High Energy Theory Group Seminar: Critical Strings from Non-Abelian Vortex in Four Dimensions

Abstract:

After a brief review of non-Abelian vortices discovered in 2003 I focus on a recent unexpected finding.
In a class of non-Abelian solitonic vortex strings supported in certain N=2 super-Yang-Mills theories a vortexwas discovered which behaves as a critical fundamental string. The Polchinski-Strominger criterion of the ultraviolet completeness was used.

The appropriate four-dimensional bulk theory was identified as follows: it must have the U(2) gauge group, the Fayet-Iliopoulos term and four flavor hypermultiplets. Then it supports semilocal vortices with the world-sheet theory for orientational (size) moduli described by the weighted CP(2,2) model. The latter is superconformal. Its target space is six-dimensional. The overall Virasoro central charge is critical.

The world-sheet theory on the vortex supported in this bulk model is the bona fide critical string.
What are the implications?

Seminar Organizer: Shira Chapman