Conifold Transitions and Five-Brane Condensation in M-Theory on Spin(7) Manifolds

TL;DR

This paper proposes a topology-changing transition in M-theory on Spin(7) manifolds, involving five-brane condensation and geometric transitions, with implications for string theory and supersymmetry.

Contribution

It introduces the first example of a non-trivial topology change in M-theory with only 1/16 supersymmetry, connecting brane condensation to geometric transitions.

Findings

Conjectured a specific topology change involving a 5-sphere collapse and CP(2) bolt growth.

Interpreted the transition as M5-brane condensation and its string theory duals.

Provided a new example of supersymmetric topology change in M-theory.

Abstract

We conjecture a topology changing transition in M-theory on a non-compact asymptotically conical Spin(7) manifold, where a 5-sphere collapses and a CP(2) bolt grows. We argue that the transition may be understood as the condensation of M5-branes wrapping the 5-sphere. Upon reduction to ten dimensions, it has a physical interpretation as a transition of D6-branes lying on calibrated submanifolds of flat space. In yet another guise, it may be seen as a geometric transition between two phases of type IIA string theory on a G_2 holonomy manifold with either wrapped D6-branes, or background Ramond-Ramond flux. This is the first non-trivial example of a topology changing transition with only 1/16 supersymmetry.