Speaker
Description
The Higgs branches of the world-volume theories for multiple M5 branes on an $A_k$ or $D_k$-type ALE space are known to host a variety of fascinating properties, such as the small E 8 instanton transition or the discrete gauging phenomena. This setup can be further enriched by the inclusion of boundary conditions, which take the form of $SU(k)$ or $SO(2k)$ partitions, respectively. Unlike the $A$-type case, $D$-type boundary conditions are eventually accompanied by negative brane numbers in the Type IIA brane realisation. While this may seem discouraging at first, I will demonstrate that these setups are well-suited to analyse the Higgs branches via magnetic quivers. Along the way, I will discuss multiple models with previously neglected Higgs branches that exhibit exciting physics and novel geometric realisations.
