Branes and Six Dimensional Fixed Points

TL;DR

The paper extends the Hanany–Witten brane construction to six dimensions via successive T-dualities, obtaining IIA configurations with NS5 and D6 branes that realize $N=(1,0)$ six-dimensional theories carrying a tensor multiplet. By analyzing brane bending, charge conservation, and the inclusion of orientifolds, the authors derive the allowed matter content and fixed-point structures, matching the field-theory results on IR fixed points and anomaly cancellation obtained by Seiberg, Intriligator, and others. The key findings include precise bounds on matter content for fixed points in $SU$, $SO$, and $Sp$ gauge groups, and the identification of the role of the tensor multiplet in six dimensions, with the brane picture providing a geometric realization of Coulomb-like deformations and fixed-point behavior. Overall, the work demonstrates that brane constructions not only realize known 6d fixed points but also yield consistency checks via anomaly constraints, offering a clear geometric interpretation of 6d dynamics and fixed points with tensor multiplets.

Abstract

We analyze brane configurations corresponding to non-trivial six dimensional fixed points. Several results previously obtained from a pure field theoretical analysis are rederived in the brane language.