M-theory on G_2 manifolds and the method of (p,q) brane webs
arXiv:hep-th/0303198 · doi:10.1088/0305-4470/37/18/011
Abstract
Using a reformulation of the method of (p,q) webs, we study the four-dimensional N=1 quiver theories from M-theory on seven-dimensional manifolds with G_2 holonomy. We first construct such manifolds as U(1) quotients of eight-dimensional toric hyper-Kähler manifolds, using N=4 supersymmetric sigma models. We show that these geometries, in general, are given by real cones on \bf S^2 bundles over complex two-dimensional toric varieties, \cal \bf V^2= {{\bf C}^{r+2}/ {{\bf C}^*}^r}. Then we discuss the connection between the physics content of M-theory on such G_2 manifolds and the method of (p,q) webs. Motivated by a result of Acharya and Witten [hep-th/0109152], we reformulate the method of webs and reconsider the derivation of the gauge theories using toric geometry Mori vectors of \cal \bf V^2 and brane charge constraints. For {\bf WP^2}_{w_1,w_2, w_3}, we find that the gauge group is given by G=U(w_1n)\times U(w_2n)\times U(w_3n). This is required by the anomaly cancellation condition.
Latex, 22 pages, one figure. Several improvements (title, section 4) added in reponse to the referee's comments, references added. Final version accepted in J. Phys.A: Math.Gen.(2004)