M-theory realization of a an N = 1 supersymmetric chiral gauge theory in four dimensions

Abstract

We study the M5-brane configuration of the chiral gauge theory whose type IIA brane configuration with an orientifold 6-plane (06) is studied by various authors. Much of thepaper is devoted to studying the related M-theory picture of SO/ Sp gauge theory with fundamental flavors realized in a type IIA setup with the 06-plane. The Higgs branch of N = 2 SO/ Sp gauge theory is studied and the curve corresponding to the rotated brane configuration is presented. In the chiral gauge theory, the middle NS′5-brane on top of the 06-plane is realized as a detached rational curve in M-theory. Depending on the location of the rational curve in the x 7 direction, the same curve plus the rational curve can be interpreted as describing the Coulomb branch of SU(2 N c ) chiral gauge theory, SO(2 N c )/ Sp( N c ) gauge theory with N f /( N f+4 ) fundamental hypermultiplets. Various consistency checks for this proposal are made. By introducing two more rational curves corresponding to NS′5-branes one can produce a non-trivial fixed point which mediates chiral-non-chiral transition.