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Backreacting Flavors in the Klebanov-Strassler Background

Francesco Benini, Felipe Canoura, Stefano Cremonesi, Carlos Nunez, Alfonso V. Ramallo

TL;DR

This work constructs analytic backreacted Type IIB backgrounds with smeared D7-flavor branes added to the KT/KS geometries, yielding precise field-theory duals and a controlled cascade of Seiberg dualities. By carefully distinguishing Maxwell and Page charges, the authors map running ranks and flavors in the gauge theory to invariant and evolving charges in supergravity, and they interpret Seiberg dualities as large gauge transformations on the RR/NSNS sector. They demonstrate a detailed matching between field-theory beta functions and R-symmetry anomalies and their gravity duals in the UV, and reveal a duality-wall phenomenon signaling a finite-energy UV cutoff for a weakly coupled description. The results generalize the KS/KT cascades to theories with dynamical flavors, provide a concrete holographic framework for backreacting flavors, and suggest rich IR/UV dynamics, including potential baryonic branches and cosmological applications.

Abstract

In this paper we present new analytic solutions of pure Type IIB supergravity plus D7-branes describing the addition of an arbitrary number of flavors to the Klebanov-Tseytlin and Klebanov-Strassler backgrounds. We provide a precise field theory dual and a detailed analysis of the duality cascade which describes its RG flow. Matchings of beta functions and anomalies between the field theory and the string setup are presented. We give an understanding of Seiberg duality as a large gauge transformation on the RR and NSNS potentials. We also analyze the UV behavior of the field theory, that as suggested by the string background can be associated with a duality wall.

Backreacting Flavors in the Klebanov-Strassler Background

TL;DR

This work constructs analytic backreacted Type IIB backgrounds with smeared D7-flavor branes added to the KT/KS geometries, yielding precise field-theory duals and a controlled cascade of Seiberg dualities. By carefully distinguishing Maxwell and Page charges, the authors map running ranks and flavors in the gauge theory to invariant and evolving charges in supergravity, and they interpret Seiberg dualities as large gauge transformations on the RR/NSNS sector. They demonstrate a detailed matching between field-theory beta functions and R-symmetry anomalies and their gravity duals in the UV, and reveal a duality-wall phenomenon signaling a finite-energy UV cutoff for a weakly coupled description. The results generalize the KS/KT cascades to theories with dynamical flavors, provide a concrete holographic framework for backreacting flavors, and suggest rich IR/UV dynamics, including potential baryonic branches and cosmological applications.

Abstract

In this paper we present new analytic solutions of pure Type IIB supergravity plus D7-branes describing the addition of an arbitrary number of flavors to the Klebanov-Tseytlin and Klebanov-Strassler backgrounds. We provide a precise field theory dual and a detailed analysis of the duality cascade which describes its RG flow. Matchings of beta functions and anomalies between the field theory and the string setup are presented. We give an understanding of Seiberg duality as a large gauge transformation on the RR and NSNS potentials. We also analyze the UV behavior of the field theory, that as suggested by the string background can be associated with a duality wall.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 12 sections, 103 equations, 2 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. The setup and the ansatz
  3. Maxwell and Page charges
  4. Flavored warped deformed conifold
  5. Fractional branes in the singular conifold with flavor
  6. The field theory with flavors: a cascade of Seiberg dualities
  7. The cascade
  8. The cascade: supergravity side
  9. Effective brane charges and ranks
  10. Seiberg duality as a large gauge transformation
  11. R-symmetry anomalies and $\beta$-functions
  12. Final remarks

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: The quiver diagram of the gauge theory. Circles are gauge groups, squares are flavor groups, and arrows are bifundamental chiral superfields. $N_{f1}$ and $N_{f2}$ sum up to $N_f$.
  • Figure 2: Qualitative plot of the running gauge couplings as functions of the logarithm of the energy scale in our cascading gauge theory. The blue lines are the inverse squared gauge couplings, while the red line is their sum.