Solitons in Supersymmetric Gauge Theories

Abstract

Recent results on BPS solitons in the Higgs phase of supersymmetric (SUSY) gauge theories with eight supercharges are reviewed. For U(N_C) gauge theories with the N_F(>N_C) hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation, the total moduli space of walls are found to be the complex Grassmann manifold SU(N_F)/[SU(N_C)xSU(N_F-N_C)xU(1)]. The monopole in the Higgs phase has to accompany vortices, and preserves a 1/4 of SUSY. We find that walls are also allowed to coexist with them. We obtain all the solutions of such 1/4 BPS composite solitons in the strong coupling limit. Instantons in the Higgs phase is also obtained as 1/4 BPS states. As another instructive example, we take U(1)xU(1) gauge theories with four hypermultiplets. We find that the moduli space is the union of several special Lagrangian submanifolds of the Higgs branch vacua of the corresponding massless theory. We also observe transmutation of walls and repulsion and attraction of BPS walls. This is a review of recent works on the subject, which was given at the conference by N.Sakai.