Carlos Nunez

Towards the large N limit of pure N=1 superYang-Mills

We find the gravity solution corresponding to a large number of Neveu-Schwarz or D5-branes wrapped on a two sphere so that we have pure Nu = 1 super Yang-Mills in the IR. The supergravity solution is smooth, it shows confinement, and it breaks the U(1)(R) chiral symmetry in the appropriate way. When the gravity approximation is valid the masses of glueballs are comparable to the masses of Kaluza-Klein (KK) states on the 5-brane, but if we could quantize strings on this background it looks like we should be able to decouple the KK states.

Supergravity description of field theories on curved manifolds and a no go theorem

In the first part of this paper we find supergravity solutions corresponding to branes on worldvolumes of the form Rd×Σ where Σ is a Riemann surface. These theories arise when we wrap branes on holomorphic Riemann surfaces inside K3 or CY manifolds. In some cases the theory at low energies is a conformal field theory with two less dimensions. We find some non-singular supersymmetric compactifications of M-theory down to AdS5. We also propose a criterion for permissible singularities in supergravity solutions. In the second part of this paper, which can be read independently of the first, we show that there are no non-singular Randall-Sundrum or de-Sitter compactifications for large class of gravity theories.

Towards the string dual of N=1 SQCD-like theories

We construct supergravity plus branes solutions, which we argue to be related to 4d N=1 SQCD with a quartic superpotential. The geometries depend on the ratio Nf/Nc which can be kept of order one, present a good singularity at the origin and are weakly curved elsewhere. We support our field theory interpretation by studying a variety of features like R-symmetry breaking, instantons, Seiberg duality, Wilson loops and pair creation, running of couplings and domain walls. In a second part of this paper, we address a different problem: the analysis of the interesting physics of different members of a family of supergravity solutions dual to (unflavored) N=1 SYM plus some UV completion.

Towards the Large N Limit of Pure

We find the gravity solution corresponding to a large number of Neveu-Schwarz or D5-branes wrapped on a two sphere so that we have pure Nu = 1 super Yang-Mills in the IR. The supergravity solution is smooth, it shows confinement, and it breaks the U(1)(R) chiral symmetry in the appropriate way. When the gravity approximation is valid the masses of glueballs are comparable to the masses of Kaluza-Klein (KK) states on the 5-brane, but if we could quantize strings on this background it looks like we should be able to decouple the KK states.

General brane geometries from scalar potentials: gauged supergravities and accelerating universes

We find broad classes of solutions to the field equations for d-dimensional gravity coupled to an antisymmetric tensor of arbitrary rank and a scalar field with non-vanishing potential. For an exponential potential we find solutions corresponding to brane geometries, generalizing the black p-branes and S-branes known for the case of vanishing potential. These geometries are singular at the origin with up to two horizons. When the singularity has negative tension or the cosmological constant is positive we find time-dependent configurations describing accelerating universes. Special cases give explicit brane geometries for gauged supergravities in various dimensions, and we discuss their interrelation. Some examples lift to give new solutions to 10D supergravity. Limiting cases preserve a fraction of the supersymmetries of the vacuum. We also consider more general potentials, including sums of exponentials. Exact solutions are found for these with up to three horizons, with potentially interesting cosmological interpretation. Further examples are provided.We find broad classes of solutions to the field equations for d-dimensional gravity coupled to an antisymmetric tensor of arbitrary rank and a scalar field with non-vanishing potential. Our construction generates these configurations from the solution of a single nonlinear ordinary differential equation, whose form depends on the scalar potential. For an exponential potential we find solutions corresponding to brane geometries, generalizing the black p-branes and S-branes known for the case of vanishing potential. These geometries are singular at the origin with up to two (regular) horizons. Their asymptotic behaviour depends on the parameters of the model. When the singularity has negative tension or the cosmological constant is positive we find time-dependent configurations describing accelerating universes. Special cases give explicit brane geometries for (compact and non-compact) gauged supergravities in various dimensions, as well as for massive 10D supergravity, and we discuss their interrelation. Some examples lift to give new solutions to 10D supergravity. Limiting cases with a domain wall structure preserve part of the supersymmetries of the vacuum. We also consider more general potentials, including sums of exponentials. Exact solutions are found for these with up to three horizons, having potentially interesting cosmological interpretation. We give several additional examples which illustrate the power of our techniques.

Backreacting flavors in the Klebanov-Strassler background

In this paper we present new analytic solutions of pure Type IIB supergravity plus D7-branes describing the addition of an arbitrary number of flavors to the Klebanov-Tseytlin and Klebanov-Strassler backgrounds. We provide a precise field theory dual and a detailed analysis of the duality cascade which describes its RG flow. Matchings of beta functions and anomalies between the field theory and the string setup are presented. We give an understanding of Seiberg duality as a large gauge transformation on the RR and NSNS potentials. We also analyze the UV behavior of the field theory that, as suggested by the string background, can be associated with a duality wall.

Unquenched flavors in the Klebanov-Witten model

Using AdS/CFT, we study the addition of an arbitrary number of backreacting flavors to the Klebanov-Witten theory, making many checks of consistency between our new Type IIB plus branes solution and expectations from field theory. We study generalizations of our method for adding flavors to all = 1 SCFTs that can be realized on D3-branes at the tip of a Calabi-Yau cone. Also, general guidelines suitable for the addition of massive flavor branes are developed.

Flavoring the gravity dual of Script N = 1 Yang-Mills with probes

We study two related problems in the context of a supergravity dual to = 1 SYM. One of the problems is finding kappa symmetric D5-brane probes in this particular background. The other is the use of these probes to add flavors to the gauge theory. We find a rich and mathematically appealing structure of the supersymmetric embeddings of a D5-brane probe in this background. Besides, we compute the mass spectrum of the low energy excitations of = 1 SQCD (mesons) and match our results with some field theory aspects known from the study of supersymmetric gauge theories with a small number of flavors.

D6-branes and M theory geometrical transitions from gauged supergravity

We study the supergravity duals of supersymmetric theories arising in the world-volume of D6-branes wrapping holomorphic two-cycles and special lagrangian three-cycles within the framework of eight-dimensional gauged supergravity. When uplifted to 11d, our solutions represent M-theory on the background of, respectively, the small resolution of the conifold and a manifold with G2 holonomy. We further discuss on the flop and other possible geometrical transitions and its implications.

Unquenched Flavor in the Gauge/Gravity Correspondence

Within the AdS/CFT correspondence, we review the studies of field theories with a large number of adjoint and fundamental fields, in the Veneziano limit. We concentrate in set-ups where the fundamentals are introduced by a smeared set of D-branes. We make emphasis on the general ideas and then in subsequent chapters that can be read independently and describe particular considerations in various different models. Some new material is presented along the various sections.