We present a nonabelian Lagrangian that appears to have $(2,0)$ superconformal symmetry and that can be coupled to a supergravity background. But for our construction to work, we have to break this superconformal symmetry by imposing as a constraint on top of the Lagrangian that the fields have vanishing Lie derivatives along a Killing direction.
A remarkable feature of D-branes is the appearance of a nonabelian gauge theory in the description of several (nearly) coincident branes. This nonabelian structure plays an important role in realizing various geometric effects with D-branes. In particular, the branes' transverse displacements are described by matrix-valued scalar fields and so noncommutative geometry naturally appears in this framework. I review the action governing this nonabelian theory, as well as various related physical phenomena such as the dielectric effect, giant gravitons and fuzzy funnels.
We show that as in abelian gauge fields, nonabelian gauge fields are also trapped on a brane in the Randall-Sundrum model by applying a new mechanism based on topological Higgs mechanism. It is pointed out that although almost massless gauge fields are localized on the brane by the new mechanism, exactly massless gauge fields are not localized. This fact does not yield any problem to abelian gauge fields, but may give some problem to nonabelian gauge fields since it is known that there is a discontinuity between massless and massive gauge fields in the case of nonabelian gauge groups.
We study D-branes on a three complex dimensional nonabelian orbifold ${\bf C}^3/Γ$ with $Γ$ a finite subgroup of SU(3). We present general formulae necessary to obtain quiver diagrams which represent the gauge group and the spectrum of the D-brane worldvolume theory for dihedral-like subgroups $Δ(3n^2)$ and $Δ(6n^2)$. It is found that the quiver diagrams have a similar structure to webs of branes.
We study D-branes on three-dimensional orbifolds ${\bf C}^3/Γ$ where $Γ$ are finite subgroups of SU(3). The quiver diagram of $\ZnZn \in SU(3)$ can be expressed in three-dimensional form. According to the correspondence between quiver diagrams and brane configurations, we construct a brane configuration for ${\bf C}^3/\ZnZn$ which has essentially three-dimensional structrue. Brane configurations for nonabelian orbifolds $\C^3/Δ(3n^2)$ and $\C^3/Δ(6n^2)$ are obtained from that for $\C^3/\ZnZn$ by certain quotienting procedure.
We discuss the nonabelian world-volume action which governs the dynamics of N coincident Dp-branes. In this theory, the branes' transverse displacements are described by matrix-valued scalar fields, and so this is a natural physical framework for the appearance of noncommutative geometry. One example is the dielectric effect by which Dp-branes may be polarized into a noncommutative geometry by external fields. Another example is the appearance of noncommutative geometries in the description of intersecting D-branes of differing dimensions, such as D-strings ending on a D3- or D5-brane. We also…
Superimposed D-branes have matrix-valued functions as their transverse coordinates, since the latter take values in the Lie algebra of the gauge group inside the stack of coincident branes. This leads to considering a classical dynamics where the multiplication law for coordinates and/or momenta, being given by matrix multiplication, is nonabelian. Quantisation further introduces noncommutativity as a deformation in powers of Planck's constant. Given an arbitrary simple Lie algebra and an arbitrary Poisson manifold, both finite-dimensional, we define a corresponding C*-algebra that can be rega…
We compute the conformal anomaly of a nonabelian M5 brane on $S^1_q\times H^5$ in the large $N$ limit by using the gravity dual of a black hole. We also obtain a general formula for this conformal anomaly for any gauge group by combining various results already present in the literature. From the conformal anomaly we extract the Casimir energy on $\mathbb{R} \times S^5$. We find agreement with the proposal in arXiv:1507.08553.
There is a subtle difference between the open string dynamics determined by the original dual resonance models and that determined by D-brane constructions within critical closed string theory. For instance, in contrast to the former, the latter have massless scalars in addition to the massless gluon shared by both. We introduce and explain the concept of nonabelian D-branes which illuminates this distinction. We employ this concept to offer new possibilities for string duals for large N QCD (pure Yang-Mills gauge theory).
