Non-linear theory for multiple M2 branes

TL;DR

This paper develops a manifestly SO(8) invariant non-linear Lagrangian for multiple M2 branes, connecting it to D2 branes and demonstrating an exact BPS solution for M2 ending on M5.

Contribution

It introduces a new non-linear, SO(8) invariant Lagrangian for multiple M2 branes with a BF gauge symmetry, linking to D2 branes and M5 branes.

Findings

The Lagrangian reduces to the bosonic Bagger-Lambert form at low energies.

The theory simplifies when a scalar field acquires a large expectation value.

An exact BPS fuzzy funnel solution is found within the non-linear system.

Abstract

We present a manifestly SO(8) invariant non-linear Lagrangian for describing the non-abelian dynamics of the bosonic degrees of freedom of N coinciding M2 branes in flat spacetime. The theory exhibits a gauge symmetry structure of the BF type (semidirect product of SU(N) and translations) and at low energies it reduces exactly to the bosonic part of the Lorentzian Bagger-Lambert Lagrangian for group SU(N). There are eight scalar fields satisfying a free-scalar equation. When one of them takes a large expectation value, the non-linear Lagrangian gets simplified and the theory can be connected to the non-abelian Lagrangian describing the dynamics of N coinciding D2 branes. As an application, we show that the BPS fuzzy funnel solution describing M2 branes ending into a single M5 brane is an exact solution of the non-linear system.