  Some gauge theories with Coulomb branches exhibit singularities in
perturbation theory, which are usually resolved by nonperturbative physics. In
string theory this corresponds to the resolution of timelike singularities near
the core of orientifold planes by effects from F or M theory. We propose a new
mechanism for resolving Coulomb branch singularities in three dimensional gauge
theories, based on Chern-Simons interactions. This is illustrated in a
supersymmetric SU(2) Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory. We calculate the one loop
corrections to the Coulomb branch of this theory and find a result that
interpolates smoothly between the high energy metric (that would exhibit the
singularity) and a regular singularity-free low energy result. We suggest
possible applications to singularity resolution in string theory and speculate
a relationship to a similar phenomenon for the orientifold six-plane in massive
IIA supergravity.
