String Duals of Two-Dimensional Yang-Mills and Symmetric Product Orbifolds

TL;DR

The paper introduces a bosonic string dual for large-N chiral 2d YM based on a β–γ system with a chiral composite linear dilaton, enabling calculation of torus partition functions, three-point amplitudes, and Wilson loops that reproduce YM results at finite coupling. It further extends the framework to propose string duals for symmetric product orbifolds of general seed CFTs (c<24) and explores their T Tbar and J bar T deformations, showing how these deformations manifest on the worldsheet via controlled modifications and Hecke-operator structure. A key feature is localization to holomorphic (and sometimes covering) maps, with negative winding sectors encoding non-perturbative corrections in deformations, drawing connections to AdS3/CFT2 and matrix-string ideas. Overall, the work provides a non-supersymmetric, UV-complete string perspective on confining 2d gauge theories and their orbifold generalizations, offering concrete observables and deformation pathways for further tests.

Abstract

We propose a bosonic string dual to large $N$ chiral Yang-Mills in two dimensions at finite 't Hooft coupling. The worldsheet theory is a $β$-$γ$ system deformed by a chiral Polchinski-Strominger term. We reproduce the partition function on a torus, cylinder three-point amplitudes, and the area law for Wilson loops. We also present candidate string duals to symmetric product orbifolds for general seed CFTs with $c<24$ and their $T\bar{T}$-, $J\bar{T}$-deformations. The results hint at interrelations among confining, nonrelativistic and matrix strings, and AdS$_3/$CFT$_2$.

Figures (1)

• Figure 1: Extending the fundamental domain of the torus moduli using $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$