We study brane configurations corresponding to D-branes on complex three-dimensional orbifolds ${\bf C}^3/Γ$ with $Γ=Δ(3n^2)$ and $Δ(6n^2)$, nonabelian finite subgroups of SU(3). We first construct a brane configuration for ${\bf C}^3/{\bf Z}_n \times {\bf Z}_n$ by using D3-branes and a web of (p,q) 5-branes of type IIB string theory. Brane configurations for the nonabelian orbifolds are obtained by performing certain quotients on the configuration for ${\bf C}^3/{\bf Z}_n \times {\bf Z}_n$. Structure of the quiver diagrams of the groups $Δ(3n^2)$ and $Δ(6n^2)$ can be reproduced from the brane…
We derive the super Yang-Mills action of Dp-branes on a torus T^{p-4} from the nonabelian (2,0) theory with Lie 3-algebra. Our realization is based on Lie 3-algebra with pairs of Lorentzian metric generators. The resultant theory then has negative norm modes, but it results in a unitary theory by setting VEV's of these modes. This procedure corresponds to the torus compactification, therefore by taking a transformation which is equivalent to T-duality, the Dp-brane action is obtained. We also study type IIA/IIB NS5-brane and Kaluza-Klein monopole systems by taking other VEV assignments. Such v…
We construct a calculational scheme for handling the matrix ordering problems connected with the appearance of D-brane positions taking values in the same Lie algebra as the nonabelian gauge field living on the D-brane. The formalism is based on the use of an one-dimensional auxiliary field living on the boundary of the string world sheet and taking care of the order of the matrix valued fields. The resulting system of equations of motion for both the gauge field and the D-brane position is derived in lowest order of the $α'$ -expansion.
In matrix models, higher dimensional D-branes are obtained by imposing a noncommutative relation to coordinates of lower dimensional D-branes. On the other hand, a dual description of this noncommutative space is provided by higher dimensional D-branes with gauge fields. Fuzzy spheres can appear as a configuration of lower dimensional D-branes in a constant R-R field strength background. In this paper, we consider a dual description of higher dimensional fuzzy spheres by introducing nonabelian gauge fields on higher dimensional spherical D-branes. By using the Born-Infeld action, we show that …
We study IIB string theory on the orbifold R^8/Gamma with discrete torsion where Gamma is an arbitrary subgroup of U(4). We extend some previously known identities for discrete torsion in abelian groups to nonabelian groups. We construct explicit formulas for a large class of fractional D-brane states and prove that the physical states are classified by projective representations of the orbifold group as predicted originally by Douglas. The boundary states are found to be linear combinations of Ishibashi states with the coefficients being characters of the projective representations.
We introduce a calculus of the Lie algebra valued functions present in Tseytlin's proposal for the nonabelian DBI action, and apply it to show that the recently found dyonic instanton is a solution of the full nonabelian DBI action. The geometry of this solution exhibits a new effect of ``blowing-up'' of the brane, which was not present in the case of the brane realisation of monopoles. We interpret this solution as the superposition of the D0 brane and fundamental string F1 which connects two separated D4 branes. Both F1 and D0 are delocalised in the ``blown-up'' region between two separated …
We evaluate bulk distribution of energies, pressures and various D-brane/F-string charges generated by nontrivial matrix configurations in nonabelian D-brane effective field theories, using supergravity source density formulas derived originally in Matrix theory. Off-diagonal elements of worldvolume nonabelian fields, especially transverse scalar fields, induce various interesting bulk structures exhibiting the shape of branes. First, we study the energy distribution of string-brane networks generated in the bulk by the Yang-Mills monopoles and the 1/4 BPS dyons, and confirm force balance of t…
We consider static, nonabelian solutions in N=4, D=5 Romans' gauged supergravity model. Numerical arguments are presented for the existence of asymptotically anti-de Sitter configurations in the $N=4^+$ version of the theory, with a dilaton potential presenting a stationary point. Considering the version of the theory with a Liouville dilaton potential, we look for configurations with unusual topology. A new exact solution is presented, and a counterterm method is proposed to compute the mass and action.
