Published January 1, 2021 | Version v1
Journal article Open

The ABCDEFG of little strings

  • 1. Univ Calif Berkeley, Ctr Theoret Phys, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA

Description

Starting from type IIB string theory on an ADE singularity, the (2, 0) little string arises when one takes the string coupling g(s) to 0. In this setup, we give a unified description of the codimension-two defects of the little string, labeled by a simple Lie algebra g. Geometrically, these are D5 branes wrapping 2-cycles of the singularity, subject to a certain folding operation when the algebra is non simply-laced. Equivalently, the defects are specified by a certain set of weights of Lg, the Langlands dual of g. As a first application, we show that the instanton partition function of the g-type quiver gauge theory on the defect is equal to a 3-point conformal block of the g-type deformed Toda theory in the Coulomb gas formalism. As a second application, we argue that in the (2, 0) CFT limit, the Coulomb branch of the defects flows to a nilpotent orbit of g.

Files

bib-c3f2355a-ad1d-4f3e-84aa-65259846c5ce.txt

Files (103 Bytes)

Name Size Download all
md5:7a656e6fb4259d86e00de5588f263fce
103 Bytes Preview Download