Intersection Rules and Open Branes

A general rule determining how extremal branes can intersect in a configuration with zero binding energy is presented. It is derived in a model independent way and without explicit use of supersymmetry, solving a set of classical equations of motion. When specializing to M and type II theories, it is shown that some intersection rules can be consistently interpreted as boundary rules for open branes ending on other branes.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, uses crckapb.sty. To appear in the proceedings of the Cargese '97 summer schoo

Little Theories in Six and Seven Dimensions

We discuss theories with 16 and 8 supercharges in 6 and 7 dimensions. These theories are defined as world-volume theories of 5- and 6-branes of type II and M theories, in the limit in which bulk modes decouple. We analyze in detail the spectrum of BPS extended objects of these theories, and show that the 6 dimensional ones can be interpreted as little (non-critical) string theories. The little 5-branes of the 6 dimensional theories with 16 supercharges are used to find new string theories with 8 supercharges, which have additional group structure. We describe the web of dualities relating all these theories. We show that the theories with 16 supercharges can be used for a Matrix description of M-theory on T^6 in the general case, and that they also reproduce Matrix theory on T^5 and T^4 in some particular limit.Comment: 23 pages, LaTeX, no figures; references adde

An Exact Relation for N=1 Orientifold Field Theories with Arbitrary Superpotential

We discuss a nonperturbative relation for orientifold parent/daughter pairs of supersymmetric theories with an arbitrary tree-level superpotential. We show that super-Yang-Mills (SYM) theory with matter in the adjoint representation at N-->infinity, is equivalent to a SYM theory with matter in the antisymmetric representation and a related superpotential. The gauge symmetry breaking patterns match in these theories too. The moduli spaces in the limiting case of a vanishing superpotential are also discussed. Finally we argue that there is an exact mapping between the effective superpotentials of two finite-N theories belonging to an orientifold pair.Comment: 14 pages, LaTex. v2: a new introductory section, a few comments and refs. added. v3: minor changes, to appear in Nucl.Phys.

Stringy Instantons as Strong Dynamics

We study the relation between stringy instantons and strong dynamics effects in type IIB toric quiver gauge theories. By exploiting the involutive property of Seiberg duality we relate the classical constraint on the moduli space of the gauge theory with the stringy instanton contribution to the superpotential. The result holds for unitary, orthogonal and symplectic gauge groups.Comment: Minor corrections, reference added, published in JHE

A Note on Holographic Non-Relativistic Goldstone Bosons

We consider a holographic set-up where relativistic invariance is broken by a chemical potential, and a non-abelian internal symmetry is broken spontaneously. We use the tool of holographic renormalization in order to infer what can be learned purely by analytic boundary considerations. We find that the expected Ward identities are correctly reproduced. In particular, we obtain the identity which implies the non-commutation of a pair of broken charges, which leads to the presence of Goldstone bosons with quadratic dispersion relations.Comment: 13+7 pages, no figures; v2: added clarification on vanishing chemical potential, version to appear in journa

Konishi Anomalies and Curves without Adjoints

Generalized Konishi anomaly relations in the chiral ring of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories with unitary gauge group and chiral matter field in two-index tensor representations are derived. Contrary to previous investigations of related models we do not include matter multiplets in the adjoint representation. The corresponding curves turn out to be hyperelliptic. We also point out equivalences to models with orthogonal or symplectic gauge groups.Comment: 21 pages, v2: References added, misprints correcte

Effective superpotential for U(N) with antisymmetric matter

We consider an N=1 U(N) gauge theory with matter in the antisymmetric representation and its conjugate, with a tree level superpotential containing at least quartic interactions for these fields. We obtain the effective glueball superpotential in the classically unbroken case, and show that it has a non-trivial N-dependence which does not factorize. We also recover additional contributions starting at order S^N from the dynamics of Sp(0) factors. This can also be understood by a precise map of this theory to an Sp(2N-2) gauge theory with antisymmetric matter.Comment: 22 pages. v2: comment (and a reference) added at the end of section 2 on low rank cases; minor typos corrected. v3: 2 footnotes added with additional clarifications; version to appear in journa