2002/04/30 by David Tong · 4 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Mathematical Physics Problems #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Brane #Brane cosmology #D-brane #Duality (order theory) #Instanton #Isometry (Riemannian geometry) #Mathematical analysis #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Moduli space #Nonlinear Waves and Solitons #Physics #Pure mathematics #Quantum mechanics #Sigma model #String (physics) #String field theory #Vortex #Worldsheet #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1126-6708/2002/07/013
published as JHEP 0207:013,2002 · 26 pages. v2: Fourier modes of multi-vortex fermion zero mode corrected. Reference added. v3: typo corrected
openalex publication_date 2002/07/04 · arxiv created 2003/06/30 · arxiv updated 2014/11/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
The equivalence of NS5-branes and ALF spaces under T-duality is well known. However, a naive application of T-duality transforms the ALF space into a smeared NS5-brane, de-localized on the dual, transverse, circle. In this paper we re-examine this duality, starting from a two-dimensional N=(4,4) gauged linear sigma model describing Taub-NUT space. After dualizing the circle fiber, we find that the smeared NS5-brane target space metric receives corrections from multi-worldsheet instantons. These instantons are identified as Nielsen-Olesen vortices. We show that their effect is to break the isometry of the target space, localizing the NS5-brane at a point. The contribution from the k-instanton sector is shown to be proportional to the weighted integral of the Euler form over the k-vortex moduli space. The duality also predicts the, previously unknown, asymptotic exponential decay coefficient of the BPS vortex solution.