Alessandro Mininno

• Master Graduate in Theoretical Physics
• PostDoc Position at Hamburg University

We study the Higgs branch moduli space of certain 6d $(1,0)$ SCFTs after gauging their $\mathbb{Z}_2$ Green--Schwarz automorphism. We explain how to read the flavor symmetry of such SCFTs directly from the 6d construction, and we confirm the expectation by computing the Coulomb branch Hilbert series of their $\mathbb{Z}_2$-wreathed 3d $\mathcal{N}=...

We propose a version of the Weak Gravity Conjecture that applies to AdS spacetime. We find that the condition on the charge-to-mass ratio of a charged particle in AdS$_D$ spacetime is corrected compared to the one in Minkowski spacetime by contributions that depends on the AdS scale and the horizon radius of the extremal Reissner-Nordstr\"om black...

A bstract A surprising relation between 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 class $$ \mathcal{S} $$ S superconformal field theories of Type- A and 6d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = (1, 0) orbi-instanton theories is investigated. We find that all of the theories in the former class can be obtained by a series of deformations of the 4d theories arising from compactify...

A surprising relation between 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ class $\mathcal{S}$ superconformal field theories of Type-$A$ and 6d $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ orbi-instanton theories is investigated. We find that all of the theories in the former class can be obtained by a series of deformations of the 4d theories arising from compactifying the latter on a torus. This...

A bstract Discrete global symmetries of 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 SCFTs are studied via two operations: gauging and twisted compactification. We consider gauging of discrete symmetries in several well-known 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 SCFTs, including SU( n ) SQCD with 2 n flavors, theories of class $$ \mathcal{S} $$ S of type A 2 n− 1 , and Argyre...

A bstract We examine the minimal constraints imposed by the Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC) on the particle spectrum of a quantum gravity theory. Towers of super-extremal states have previously been argued to be required for consistency of the WGC under circle reduction. At the same time, there exist classes of theories where no tower of super-extrem...

A bstract The tower Weak Gravity Conjecture predicts infinitely many super-extremal states along every ray in the charge lattice of a consistent quantum gravity theory. We show this far-reaching claim in five-dimensional compactifications of M-theory on Calabi-Yau 3-folds for gauge groups with a weak coupling limit. We first characterize the possib...

A bstract We demonstrate the presence of non-invertible symmetries in an infinite family of superconformal Argyres-Douglas theories. This class of theories arises from diagonal gauging of the flavor symmetry of a collection of multiple copies of D p (SU( N )) theories. The same set of theories that we study can also be realized from 6d $$ \mathcal{...

A bstract A 1-form symmetry and a 0-form symmetry may combine to form an extension known as the 2-group symmetry. We find the presence of the latter in a class of Argyres-Douglas theories, called D p (USp(2 N )), which can be realized by ℤ 2 -twisted compactification of the 6d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = (2 , 0) of the D -type on a sphere with an irregul...

We demonstrate the presence of non-invertible symmetries in an infinite family of superconformal Argyres-Douglas theories. This class of theories arises from diagonal gauging of the flavor symmetry of a collection of multiple copies of $D_p(\mathrm{SU}(N))$ theories. The same set of theories that we study can also be realized from 6d $\mathcal{N}=(...

The tower Weak Gravity Conjecture predicts infinitely many super-extremal states along every ray in the charge lattice of a consistent quantum gravity theory. We show this far-reaching claim in five-dimensional compactifications of M-theory on Calabi--Yau 3-folds for gauge groups with a weak coupling limit. We first characterize the possible weak c...

A bstract We investigate the asymptotic Tower Weak Gravity Conjecture in weak coupling limits of open string theories with minimal supersymmetry in four dimensions, focusing for definiteness on gauge theories realized on 7-branes in F-theory. Contrary to expectations, we find that not all weak coupling limits contain an obvious candidate for a towe...

Superconformal field theory with $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetry in four dimensional spacetime provides a prime playground to study strongly coupled phenomena in quantum field theory. Its rigid structure ensures valuable analytic control over non-perturbative effects, yet the theory is still flexible enough to incorporate a large landscape of quantum...

A 1-form symmetry and a 0-form symmetry may combine to form an extension known as the 2-group symmetry. We find the presence of the latter in a class of Argyres-Douglas theories, called $D_p($USp$(2N))$, which can be realized by $\mathbb{Z}_2$-twisted compactification of the 6d $\mathcal{N}=(2,0)$ of the $A_{\text{even}}$ type on a sphere with an i...

A bstract In this paper, we extend the analysis of scanning the perturbatively flat flux vacua (PFFV) for the type IIB orientifold compactifications on the mirror of the projective complete intersection Calabi-Yau (pCICY) 3-folds, which are realized as hypersurfaces in the product of complex projective spaces. The main objective of this scan is to...

