Brane Configurations and 4D Field Theory Dualities

TL;DR

Brane configurations in type IIA string theory are used to realize 4D field theories with $N=2$ and $N=1$ supersymmetry and to implement Seiberg-like dualities via brane moves. The authors map deformations such as masses and vacuum expectation values to brane positions, analyze moduli spaces and Higgs branches, and demonstrate dualities including Seiberg, adjoint, and product-gauge dualities, with operator and anomaly matching in the brane language. They extend the framework to non-supersymmetric configurations to probe Seiberg-like dualities, discussing stability concerns and anomaly-based checks, and explore instanton realization via branes, including D0 branes as instantons. Overall, the work strengthens the dictionary between brane rearrangements and 4D field theory dualities, yielding new dual pairs and nonperturbative insights while outlining key open questions about stability and the non-SUSY regime.

Abstract

We study brane configurations which correspond to field theories in four dimension with N=2 and N=1 supersymmetry. In particular we discuss brane motions that translate to Seiberg's duality in N=1 models recently studied by Elitzur, Giveon and Kutasov. We investigate, using the brane picture, the moduli spaces of the dual theories. Deformations of these models like mass terms and vacuum expectation values of scalar fields can be identified with positions of branes. The map of these deformations between the electric and dual magnetic theories is clarified. The models we study reproduce known field theory results and we provide an example of new dual pairs with N=1 supersymmetry. Possible relations between brane configurations and non-supersymmetric field theories are discussed.

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