We consider solutions of the four dimensional Einstein-Yang-Mills system with a negative cosmological constant $Λ=-3g^2$, where $g$ is the nonabelian gauge coupling constant. This theory corresponds to a consistent truncation of ${\cal N}=4$ gauged supergravity and may be uplifted to $d=11$ supergravity. A systematic study of all known solutions is presented as well as new configurations corresponding to rotating regular dyons and rotating nonabelian black holes. The thermodynamics of the static black hole solutions is also discussed. The generic EYM solutions present a nonvanishing magnetic f…
By evaluating string scattering amplitudes, we investigate various low energy interactions for the massless scalars on a nonabelian Dirichlet brane. We confirm the existence of couplings of closed string fields to the world-volume scalars, involving commutators of the latter. Our results are consistent with the recently proposed nonabelian world-volume actions for Dp-branes.
Using 3-algebras we obtain a nonabelian system of equations that furnish a representation of the (2,0)-supersymmetric tensor multiplet. The on-shell conditions are quite restrictive so that the system can be reduced to five-dimensional gauge theory along with six-dimensional abelian (2,0) tensor multiplets. We briefly discuss possible applications to D4-branes using a spacelike reduction and M5-branes using a null reduction.
We construct explicit BPS and non-BPS solutions of the Yang-Mills equations on the noncommutative space R^{2n}_θx S^2 which have manifest spherical symmetry. Using SU(2)-equivariant dimensional reduction techniques, we show that the solutions imply an equivalence between instantons on R^{2n}_θx S^2 and nonabelian vortices on R^{2n}_θ, which can be interpreted as a blowing-up of a chain of D0-branes on R^{2n}_θinto a chain of spherical D2-branes on R^{2n} x S^2. The low-energy dynamics of these configurations is described by a quiver gauge theory which can be formulated in terms of new geometri…
We initiate a programme to compute curvature corrections to the nonabelian BI action. This is based on the calculation of derivative corrections to the abelian BI action, describing a maximal brane, to all orders in F. An exact calculation in F allows us to apply the SW map, reducing the maximal abelian point of view to a minimal nonabelian point of view (replacing 1/F with [X,X] at large F), resulting in matrix model equations of motion. We first study derivative corrections to the abelian BI action and compute the 2-loop beta function for an open string in a WZW (parallelizable) background. …
We study the eleven-dimensional supergravity and the classical solutions corresponding to M2-branes ending on M5-branes. We obtain the generic BPS configuration representing two sets of parallel M5-branes with (1+1) commonly longitudinal directions and M2-branes stretching between them. We also discuss how the brane creation is described in supergravity.
We present a general method for constructing supergravity solutions for intersecting branes. The solutions are written in terms of a single function, which is the solution to a nonlinear differential equation. We illustrate this procedure in detail for the case of M2-branes ending on M5-branes. We also present supergravity solutions for strings ending on Dp-branes. Unlike previous results in the literature, these branes are completely localized.
Abelian gerbes and twisted bundles describe the topology of the NS-NS 3-form gauge field strength H. We review how they have been usefully applied to study and resolve global anomalies in open string theory. Abelian 2-gerbes and twisted nonabelian gerbes describe the topology of the 4-form field strength G of M-theory. We show that twisted nonabelian gerbes are relevant in the study and resolution of global anomalies of multiple coinciding M5-branes. Global anomalies for one M5-brane have been studied by Witten and by Diaconescu, Freed and Moore. The structure and the differential geometry of …
We construct an explicit supergravity solution for a configuration of localized D4-brane ending on a D6-brane, restricted to the near horizon region of the latter. We generate this solution by dimensionally reducing the supergravity solution for a flat M5-brane in $R^{1,7} \times C^2/Z_N$ with the M5-brane partially embedded in $C^2/Z_N$. We describe the general class of localized intersections and overlaps whose supergravity solutions are constructible in this way.
