Confinement and condensates without fine tuning in supergravity duals of gauge theories

We discuss a solution of the equations of motion of five-dimensional gauged type IIB supergravity that describes confining SU(N) gauge theories at large N and large ’t Hooft parameter. We prove confinement by computing the Wilson loop, and we show that our solution is generic, independent of most of the details of the theory. In particular, the Einstein-frame metric near its singularity, and the condensates of scalar, composite operators are universal. Also universal is the discreteness of the glueball mass spectrum and the existence of a mass gap. The metric is also identical to a generically confining solution recently found in type 0B theory. CERN-TH/99-46 February 1999 e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Permanent Address Permanent Address