D2-D8 system with massive strings and the Lifshitz spacetimes

TL;DR

This paper constructs Lifshitz spacetimes in massive type IIA supergravity using (F1,D2,D8) branes, revealing connections via T-duality to type IIB and ordinary IIA theories, with potential implications for quantum Hall systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel Lifshitz background supported by massive strings in Romans type IIA supergravity and explores its relations through T-duality to other string theory vacua.

Findings

Existence of Lifshitz vacua supported by massive strings.

Relation of these vacua to type IIB Lifshitz backgrounds via compactification.

Emergence of quantum Hall-like features in four-dimensional reductions.

Abstract

The Romans type IIA supergravity allows fundamental strings to have explicit mass term at the tree level. We show that there exists a (F1,D2,D8) brane configuration which gives rise to $Lif_4^{(2)}\times {R}^1\times S^5$ vacua supported by the massive strings. The presence of D8-branes naturally excites massive fundamental strings. A compactification on circle relates these Lifshitz massive type-IIA background with the axion-flux $Lif_4^{(2)}\times {S}^1\times S^5$ vacua in ordinary type-IIB theory. The massive T-duality in eight dimensions further relates them to yet another $\widetilde{Lif}_4^{(2)}\times S^1\times S^5$ vacua constituted by (F1,D0,D6) system in ordinary type IIA theory. The latter vacua after compactification to four dimensions generate two `distinct' electric charges and a constant magnetic field, all living over 2-dimensional plane. This somewhat reminds us of a similar set up in quantum Hall systems.