Normal Bundles, Pfaffians and Anomalies

TL;DR

This paper investigates the diffeomorphism anomaly in brane theories, focusing on the five-brane in M-theory, and demonstrates that the residual chiral anomaly can be canceled by a local counterterm on the brane.

Contribution

It provides a detailed global analysis of the residual chiral anomaly in five-branes within M-theory and shows how to cancel it with a local counterterm.

Findings

Residual chiral anomaly can be canceled by a local counterterm

Global formulation of anomaly on five-brane world-volume

Analysis specific to five-branes in M-theory

Abstract

We deal with the problem of diffeomorphism anomaly in theories with branes. In particular we thoroughly analyze the problem of the residual chiral anomaly of a five-brane immersed in M-theory, paying attention to its global formulation in the five-brane world-volume. We conclude that the anomaly can be canceled by a {\it local} counterterm in the five-brane world-volume.