We investigate the asymptotic Tower Weak Gravity Conjecture in weak coupling limits of open string theories with minimal supersymmetry in four dimensions, focusing for definiteness on gauge theories realized on 7-branes in F-theory. Contrary to expectations, we find that not all weak coupling limits contain an obvious candidate for a tower of state...

A bstract Higher-form symmetries have proved useful in constraining the dynamics of a number of quantum field theories. In the context of the Argyres-Douglas (AD) theories of the ( G, G ′) type, we find that the 1-form symmetries are invariant under the Higgs branch flow, and that they are captured by the non-Higgsable sector at a generic point on...

A bstract In this article, we present a classification for the divisor topologies of the projective complete intersection Calabi-Yau (pCICY) 3-folds realized as hypersurfaces in the product of complex projective spaces. There are 7890 such pCICYs of which 7820 are favorable, and can be subsequently useful for phenomenological purposes. To our surpr...

Higher-form symmetries have proved useful in constraining the dynamics of a number of quantum field theories. In the context of the Argyres-Douglas (AD) theories of the $(G,G')$ type, we find that the 1-form symmetries are invariant under the Higgs branch flow, and that they are captured by the non-Higgsable sector at a generic point on the Higgs b...

A bstract We initiate the geometric engineering of 2d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = (0 , 1) gauge theories on D1-branes probing singularities. To do so, we introduce a new class of backgrounds obtained as quotients of Calabi-Yau 4-folds by a combination of an anti-holomorphic involution leading to a Spin(7) cone and worldsheet parity. We refer to such cons...

A bstract The Argyres-Douglas (AD) theories of type ( D n , D m ), realized by type IIB geometrical engineering on a single hypersurface singularity, are studied. We analyze their conformal manifolds and propose the 3d mirror theories of all theories in this class upon reduction on a circle. A subclass of the AD theories in question that admits mar...

A bstract In this article, we present a systematic analysis of the so-called perturbatively flat flux vacua (PFFV) for the mirror Calabi-Yau (CY) 3-folds ( $$ {\overset{\sim }{X}}_3 $$ X ~ 3 ) with h 1 , 1 ( $$ {\overset{\sim }{X}}_3 $$ X ~ 3 ) = 2 arising from the Kreuzer-Skarke database of the four-dimensional reflexive polytopes. We consider the...

In this paper, we extend the analysis of scanning the perturbatively flat flux vacua (PFFV) for the type IIB orientifold compactifications on the mirror of the projective complete intersection Calabi-Yau (pCICY) 3-folds, which are realized as hypersurfaces in the product of complex projective spaces. We present the PFFV statistics for all the 36 pC...

A bstract We elucidate various aspects of the physics of thraxions, ultra-light axions arising at Klebanov-Strassler multi-throats in the compactification space of IIB superstring theory. We study the combined stabilization of Kähler moduli and thraxions, showing that under reasonable assumptions, one can solve the combined problem both in a KKLT a...

A bstract We present a new, geometric perspective on the recently proposed triality of 2d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = (0 , 1) gauge theories, based on its engineering in terms of D1-branes probing Spin(7) orientifolds. In this context, triality translates into the fact that multiple gauge theories correspond to the same underlying orientifold. We show ho...

In this article, we present a classification for the divisor topologies of the projective complete intersection Calabi-Yau (pCICY) 3-folds realized as hypersurfaces in the product of complex projective spaces. There are 7890 such pCICYs of which 7820 are favorable, and can be subsequently useful for phenomenological purposes. To our surprize we fin...

Superconformal field theory with $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetry in four dimensional spacetime provides a prime playground to study strongly coupled phenomena in quantum field theory. Its rigid structure ensures valuable analytic control over non-perturbative effects, yet the theory is still flexible enough to incorporate a large landscape of quantum...

In this article, we present a systematic analysis of the so-called perturbatively flat flux vacua (PFFV) for the mirror Calabi-Yau (CY) $3$-folds ($\tilde{X}_3$) with $h^{1,1}(\tilde{X}_3) =2$ arising from the Kreuzer-Skarke database of the four-dimensional reflexive polytopes. We consider the divisor topologies of the CY $3$-folds for classifying...

We present a new, geometric perspective on the recently proposed triality of 2d $\mathcal{N}=(0,1)$ gauge theories, based on its engineering in terms of D1-branes probing Spin(7) orientifolds. In this context, triality translates into the fact that multiple gauge theories correspond to the same underlying orientifold. We show how Spin(7) orientifol...

