Branes, Times and Dualities

TL;DR

This paper explores dualities connecting various M-theories and string theories across different signatures, analyzing compactifications and brane solutions with diverse world-volume signatures.

Contribution

It introduces new brane solutions with various world-volume signatures in non-standard signatures of M-theories and string theories.

Findings

Branes with signatures (3,0), (1,2), and (5,1) are possible in these theories.

Dualities extend to theories with signatures 9+2 and 6+5.

New solitonic solutions with diverse world-volume signatures are identified.

Abstract

Dualities link M-theory, the 10+1 dimensional strong coupling limit of the IIA string, to other 11-dimensional theories in signatures 9+2 and 6+5, and to type II string theories in all 10-dimensional signatures. We study the Freund-Rubin-type compactifications and brane-type solutions of these theories, and find that branes with various world-volume signatures are possible. For example, the 9+2 dimensional M* theory has membrane-type solutions with world-volumes of signature (3,0) and (1,2), and a solitonic solution with world-volume signature (5,1).