Orientifolds and D-branes in N=2 gauged linear sigma models

TL;DR

This paper investigates how parity symmetries and boundary conditions in gauged linear sigma models influence the behavior of D-branes and orientifolds in Calabi-Yau compactifications, revealing moduli-dependent phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a method to analyze parity actions on D-branes and derives a formula for orientifold plane types within the linear sigma model framework.

Findings

Derived a general formula for orientifold plane types (SO vs Sp).

Showed how vector structure arises at different Kähler moduli.

Found orientifold plane types can change across the moduli space.

Abstract

We study parity symmetries and boundary conditions in the framework of gauged linear sigma models. This allows us to investigate the Kaehler moduli dependence of the physics of D-branes as well as orientifolds in a Calabi-Yau compactification. We first determine the parity action on D-branes and define the set of orientifold-invariant D-branes in the linear sigma model. Using probe branes on top of orientifold planes, we derive a general formula for the type (SO vs Sp) of orientifold planes. As applications, we show how compactifications with and without vector structure arise naturally at different real slices of the Kaehler moduli space of a Calabi-Yau compactification. We observe that orientifold planes located at certain components of the fixed point locus can change type when navigating through the stringy regime.