# Nonabelian Probes In Holography

## TL;DR

This paper explores the conditions under which open string physics on probe Dq-branes decouples from gravity in a Dp-brane background, revealing a rich structure of vacua including instantons, monopoles, and vortices, with implications for holography.

## Contribution

It characterizes the parameter regimes for decoupling and analyzes the vacua of probe brane theories, connecting them to defect holography and background flux couplings.

## Key findings

- Decoupling conditions for open string physics established.
- Vacua include moduli spaces of instantons, monopoles, and vortices.
- Holographic descriptions of defects in dual field theories provided.

## Abstract

We find the range of parameters for which the open string physics on probe Dq-branes in the near-horizon geometry of Dp-branes decouples from gravity, and is well-approximated by a (q+1)-dimensional supersymmetric Yang-Mills-Higgs theory on a rigid curved spacetime. We study the vacua of these theories, which include moduli spaces of instantons, monopoles, and vortices. This intricate structure is made possible through couplings to the background Ramond-Ramond flux. The probe brane theories we study provide holographic descriptions of defects in dual field theories.