Branes and 2d N=(2,2) gauge theories with orthogonal and symplectic groups

Abstract

We construct two-dimensional N=(2,2) supersymmetric gauge theories with orthogonal and symplectic groups using branes and orientifold planes in Type IIA string theory. A number of puzzles regarding the construction, including the effect of exchanging NS5-branes on an orientifold 2-plane, are resolved by lifting the configurations to M theory. The low energy properties and conjectured dualities of these theories are reproduced in the M-brane description. A similar construction of N=(4,4) theories with orthogonal and symplectic groups leads to new duality conjectures for these theories.

22 pages, 27 figures. Type IIA linking number computation corrected in section 4.5. Clarified and expanded the discussion of N=(4,4) dualities in section 5. References added