFT, and Universality of SUSY Enhancement
• dS Spaces and Brane Worlds in Exotic String Theories
• Spinors in Supersymmetric dS/CFT
• Universal Solutions in Open String Field Theory
• From Static to Cosmological Solutions of N=2 Supergravity
• Temperature-reflection I: field theory, ensembles, and interactions
• On instability of ground states in 2D CP(N-1) and O(N) models at large N
• Type-II Calabi-Yau compactifications, T-duality and special geometry in general spacetime signature
• Duality Cascades and Parallelotopes
• Note About Unstable D-Brane with Dynamical Tension
• Comments on D3-Brane Holography
• Quantum mirror curve of periodic chain geometry
• A substrate for brane shells from $T\bar{T}$
• Superstring theories as low-energy limit of supergroup gauge theories
• String Dualities and Gaugings of Supergravity