Field Theory Interpretation of N=2 Stringy Instantons

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that stringy instanton effects in N=2 theories can be fully understood within a field theory framework, confirmed through explicit calculations up to third order, and linked to gravity duals.

Contribution

It provides a field theoretic UV completion for stringy instanton contributions, bridging string theory and field theory descriptions in N=2 models.

Findings

Stringy instanton contributions match field theory predictions.

Explicit checks up to instanton number three confirm the correspondence.

Proposed UV completion can be connected to gravity duals via baryonic root cascades.

Abstract

We consider stringy instanton contributions to the prepotential of low-energy N=2 theories engineered by D-brane set ups at orbifold and orientifold singularities. We show that such contributions can always be reproduced in a purely field theoretic UV completion. We perform the explicit check up to instanton number three, both for Sp(0) and U(1) stringy instantons, the latter being introduced for the purpose. We further argue that the UV completion that we propose, though weakly coupled, can be smoothly mapped to a gravity-dual inspired UV completion consisting of a cascade of baryonic root transitions.