We compute the prepotential for gauge theories descending from ${cal N}=4$ SYM via quiver projections and mass deformations. This accounts for gauge theories with product gauge groups and bifundamental matter. The case of massive orientifold gauge theories with gauge group SO/Sp is also described. In the case with no gravitational corrections the results are shown to be in agreement with Seiberg-Witten analysis and previous results in the literature.
The aim of this paper is to study orientifolds of c=1 conformal field theories. A systematic analysis of the allowed orientifold projections for c=1 orbifold conformal field theories is given. We compare the Klein bottle amplitudes obtained at rational points with the orientifold projections that we claim to be consistent for any value of the orbifold radius. We show that the recently obtained Klein bottle amplitudes corresponding to exceptional modular invariants, describing bosonic string theories at fractional square radius, are also in agreement with those orientifold projections.
The simple current construction of orientifolds based on rational conformal field theories is reviewed. When applied to SO(16) level 1, one can describe all ten-dimensional orientifolds in a unified framework.
We construct the T duals of certain type IIA brane configurations with one compact dimension (elliptic models) which contain orientifold planes. These configurations realize four-dimensional $NN=2$ finite field theories. For elliptic models with two negatively charged orientifold six-planes, the T duals are given by D3 branes at singularities in the presence of O7-planes and D7-branes. For elliptic models with two oppositely charged orientifold planes, the T duals are D3 branes at a different kind of orientifold singularities, which do not require D7 branes. We construct the adequate orientifold groups, and show that the cancellation of twisted tadpoles is equivalent to the finiteness of the corresponding field theory. One family of models contains orthogonal and symplectic gauge factors at the same time. These new orientifolds can also be used to define some six-dimensional RG fixed points which have been discussed from the type IIA brane configuration perspective.
We consider N=4 theories on ALE spaces of $A_{k-1}$ type. As is well known, their partition functions coincide with $A_{k-1}$ affine characters. We show that these partition functions are equal to the generating functions of some peculiar classes of partitions which we introduce under the name orbifold partitions. These orbifold partitions turn out to be related to the generalized Frobenius partitions introduced by G. E. Andrews some years ago. We relate the orbifold partitions to the blended partitions and interpret explicitly in terms of a free fermion system.
We discuss the resolution of toroidal orbifolds. For the resulting smooth Calabi-Yau manifolds, we calculate the intersection ring and determine the divisor topologies. In a next step, the orientifold quotients are constructed.