Integrability of BPS equations in ABJM theory

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that BPS equations in ABJM theory are classically integrable, allowing explicit solution construction for M2-M5 bound states and revealing connections to Nahm equations and the periodic Toda chain.

Contribution

It shows the integrability of BPS equations in ABJM theory and provides a method to construct their solutions using Nahm equations, including new explicit solutions.

Findings

BPS equations are integrable with a Lax representation.

Explicit solutions for M2-M5 bound states are constructed.

New solutions describing M2-branes between M5-branes are found.

Abstract

We investigate BPS equations which determine the configuration of an M2-M5 bound state preserving half of the supersymmetries in the ABJM theory. We argue that the BPS equations are classically integrable, showing that they admit a Lax representation. The integrable structure of the BPS equations is closely related to that of the Nahm equations. Using this relation we formulate an efficient way of constructing solutions of the BPS equations from those of the Nahm equations. As an illustration of our method, we construct explicitly the most general solutions describing two M2-branes suspended between two parallel M5-branes as well as two semi-infinite M2-branes ending on an M5-brane. These include previously unknown new solutions. We also discuss a reduction of the BPS equations in connection with the periodic Toda chain.