We construct the action and transformation laws for bulk five-dimensional AdS supergravity coupled to one or two brane-localized Goldstone fermions. The resulting bulk-plus-brane system gives a model-independent description of brane-localized supersymmetry breaking in the Randall-Sundrum scenario. We explicitly reduce the action and transformation laws to spontaneously broken four-dimensional supergravity.
We examine the Hamiltonian structure of nonabelian N=2 superstrings models which are the supergroup manifold extensions of N=2 Green-Schwarz superstring. We find the Kac-Moody and Virasoro type superalgebras of the relevant constraints and present elements of the corresponding quantum theory. A comparison with the type IIA Green-Schwarz superstring moving in a general curved 10-d supergravity background is also given. We find that nonabelian superstrings (for d=10) present a particular case of this general system corresponding to a special choices of the background.
We study webs of D3- and D5-branes in type IIB supergravity. These webs preserve at least 8 supercharges. By solving the Killing spinor equations we determine the form of supergravity solutions for the system. We then turn to the sub-class of the intersecting D3/D5 brane system and elucidate some of its features.
We study the coupling of supergravity with a purely bosonic brane source (bosonic p-brane). The interaction, described by the sum of their respective actions, is self-consistent if the bosonic p-brane is the pure bosonic limit of a super-p-brane. In that case the dynamical system preserves 1/2 of the local supersymmetry characteristic of the `free' supergravity.
In this note we present a simple, general prescription for coupling brane localized fields to bulk supergravity. We illustrate the procedure by considering 6D N=2 bulk supergravity on a 2D orbifold, with brane fields localized at the fixed points. The resulting action enjoys the full 6D N=2 symmetries in the bulk, and those of 4D N=1 supergravity at the brane positions.
Using N=2 off-shell supergravity in five dimensions, we supersymmetrize the brane world scenario of Randall and Sundrum. We extend their construction to include supersymmetric matter at the fixpoints.
Starting from the bosonic sector of the M-theory super-five-brane we obtain the action for duality-symmetric three-brane and construct the consistent coupling of the proposed action with the bosonic sector of type IIB supergravity.
It is an old speculation that SU(N) gauge theory can alternatively be formulated as a string theory. Recently this subject has been revived, in the wake of the discovery of D-branes. In particular, it has been argued that at least some conformally invariant cousins of the theory have such a string representation. This is a pedagogical introduction to these developments for non-string theorists. Some of the existing arguments are simplified.
We present a class of two-charged intersecting brane solutions of the D=11 supergravity, which contain the M2-brane, M5-brane, Kaluza-Klein monopole or Brinkmann wave as their building blocks. These solutions share the common feature that one charge is smeared out or uniform over all spatial directions occupied by the branes or waves, while the other charge is localized in them.
We show that the covariant effective action for M5-brane is a solution to the Hamilton-Jacobi (H-J) equations of 11-dimensional supergravity. The solution to the H-J equations reproduces the supergravity solution that represents the M2-M5 bound states.
We construct supergravity solutions that correspond to N Dp-branes coinciding with \bar{N} \bar{Dp}-branes. We study the physical properties of the solutions and analyse the supergravity description of tachyon condensation. We construct an interpolation between the brane-antibrane solution and the Schwarzschild solution and discuss its possible application to the study of non-supersymmetric black holes.
By separating the thermal circle from the extra dimensions, we find a novel exact D$p$-brane solution of Type IIB supergravity, which might provide a scenario for studying the non-perturbative dynamics of QCD$_4$ from the perspective of Type IIB supergravity.
Supergravity solution describing two intersecting M5-branes is presented. The branes are fixed in the relative transverse directions and are delocalized along the overall transverse ones. The intersection can be smoothed, so that the M5-branes present one holomorphic cycle. We also obtain a solution corresponding to an M5-brane on a holomorphic cycle of multi-Taub-NUT space. All these solutions preserve 1/4 of supersymmetry.
