Vortices under S-duality

TL;DR

This paper explores the behavior of vortices in string theory under S-duality, revealing how electric flux confinement and dual photon mass emerge, and examines supersymmetry breaking mechanisms in brane configurations.

Contribution

It provides a novel analysis of vortex dynamics and flux confinement in S-dual brane systems, linking string theory dualities with gauge theory phenomena.

Findings

S-duality maps vortices to confined electric flux

Dual photon acquires a mass in the dual theory

Supersymmetry breaking mechanisms are discussed

Abstract

We investigate a system of 1,3, and 7-branes in type IIB string theory. We identify the 1-brane with the vortex of the Abelian Higgs model. We claim that in the S-dual, the theory on the 3-brane confines electric flux which we identify with the fundamental string and that the dual photon has a mass. We then investigate ways of breaking supersymmetry in the brane set up.