The Argyres-Douglas (AD) theories of type $(D_n,D_m)$, realized by type IIB geometrical engineering on a single hypersurface singularity, are studied. We analyze their conformal manifolds and propose the 3d mirror theories of all theories in this class upon reduction on a circle. A subclass of the AD theories in question that admits marginal coupli...

We initiate the geometric engineering of 2d $\mathcal{N}=(0,1)$ gauge theories on D1-branes probing singularities. To do so, we introduce a new class of backgrounds obtained as quotients of Calabi-Yau 4-folds by a combination of an anti-holomorphic involution leading to a Spin(7) cones and worldsheet parity. We refer to such constructions as \texti...

We elucidate various aspects of the physics of thraxions, ultra-light axions arising at Klebanov-Strassler multi-throats in the compactification space of IIB superstring theory. We study the combined stabilization of K\"ahler moduli and thraxions, showing that under reasonable assumptions, one can solve the combined problem both in a KKLT and a LVS...

A bstract Argyres-Douglas theories constitute an important class of superconformal field theories in 4d. The main focus of this paper is on two infinite families of such theories, known as $$ {D}_p^b $$ D p b (SO(2 N )) and ( A m , D n ). We analyze in depth their conformal manifolds. In doing so we encounter several theories of class 𝒮 of twisted...

Argyres-Douglas theories constitute an important class of superconformal field theories in $4$d. The main focus of this paper is on two infinite families of such theories, known as $D^b_p(\mathrm{SO}(2N))$ and $(A_m, D_n)$. We analyze in depth their conformal manifolds. In doing so we encounter several theories of class $\mathcal{S}$ of twisted $A_...

A bstract Non-supersymmetric string models are plagued with tadpoles for dynamical fields, which signal uncanceled forces sourced by the vacuum. We argue that in certain cases, uncanceled dynamical tadpoles can lead to inconsistencies with quantum gravity, via violation of swampland constraints. We describe an explicit realization in a supersymmetr...

A bstract We propose a combined mechanism to realize both winding inflation and de Sitter uplifts. We realize the necessary structure of competing terms in the scalar potential not via tuning the vacuum expectation values of the complex structure moduli, but by a hierarchy of the Gopakumar-Vafa invariants of the underlying Calabi-Yau threefold. To...

We propose a combined mechanism to realize both winding inflation and de Sitter uplifts. We realize the necessary structure of competing terms in the scalar potential not via tuning the vacuum expectation values of the complex structure moduli, but by a hierarchy of the Gopakumar-Vafa invariants of the underlying Calabi-Yau threefold. To show that...

Non-supersymmetric string models are plagued with tadpoles for dynamical fields, which signal uncanceled forces sourced by the vacuum. We argue that in certain cases, uncanceled dynamical tadpoles can lead to inconsistencies with quantum gravity, via violation of swampland constraints. We describe an explicit realization in a supersymmetric toroida...

A bstract We argue that in theories of quantum gravity with discrete gauge symmetries, e.g. Z k , the gauge couplings of U(1) gauge symmetries become weak in the limit of large k , as g → k −α with α a positive order 1 coefficient. The conjecture is based on black hole arguments combined with the Weak Gravity Conjecture (or the BPS bound in the sup...

A bstract We prove that a very large class of 15502 general Argyres-Douglas theories cannot admit a UV lagrangian which flows to them via the Maruyoshi-Song supersymmetry enhancement mechanism. We do so by developing a computer program which brute-force lists, for any given 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 superconformal theory $$ \mathcal{T} $$ T IR , a...

We argue that in theories of quantum gravity with discrete gauge symmetries, e.g. $\textbf{Z}_k$, the gauge couplings of U$(1)$ gauge symmetries become weak in the limit of large $k$, as $g\to k^{-\alpha}$ with $\alpha$ a positive order 1 coefficient. The conjecture is based on black hole arguments combined with the Weak Gravity Conjecture (or the...

We prove that a very large class of $15502$ general Argyres-Douglas theories cannot admit a UV lagrangian which flows to them via the Maruyoshi-Song supersymmetry enhancement mechanism. We do so by developing a computer program which brute-force lists, for any given 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal theory $\mathcal{T}_{\text{IR}}$, all possible UV...

A bstract We apply dimer diagram techniques to uncover discrete global symmetries in the fields theories on D3-branes at singularities given by general orbifolds of general toric Calabi-Yau threefold singularities. The discrete symmetries are discrete Heisenberg groups, with two Z N generators A , B with commutation AB = C BA , with C a central ele...

We apply dimer diagram techniques to uncover discrete global symmetries in the fields theories on D3-branes at singularities given by general orbifolds of general toric Calabi-Yau threefold singularities. The discrete symmetries are discrete Heisenberg groups, with two $\mathbf{Z}_N$ generators $A$, $B$ with commutation $AB=CBA$, with $C$ a central...