We show that the effective actions of D-brane and M-brane are solutions to the Hamilton-Jacobi (H-J) equations in supergravities. This fact means that these effective actions are on-shell actions in supergravities. These solutions to the H-J equations reproduce the supergravity solutions that represent D-branes in a $B_2$ field, M2 branes and the M2-M5 bound states. The effective actions in these solutions are those of a probe D-brane and a probe M-brane. Our findings can be applied to the study of the gauge/gravity correspondence, especially the holographic renormalization group, and a search…
We study the tachyon condensation on the D-brane--antiD-brane system from the supergravity point of view. The non-supersymmetric supergravity solutions with symmetry ISO($p,1$) $\times$ SO($9-p$) are known to be characterized by three parameters. By interpreting this solution as coincident $N$ D$p$-branes and ${\bar N}$ ${\bar {\rm D}}p$-branes we give, for the first time, an explicit representation of the three parameters of supergravity solutions in terms of $N, \bar N$ and the tachyon vev. We demonstrate that the solution and the corresponding ADM mass capture all the required properties an…
In this paper time dependent solutions of supergravities with dilaton and arbitrary rank antisymmetric tensor field are found. Although the solutions are nonsupersymmetric the equations of motions can be integrated in a simple form. Such supergravity solutions are related to Euclidean or spacelike branes (S-branes).
The superfield equations of massive IIA supergravity, in the form of constraints on the superspace geometry, are shown to be implied by $κ$-symmetry of the topologically massive D-2-brane.
The dual supergravity description of the flow between (2,0) five-brane theory and the noncommutative five-brane (OM) theory is examined at critical five-brane field strength. The self-duality of the field strength is shown to arise as a consequence of the supergravity solution. Open membrane solutions are examined in the background of the five-brane giving rise to an M analogue of the noncommutative open string (NCOS) solution.
We give the full supersymmetric and kappa-symmetric action for the Dirichlet three-brane, including its coupling to background superfields of ten-dimensional type IIB supergravity.
We show that many of the recently proposed supersymmetric p-brane solutions of d=10 and d=11 supergravity have the property that they interpolate between Minkowski spacetime and a compactified spacetime, both being supersymmetric supergravity vacua. Our results imply that the effective worldvolume action for small fluctuations of the super p-brane is a supersingleton field theory for $(adS)_{p+2}$, as has been often conjectured in the past.
We discuss the supergravity couplings of noncommutative D-branes by considering the disk amplitudes with one closed string insertion. The result confirms a recent proposal for the general form of the noncommutative Yang-Mills operators coupling to the massless closed string modes. The construction involves smearing Yang-Mills field variables along an open Wilson line. For multiple D-branes interacting with background supergravity fields, this prescription reduces, in the B=0 limit, to the ``symmetrized trace'' prescription, and the supergravity fields are seen to be functionals of the nonabeli…
A vacuum solution of anomaly-free N=1, D=10 Dual Supergravity is constructed. This vacuum corresponds to the presence of two 5-branes, intersecting along M_4, and possesses N=1, D=4 supersymmetry.
We calculate the supergravity fields sourced by a D-brane with a null travelling wave from disk amplitudes in type IIB string theory compactified on T^4 x S^1. The amplitudes reproduce all the non-trivial features of the previously known two-charge supergravity solutions in the D-brane/momentum frame, providing a direct link between the microscopic bound states and their macroscopic descriptions.
