A nonabelian particle-vortex duality in gauge theories

Abstract

We define a nonabelian version of particle-vortex duality, by dimensionally extending usual (1+1)-dimensional nonabelian T-duality to (2+1) dimensions. While we will explicitly describe a global SU(2) symmetry, our methods can also be applied to a larger group G, by gauging an appropriate subgroup. We will exemplify our duality with matter in both adjoint and fundamental representations by considering a modification of N = 2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory (Seiberg-Witten theory reduced to (2+1) dimensions), and an SU(2) × U(1) color-flavor locked theory that exhibits nonabelian vortex solutions.