31.01.2024 (Wednesday)

On the class S origin of discs and spindles

Regular Seminar Pieter Bomans (Oxford)

at:
14:00 IC
room H503
abstract:

In this talk, we delve into the world of spindle and disc solutions dual to 4d SCFTs. Despite extensive studies conducted over the years, certain aspects continue to challenge our understanding. Disc solutions, conjectured to be dual to Argyres-Douglas theories, present a puzzle as at first sight the symmetries do not match across the holographic correspondence. The spindle solutions, on the other hand, completely lack a proper understanding of their dual field theories. This talk aims to shed light on these puzzles, offering a detailed explanation for the breaking of the unwanted symmetry in disc solution. Furthermore, we will clarify various aspects of the spindle solution, contributing to a more profound understanding of the class S origin of the dual SCFTs. As a byproduct, we enlarge the class of holographic surface defects of the (2,0) theory as well as provide a concrete description of a class of locally N=1 preserving punctures.