A Membrane Action for OM Theory

TL;DR

This paper derives a membrane action for OM theory and WM2 theory, revealing a discrete spectrum for closed membranes and analyzing open membranes on M5-branes, connecting to known string and NCOS theories.

Contribution

It introduces a membrane action for OM and WM2 theories, extending the understanding of their spectra and brane configurations in M-theory.

Findings

Discrete spectrum for WM2 closed membranes

Reproduces NCOS/Wound string spectrum via reduction

Identifies tensionless nature of fully transverse M5-branes

Abstract

Through direct examination of the effect of the OM limit on the M2-brane worldvolume action, we derive a membrane action for OM theory, and more generally, for the eleven-dimensional M-theoretic construct known as Galilean or Wrapped M2-brane (WM2) theory, which contains OM theory as a special class of states. In the static gauge, the action in question implies a discrete spectrum for the closed membrane of WM2 theory, which under double dimensional reduction is shown to reproduce the known NCOS/Wound closed string spectrum. We examine as well open membranes ending on each of the three types of M5-branes in WM2 theory (OM theory arising from the 'longitudinal' type), and show that the 'fully transverse' fivebrane is tensionless. As a prelude to the membrane, we also study the case of the string, where we likewise obtain a reparametrization-invariant action, and make contact with previous work.