Abstract

The spectrum of BPS states in four-dimensional gauge theories and string vacua with N=2 supersymmetry is well-known to be jump across certain walls in moduli space, where bound states can decay. In this talk I will survey how the discontinuity can be understood in terms of the supersymmetric quantum mechanics of mutually non-local point particles. This physical picture suggests that, at any point in moduli space, the BPS spectrum can be viewed as a sum of bound states of absolutely stable `single-centered’ constituents. This idea appears to be vindicated in the context of quiver moduli spaces. Finally, I shall explain how the discontinuous BPS indices can be combined into a `new’ supersymmetric index, a function which sums up multi-particle state contributions and is continuous across the wall.