The standard eleven-dimensional supergravity action depends on a three-form gauge field and does not allow direct coupling to five-branes. Using previously developed methods, we construct a covariant eleven-dimensional supergravity action depending on a three-form and six-form gauge field in a duality-symmetric manner. This action is coupled to both the M-theory two-brane and five-brane, and corresponding equations of motion are obtained. Consistent coupling relates D=11 duality properties with self-duality properties of the M-5-brane. From this duality-symmetric formulation, one can derive an…
We construct supergravity solutions describing branes (D2-branes or NS5-branes or waves) localized within D6-branes in the region close to the core of the D6-branes. Other similar string-theory and M-theory `near-core' localized solutions can be found by applying U-duality and/or lifting D=10 solutions to D=11. In particular, the D2-branes localized on D6-branes is T-dual to a special case of the background describing (D)strings localized on (D)5-branes and thus is also related to a localized intersection of M2-branes and M5-branes. D6+wave configuration is U-dual to a D0-brane localized on a …
We find explicit supergravity solutions which describe branes in the AdS_3 x S^3 background. These solutions preserve 8 of the 16 supersymmetries of this background, and are consistent with kappa-symmetry. These represent new 1/2-BPS states of string theory.
We give the full supersymmetric and kappa-symmetric actions for the Dirichlet p-branes, including their coupling to background superfields of ten-dimensional type IIA and IIB supergravity.
We find new BPS solutions to the nonabelian theory on a world-volume of parallel D1-branes. Our solutions describe two parallel, separated bundles of N D1-branes expanding out to form a single orthogonal D3-brane. This configuration corresponds to two charge N magnetic monopoles in the world-volume of a single D3-brane, deforming the D3-brane into two parallel spikes. We obtain the emergent surface corresponding to our nonabelian D1-brane configuration and demonstrate, at finite N, a surprisingly accurate agreement with the shape of the D3-brane world-volume as obtained from the abelian Born-I…
We present an on-shell formulation of 5d gauged supergravity coupled to chiral matter multiplets localized at the orbifold fixed points. The brane action is constructed via the Noether method. In such set-up we compute one-loop corrections to the Kahler potential of the effective 4d supergravity and compare the result with previous computations based on the off-shell formalism. The results agree at lowest order in brane sources, however at higher order there are differences. We explain this discrepancy by an ambiguity in resolving singularities associated with the presence of infinitely thin b…
We study stationary black brane solutions in the context of N = 2, U(1) gauged supergravity in five dimensions. Using the formalism of first-order flow equations, we construct examples of extremal black brane solutions that include Nernst branes, i.e. extremal black brane solutions with vanishing entropy density, as well as black branes with cylindrical horizon topology, whose entropy density can be computed from a Cardy formula of the dual CFT.
We investigate the four-dimensional supergravity theory obtained from the compactification of eleven-dimensional supergravity on a smooth manifold of G_2 holonomy. We give a new derivation for the Kaehler potential associated with the scalar kinetic term of the N=1 four-dimensional theory. We then examine some solutions of the four-dimensional theory which arise from wrapped M-branes.
We study static black brane solutions in the context of N = 2 U(1) gauged supergravity in four dimensions. Using the formalism of first-order flow equations, we construct novel extremal black brane solutions including examples of Nernst branes, i.e. extremal black brane solutions with vanishing entropy density. We also discuss a class of non-extremal generalizations which is captured by the first-order formalism.
We show how, by making use of a new basis of the IIB supergravity axion-dilaton coset, SL(2,R)/SO(2), 7-branes that belong to different conjugacy classes of the duality group SL(2,R) naturally couple to IIB supergravity with appropriate source terms characterized by an SL(2,R) charge matrix Q. The conjugacy classes are determined by the value of the determinant of Q. The (p,q) 7-branes are the branes in the conjugacy class detQ = 0. The 7-branes in the conjugacy class detQ > 0 are labelled by three numbers (p,q,r) which parameterize the matrix Q and will be called Q7-branes. We construct the f…
We investigate the classical moduli space of D-branes on a nonabelian Calabi-Yau threefold singularity and find that it admits topology-changing transitions. We construct a general formalism of worldvolume field theories in the language of quivers and give a procedure for computing the enlarged Kahler cone of the moduli space. The topology changing transitions achieved by varying the Fayet-Iliopoulos parameters correspond to changes of linearization of a geometric invariant theory quotient and can be studied by methods of algebraic geometry. Quite surprisingly, the structure of the enlarged Ka…