Classification of 6d N=(1,0) gauge theories

TL;DR

This paper presents a classification scheme for 6d N=(1,0) gauge theories based on anomaly cancellation and consistency conditions, proposing their UV completions are either SCFTs or little string theories.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic method to classify 6d N=(1,0) gauge theories using anomaly cancellation and conjectures their UV completions.

Findings

Classification of 6d N=(1,0) gauge theories based on anomaly conditions

Proposal that UV completions are either 6d SCFTs or little string theories

Framework for identifying consistent 6d gauge theories

Abstract

We delineate a procedure to classify 6d N=(1,0) gauge theories composed, in part, of a semi-simple gauge group and hypermultiplets. We classify these theories by requiring that they satisfy some consistency conditions. The primary consistency condition is that the gauge anomaly can be cancelled by adding tensor multiplets which couple to the gauge fields by acting as sources of instanton strings. Based on the number of tensor multiplets required to cancel the anomaly, we conjecture that the UV completion of these consistent gauge theories (if it exists) should be either a 6d N=(1,0) SCFT or a 6d N=(1,0) little string theory.