M Theory Fivebrane and SQCD

We study M theory fivebranes to understand the moduli space of vacua of N=1 supersymmetric SO(N_c) gauge theory with N_f flavors in four dimensions. We discuss how the various branches of this theory arise in the string/M theory brane configurations and compare our results with the ones obtained earlier by Intriligator and Seiberg in the context of field theory. In the M theory approach, we explain the various branches from the asymptotic position of semi-infinite D4 branes...

We review M-theory description of 4d N=2 SQCD. Configurations of M-theory fivebranes relevant to describe the moduli spaces of the Coulomb and Higgs branches are studied using the Taub-NUT geometry. Minimal area membranes related with the BPS states of N=2 SQCD are given explicitly. They almost saturate the BPS bounds. The deviation from the bounds is due to their boundary condition constrained by the fivebrane. The electric-magnetic duality at the baryonic branch root is als...

The best candidate for a fundamental unified theory of all physical phenomena is no longer ten-dimensional superstring theory but rather eleven-dimensional {\it M-theory}. In the words of Fields medalist Edward Witten, ``M stands for `Magical', `Mystery' or `Membrane', according to taste''. New evidence in favor of this theory is appearing daily on the internet and represents the most exciting development in the subject since 1984 when the superstring revolution first burst o...

These notes are based on lectures given by Michael Green during Part III of the Mathematics Tripos (the Certificate for Advanced Study in Mathematics) in the Spring of 2003. The course provided an introduction to string theory, focussing on the Bosonic string, but treating the superstring as well. A background in quantum field theory and general relativity is assumed. Some background in particle physics, group theory and conformal field theory is useful, though not essential....

Talk presented at Strings '99 in Potsdam, Germany (July 19 - 24, 1999).

Minor corrections made and several references changed.

We study aspects of confinement in the M theory fivebrane version of QCD (MQCD). We show heavy quarks are confined in hadrons (which take the form of membrane-fivebrane bound states) for N=1 and softly broken N=2 SU(Nc) MQCD. We explore and clarify the transition from the exotic physics of the latter to the standard physics of the former. In particular, the many strings and quark-antiquark mesons found in N=2 field theory by Douglas and Shenker are reproduced. It is seen that...

In this paper we obtain both the vector and scalar equations of motion of an M-fivebrane in the presence of threebrane solitons. The resulting equations of motion are precisely those obtained from the Seiberg-Witten low energy effective action for N=2 Yang-Mills, including all quantum corrections. This analysis extends the work of a previous paper which derived the scalar equations of motion but not in detail the vector equations. We also discuss some features of an infinite ...

This paper comprises the written version of the lectures on string theory delivered at the 31st British Universities Summer School on Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics which was held in Manchester, England, August 28 - September 12 2001.

These lectures from the 1995 Trieste Summer School in High Energy Physics and Cosmology give an elementary introduction to perturbative superstring theory, superstring phenomenology, and the fermionic construction of perturbative string models.These lectures assume no prior knowledge of string theory.