Discrete theta angle from an O5-plane

Abstract

We consider 5d N = 1 Sp(1) gauge theory based on a brane configuration with an O5-plane. At the UV fixed point, the theory with no matter enjoys enhanced global symmetry SU(2) or U(1) depending on the discrete theta angle θ = 0, π (mod 2π). A naive brane configuration with an O5-plane, however, does not distinguish two different theories, as it describes the weak coupling region. We devise a technique for computing 5d Seiberg-Witten curve of the two theories from the brane web with an O5-plane. Their Seiberg-Witten curves show that their M5 configurations under the presence of OM5-planes are different. The decompactification limit of each Seiberg-Witten curve also shows distinct phase structures in their Coulomb branch leading to significantly different (p, q) 5-brane configurations with an O5-plane in the strong coupling region.