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1. F-theory with worldvolume sectioning

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2021)022  

   Linch, William D.; Siegel, Warren (April 2021, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   null (Ed.)

   A bstract We describe the worldvolume for the bosonic sector of the lower-dimensional F-theory that embeds 5D, N=1 M-theory and the 4D type II superstring. This theory is a complexification of the fundamental 5-brane theory that embeds the 4D, N=1 M-theory of the 3D type II string in a sense that we make explicit at the level of the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations. We find three types of section condition: in spacetime, on the worldvolume, and one tying them together. The 5-brane theory is recovered from the new theory by a double dimensional reduction. 

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2. Deconfining $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SCFTs or the art of brane bending

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2022)140  

   Etxebarria, Iñaki García; Heidenreich, Ben; Lotito, Matteo; Sorout, Ajit Kumar (March 2022, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A bstract We introduce a systematic approach to constructing $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1 Lagrangians for a class of interacting $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 SCFTs. We analyse in detail the simplest case of the construction, arising from placing branes at an orientifolded ℂ 2 / ℤ 2 singularity. In this way we obtain Lagrangian descriptions for all the R 2 ,k theories. The rank one theories in this class are the E 6 Minahan-Nemeschansky theory and the C 2 × U(1) Argyres-Wittig theory. The Lagrangians that arise from our brane construction manifestly exhibit either the entire expected flavour symmetry group of the SCFT (for even k ) or a full-rank subgroup thereof (for odd k ), so we can compute the full superconformal index of the $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 SCFTs, and also systematically identify the Higgsings associated to partial closing of punctures. 

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3. Janus on the brane

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2020)243  

   Gutperle, Michael; Uhlemann, Christoph F. (July 2020, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract We present a non-supersymmetric deformation of probe branes describing conformal defects of codimension two in AdS/CFT. The worldvolume of the probe branes is deformed from AdS p × S 1 embedded in an AdS p +2 × ℳ D  −  p  − 2 background to an embedding of Janus form, which uses an AdS p− 1 slicing of AdS p and in which the brane bends along the slicing coordinate. In field theory terms this realizes conformal interfaces on codimension- two defects. We discuss these “Janus on the brane” solutions for AdS 3 × S 1 D3-branes in the AdS 5 × S 5 solution of Type IIB, realizing interfaces on surface defects in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 SYM, and show that similar solutions exist for probe branes in AdS p +2 × S 9 −p vacua of M-theory and in the AdS 6 × S 4 solution of massive Type IIA. 

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4. M5-brane sources, holography, and Argyres-Douglas theories

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP11(2021)140  

   Bah, Ibrahima; Bonetti, Federico; Minasian, Ruben; Nardoni, Emily (November 2021, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A bstract We initiate a study of the holographic duals of a class of four-dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 superconformal field theories that are engineered by wrapping M5-branes on a sphere with an irregular puncture. These notably include the strongly-coupled field theories of Argyres-Douglas type. Our solutions are obtained in 7d gauged supergravity, where they take the form of a warped product of AdS 5 and a “half-spindle.” The irregular puncture is modeled by a localized M5-brane source in the internal space of the gravity duals. Our solutions feature a realization of supersymmetry that is distinct from the usual topological twist, as well as an interesting Stückelberg mechanism involving the gauge field associated to a generator of the isometry algebra of the internal space. We check the proposed duality by computing the holographic central charge, the flavor symmetry central charge, and the dimensions of various supersymmetric probe M2-branes, and matching these with the dual Argyres-Douglas field theories. Furthermore, we compute the large- N ’t Hooft anomalies of the field theories using anomaly inflow methods in M-theory, and find perfect agreement with the proposed duality. 

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5. Fano 3-folds, reflexive polytopes and brane brick models

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2022)008  

   Franco, Sebastián; Seong, Rak-Kyeong (August 2022, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A bstract Reflexive polytopes in n dimensions have attracted much attention both in mathematics and theoretical physics due to their connection to Fano n -folds and mirror symmetry. This work focuses on the 18 regular reflexive polytopes corresponding to smooth Fano 3-folds. For the first time, we show that all 18 regular reflexive polytopes have corresponding 2 d (0 , 2) gauge theories realized by brane brick models. These 2 d gauge theories can be considered as the worldvolume theories of D1-branes probing the toric Calabi-Yau 4-singularities whose toric diagrams are given by the associated regular reflexive polytopes. The generators of the mesonic moduli space of the brane brick models are shown to form a lattice of generators due to the charges under the rank 3 mesonic flavor symmetry. It is shown that the lattice of generators is the exact polar dual reflexive polytope to the corresponding toric diagram of the brane brick model. This duality not only highlights the close relationship between the geometry and 2 d gauge theory, but also opens up pathways towards new discoveries in relation to reflexive polytopes and brane brick models. 

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