Branes and Six Dimensional Supersymmetric Theories

Abstract

We consider configurations of sixbranes, fivebranes and eightbranes in various superstring backgrounds. These configurations give rise to $(0,1)$ supersymmetric theories in six dimensions. The condition for RR charge conservation of a brane configuration translates to the condition that the corresponding field theory is anomaly free. Sets of infinitely many models with non trivial RG fixed points at strong coupling are demonstrated. Some of them reproduce and generalise the world-volume theories of SO(32) and $E_8\times E_8$ small instantons. All the models are shown to be connected by smooth transitions. In particular, the small instanton transition for which a tensor multiplet is traded for 29 hypermultiplets is explicitly demonstrated. The particular limit in which these theories can be considered as six dimensional string theories without gravity are discussed. New fixed points (string theories) associated with $E_n$ global symmetries are discovered by taking the strong string coupling limit.