The M-theory dual of a 3 dimensional theory with reduced supersymmetry

TL;DR

This paper constructs M-theory duals of a 3D gauge theory with reduced supersymmetry by perturbing the N=8 theory on M2 branes to N=2, revealing insights into vacua, domain walls, and condensates.

Contribution

It introduces a novel M-theory dual for a partially supersymmetric 3D gauge theory via fermion mass perturbations of M2 branes.

Findings

M2 branes polarized into M5 branes in AdS4 x S7

Discrete and continuous vacua depending on fermion masses

Dual descriptions for domain walls, instantons, and condensates

Abstract

In a recent paper, Polchinski and Strassler found a string theory dual of a gauge theory with reduced supersymmetry. Motivated by their approach, we perturb the $\N=8$ theory living on a set of N M2 branes to $\N=2$, by adding fermion mass terms. We obtain M-theory duals corresponding to M2 branes polarized into M5 branes, in $AdS_4 \times S_7$. In the course of doing this we come across an interesting feature of the M5 brane action, which we comment on. Depending on the fermion masses we obtain discrete or continuous vacua for our theories. We also obtain dual descriptions for domain walls, instantons and condensates.