D-branes in group manifolds and flux stabilization

TL;DR

This paper studies D-branes in group manifolds using open string theory and the Born-Infeld action, revealing how fluxes and B-fields stabilize D-brane configurations on conjugacy classes.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the stabilization mechanism of D-branes via fluxes and B-fields, connecting algebraic and geometric perspectives.

Findings

D-branes correspond to integral conjugacy classes

Flux quantization stabilizes D-branes against shrinking

Consistent description from open strings and Born-Infeld theory

Abstract

We consider D-branes in group manifolds, from the point of view of open strings and using the Born-Infeld action on the brane worldvolume. D-branes correspond to certain integral (twined) conjugacy classes. We explain the integrality condition on the conjugacy classes in both approaches. In the Born-Infeld description, the D-brane worldvolume is stabilized against shrinking by a subtle interplay of quantized U(1) fluxes and the non-triviality of the B-field.