Noncommutative M-branes from Covariant Open Supermembranes

TL;DR

This paper explores how open supermembranes in a constant three-form background can give rise to noncommutative M-branes, specifically M5-branes with flux and their relation to M2-branes, revealing new boundary conditions and self-duality constraints.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of noncommutative M5-branes as boundary conditions for supermembranes and derives their self-duality from kappa-symmetry, extending understanding of M-brane dynamics.

Findings

Noncommutative M5-branes can serve as boundary conditions for open supermembranes.

Self-duality condition of flux on M5-branes is derived from kappa-symmetry.

Open supermembranes can connect to infinitely many M2-branes in a strong flux limit.

Abstract

We discuss an open supermembrane in the presence of a constant three-form. The boundary conditions to ensure the kappa-invariance of the action lead to possible Dirichlet branes. It is shown that a noncommutative (NC) M5-brane is possible as a boundary and the self-duality condition that the flux on the world-volume satisfies is derived from the requirement of the kappa-symmetry. We also find that the open supermembrane can attach to each of infinitely many M2-branes on an M5-brane, namely a strong flux limit of the NC M5-brane.