On Higher Derivative Couplings in Theories with Sixteen Supersymmetries

We give simple arguments for new non-renormalization theorems on higher derivative couplings of gauge theories to supergravity, with sixteen supersymmetries, by considerations of brane-bulk superamplitudes. This leads to some exact results on the effective coupling of D3-branes in type IIB string theory. We also derive exact results on higher dimensional operators in the torus compactification of the six dimensional (0, 2) superconformal theory.
31 pages, 10 figures, section 2 reconstructured, new result in section 3.2, additional clarifications added