BPS States on a Three Brane Probe

TL;DR

This paper connects the BPS mass formula in N=2 supersymmetric SU(2) gauge theory to open string masses in a string theory setup involving a three brane and seven branes, providing a geometric interpretation.

Contribution

It demonstrates how the BPS mass formula naturally emerges from open string mass calculations in a specific brane configuration.

Findings

BPS mass formula derived from open string masses

Geometric interpretation of BPS states in string theory

Connection between gauge theory and string configurations

Abstract

Recently Banks, Douglas and Seiberg have shown that the world volume theory of a three brane of the type IIB theory in the presence of a configuration of four Dirichlet seven branes and an orientifold plane is described by an N=2 supersymmetric SU(2) gauge theory with four quark flavours in 3+1 dimensions. In this note we show how the BPS mass formula for N=2 supersymmetric gauge theory arises from masses of open strings stretched between the three brane and the seven brane along appropriate geodesics.