7063414
Mass-Deformed Bagger-Lambert Theory and its BPS Objects
We find a 16-supersymmetric mass-deformed Bagger-Lambert theory with SO(4)xSO(4) global R symmetry. The R charge plays the role of the noncentral term in the superalgebra. This theory has one symmetric vacuum and two inequivalent broken sectors of vacua. Each sector of the broken symmetry has SO(4) geometry. We find the 1/2 BPS domain walls connecting the symmetric phase and any broken phase, and 1/4 BPS supertubelike objects, which may appear as anyonic q-balls in the symmetric phase or vortices in the broken phase. We also discuss mass deformations, which reduce the number of supersymmetries.
17654907
= 5, 6 superconformal Chern-Simons theories and M2-branes on orbifolds
We explore further our recent generalization of the = 4 superconformal Chern-Simons theories of Gaiotto and Witten. We find and construct explicitly theories of enhanced = 5 or 6 supersymmetry, especially = 5, Sp(2M) ? O(N) and = 6, Sp(2M) ? O(2) theories. The U(M) ? U(N) theory coincides with the = 6 theory of Aharony, Bergman, Jafferis and Maldacena (ABJM). We argue that the = 5 theory with Sp(2N) ? O(2N) gauge group can be understood as an orientifolding of the ABJM model with U(2N) ? U(2N) gauge group. We briefly discuss the Type IIB brane construction of the = 5 theory and the geometry of the M-theory orbifold.
18855518
Abelian Gauge Theory on M2-brane and Toric Duality
We write down the abelian gauge theory on a single M2-brane probing toric Calabi-Yau four-fold singularity, based on the recently proposed M-theory crystal model of AdS4/CFT3 dual pairs. The charges of the matter fields are given by the intersection numbers between loops and faces in the crystal. The moduli space of vacua of the gauge theory coincides precisely with the Calabi-Yau singularity. Toric duality, partial resolution, and a possibility of new RG flows are also discussed.
11851576
A Nonperturbative Test of M2-Brane Theory
We discuss non-perturbative effects in the ABJM model due to monopole instantons. We begin by constructing the instanton solutions in the U(2) × U(2) model, explicitly, and computing the Euclidean action. The Wick-rotated Lagrangian is complex and its BPS monopole instantons are found to be a delicate version of the usual 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole solutions. They are generically 1/3 BPS but become 1/2 BPS at special locus in the moduli space of two M2-branes, yet each instanton carries eight fermionic zero modes, regardless of the vacuum choice. The low energy effective action induced by monopole instantons are quartic order in derivatives. The resulting vertices are nonperturbative in 1/k, as expected, but are rational functions of the vacuum moduli. We also analyze the system of two M2-branes in the supergravity framework and compute the higher order interactions via 11-dimensional supergraviton exchange. The comparison of the two shows that the instanton vertices are precisely reproduced by this M2-brane picture, supporting the proposal that the ABJM model describes multiple M2-branes.
10623913
= 4 Superconformal Chern-Simons theories with hyper and twisted hyper multiplets
We extend the = 4 superconformal Chern-Simons theories of Gaiotto and Witten to those with additional twisted hyper-multiplets. The new theories are generically linear quiver gauge theories with the two types of hyper-multiplets alternating between gauge groups. Our construction includes the Bagger-Lambert model of SO(4) gauge group. A family of abelian theories are identified with those proposed earlier in the context of the M-crystal model for M2-branes probing (2/n)2 orbifolds. Possible extension with non-abelian BF couplings and string/M-theory realization are briefly discussed.
12803114
Nonrelativistic superconformal M2-brane theory
We investigate the low energy physics of particles in the symmetric phase of the = 6 mass-deformed ABJM theory in terms of the superconformal nonrelativistic field theory with 14 supercharges. They describe a certain kind of excitations on M2 branes in the background of external four-form flux. We study the nonrelativistic superconformal algebra and their representations by using the operator-state correspondence with the related harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian. We find the unitarity bounds on the scaling dimension and particle number of any local operator, and comment on subtleties in computing the superconformal Witten index that counts the chiral operators.
117027972
Mutual dressing of bare relativistic heavy ions during transit in collider orbits. I. General considerations
In the interaction regions of a relativistic heavy-ion collider, bare, highly charged nuclei pass at great velocities, oppositely moving similar nuclei. Each nucleus, then, sees strong, time varying electromagnetic fields, and it is not surprising that there is a large probability for electron-positron pair creation (a process evaluated many years ago). There is also a smaller probability that the electron of the pair is created, not in a continuum state, but in one of the bound orbits, the K or L or higher orbits, of the Coulomb field of the previously bare nuclei. This dressing is most unfortunate for a collider device, since the charge change leaves the nucleus in an orbit that is no longer appropriate for continuing circulation. This note evaluates the probability for such dressing, and also examines whether a subsequent sweep-off process can undo the first step with any sizeable likelihood. 3 references.
12450781
Topological Chern-Simons sigma model
We consider topological twisting of recently constructed Chern-Simons-matter theories in three dimensions with = 4 or higher supersymmetry. We enumerate physically inequivalent twistings for each , and find two different twistings for = 4, one for = 5,6, and four for = 8. We construct the two types of = 4 topological theories, which we call A/B-models, in full detail. The A-model has been recently studied by Kapustin and Saulina. The B-model is new and it consists solely of a Chern-Simons term of a complex gauge field up to BRST-exact terms. We also compare the new theories with topological Yang-Mills theories and find some interesting connections. In particular, the A-model seems to offer a new perspective on Casson invariant and its relation to Rozansky-Witten theory.
16534140
Constraints on the coupled quintessence from cosmic microwave background anisotropy and matter power spectrum
We discuss the evolution of linear perturbations in a quintessence model in which the scalar field is nonminimally coupled to cold dark matter. We consider the effects of this coupling on both cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropies and matter perturbations. Because of the modification of the scale of cold dark matter as {rho}{sub c}={rho}{sub c}{sup (0)}a{sup -3+{xi}}, we can shift the turnover in the matter power spectrum even without changing the present energy densities of matter and radiation. This can be used to constrain the strength of the coupling. We find that the phenomenology of this model is consistent with current observations up to the coupling power n{sub c}{<=}0.01 while adopting the current parameters measured by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. Upcoming cosmic microwave background observations continuing to focus on resolving the higher peaks may put strong constraints on the strength of the coupling.
118443998
Quarkonium formation time in quark-gluon plasma
The quarkonium formation time in a quark-gluon plasma (QGP) is determined from the space-time correlator of heavy quark vector currents using the quarkonium in-medium mass and wave function obtained from heavy quark potentials extracted from the lattice QCD. It is found that the formation time of a quarkonium increases with the temperature of the QGP and diverges near its dissociation temperature. Also, the quarkonium formation time is longer if the heavy quark potential is taken to be the free energy from lattice calculations for a heavy quark pair, compared to that based on the more negative internal energy.
119218989
Holographic description of quantum field theory
Abstract We propose that general D-dimensional quantum field theories are dual to ( D + 1 ) -dimensional local quantum theories which in general include objects with spin two or higher. Using a general prescription, we construct a ( D + 1 ) -dimensional theory which is holographically dual to the D-dimensional O ( N ) vector model. From the holographic theory, the phase transition and critical properties of the model in dimensions D > 2 are described.