Transverse Fivebranes in Matrix Theory

TL;DR

This paper provides evidence that spherical M5-branes in M-theory correspond to the trivial vacuum in matrix theory, with matching fluctuation spectra and a proposed description for multiple fivebrane states.

Contribution

It demonstrates the correspondence between spherical M5-branes and the trivial vacuum in matrix theory, including spectral matching and a new proposal for multiple fivebrane states.

Findings

Fluctuation spectrum matches between M5-branes and matrix model

Proposes matrix model vacua for multiple fivebranes

Discusses continuum limits to D2/M2 and NS5/M5 theories

Abstract

M-theory on the maximally supersymmetric plane wave background of eleven-dimensional supergravity admits spherical BPS transverse M5-branes with zero light-cone energy. We give direct evidence that the single M5-brane state corresponds to the trivial (X=0) classical vacuum in the large N limit of the plane wave matrix theory. In particular, we show that the linear fluctuation spectrum of the spherical fivebrane matches exactly with the set of exactly protected excited states about the X=0 vacuum in the matrix model. These states include geometrical fluctuations of the sphere, excitations of the worldvolume two-form field, and fermion excitations. In addition, we propose a description of multiple fivebrane states in terms of matrix model vacua. Finally, we discuss how to obtain the continuum D2/M2 and NS5/M5 theories on spheres from the matrix model. The matrix model can be viewed as a regularization for these theories.