arXiv research

Motivated by recent developments in the AdS/CFT correspondence, we provide several alternative bulk descriptions of an arbitrary Wilson loop operator in Chern-Simons theory. Wilson loop operators in Chern-Simons theory can be given a description in terms of a configuration of branes or alternatively anti-branes in the …

We study conditions on the topological D-branes of types A and B obtained by requiring a proper matching of the spectral flow operators on the boundary. These conditions ensure space-time supersymmetry and stability of D-branes. In most cases, we reproduce the results of Marino-Minasian-Moore-Strominger, who studied th…

We study the existence of D-brane bound states at threshold in Type II string theories. In a number of situations, we can reduce the question of existence to quadrature, and the study of a particular limit of the propagator for the system of D-branes. This involves a derivation of an index theorem for a family of non-F…

Geometrically computes superpotentials for certain 4D N=2 theories.

Unified description of p-brane QP-manifolds connects two recent tensor hierarchy descriptions.

Researchers create holographic super-embeddings for M5 and M2 branes.

Introduces D-branes in para-Hermitian geometries using T-duality.

This is the written version of my talk at SUSY '98. It presents a geometric characterisation of the allowed near-horizon geometries of supersymmetric branes. We focus primarily on the M2-brane, but results for other branes (e.g., the D3-brane) are also presented. Some new examples are discussed.

We describe mirror symmetry on higher dimensional tori, paying special attention to the behaviour of D-branes under mirror symmetry. To find the mirror D-branes the description of mirror symmetry on D-branes due to Ooguri, Oz en Yin is used. This method allows us to deal with the coisotropic D-branes recently introduce…

We formalize higher dimensional and higher gauge WZW-type sigma-model local prequantum field theory, and discuss its rationalized/perturbative description in (super-)Lie n-algebra homotopy theory (the true home of the "FDA"-language used in the supergravity literature). We show generally how the intersection laws for s…

We establish the Thom isomorphism in twisted K-theory for any real vector bundle and develop the push-forward map in twisted K-theory for any differentiable proper map $f: X\to Y$ (not necessarily K-oriented). The push-forward map generalizes the push-forward map in ordinary K-theory for any $K$-oriented differentiable…

We classify and construct all the smooth Kaluza-Klein reductions to ten dimensions of the M2- and M5-brane configurations which preserve some of the supersymmetry. In this way we obtain a wealth of new supersymmetric IIA backgrounds describing composite configurations of D-branes, NS-branes and flux/nullbranes; bound s…

We analyze global anomalies for elementary Type II strings in the presence of D-branes. Global anomaly cancellation gives a restriction on the D-brane topology. This restriction makes possible the interpretation of D-brane charge as an element of K-theory.

New K-theory framework reveals exotic brane charges and conformal blocks.

It has been shown recently that the geometry of D-branes in general topologically twisted (2,2) sigma-models can be described in the language of generalized complex structures. On general grounds such D-branes (called generalized complex (GC) branes) must form a category. We compute the BRST cohomology of open strings …

Geometric quantization on hyperKähler manifolds via brane quantization.

Constructs brane current algebras from QP-manifolds, generalizing string currents.

We consider branes $N=I\times\so$, where $\so$ is an $n$\ndash dimensional space form, not necessarily compact, in a Schwarzschild-AdS_{(n+2)} bulk $\mc N$. The branes have a big crunch singularity. If a brane is an ARW space, then, under certain conditions, there exists a smooth natural transition flow through the sin…

Mathematical framework for brane quantization using SYZ mirror symmetry.

In this lecture I review how a matrix/Azumaya-type noncommutative geometry arises for D-branes in string theory and how such a geometry serves as an origin of the master nature of D-branes; and then highlight an abundance conjecture on D0-brane resolutions of singularities that is extracted and purified from a work of …

Quantization and reduction for coisotropic A-branes on Hamiltonian manifolds.

Cohomotopy charge quantization implies String structure on M5-branes.

This is the next step of uncovering the relation between string theory and exotic smooth R^4. Exotic smoothness of R^4 is correlated with D6 brane charges in IIA string theory. We construct wild embeddings of spheres and relate them to a class of topological quantum Dp-branes as well to KK theory. These branes emerge w…

We complete the classification of supersymmetric configurations of two M5-branes, started by Ohta and Townsend. The novel configurations not considered before are those in which the two branes are moving relative to one another. These configurations are obtained by starting with two coincident branes and Lorentz-transf…

We expand Topological Field Theory on some special CW-complexes (brane complexes). This Brane Topological Field Theory one-to-one corresponds to infinite dimensional Frobenius Algebras, graduated by CW-complexes of lesser dimension. We define general and regular Hurwitz numbers of brane complexes and prove that they ge…

We study supersymmetric probe M5-branes in the AdS_4 solution that arises from M5-branes wrapped on a hyperbolic 3-manifold M_3. This amounts to introducing internal defects within the framework of the 3d-3d correspondence. The BPS condition for a probe M5-brane extending along all of AdS_4 requires it to wrap a surfac…

This dissertation explores T-duality between hyperkähler structures and branes on algebraic integrable systems.

A key open problem in M-theory is the identification of the degrees of freedom that are expected to be hidden at ADE-singularities in spacetime. Comparison with the classification of D-branes by K-theory suggests that the answer must come from the right choice of generalized cohomology theory for M-branes. Here we show…

Study on smooth moduli spaces of branes in symplectic 4-manifolds.

In a recent paper, Ohta and Townsend studied the conditions which must be satisfied for a configuration of two intersecting M5-branes at angles to be supersymmetric. In this paper we extend this result to any number of M5-branes or any number of M2-branes. This is accomplished by interpreting their results in terms of …

The paper proposes a noncommutative deformation of toric varieties.

We establish a higher generalization of super L-infinity-algebraic T-duality of super WZW-terms for super p-branes. In particular, we demonstrate spherical T-duality of super M5-branes propagating on exceptional-geometric 11d super spacetime.

We show that certain submanifolds of generalized complex manifolds ("weak branes") admit a natural quotient which inherits a generalized complex structure. This is analog to quotienting coisotropic submanifolds of symplectic manifolds. In particular Gualtieri's generalized complex submanifolds ("branes") quotient to sp…

We introduce a differential refinement of Cohomotopy cohomology theory, defined on Penrose diagram spacetimes, whose cocycle spaces are unordered configuration spaces of points. First we prove that brane charge quantization in this differential 4-Cohomotopy theory implies intersecting p/(p+2)-brane moduli given by orde…

D-branes on noncommutative spaces mimic string theory, offering new insights into mirror symmetry.

Constructing brane quantization for $A_n$-resolutions using SYZ mirror symmetry.

Extending previous work that involved D3-branes ending on a fivebrane with $θ_{\mathrm{YM}}\not=0$, we consider a similar two-sided problem. This construction, in case the fivebrane is of NS type, is associated to the three-dimensional Chern-Simons theory of a supergroup U$(m|n)$ or OSp$(m|2n)$ rather than an ordinary …

The actions, anomalies, and quantization conditions allow the M2-brane and the M5-brane to support, in a natural way, structures beyond Spin on their worldvolumes. The main examples are twisted String structures. This also extends to twisted String^c structures, which we introduce and relate to twisted String structure…

Closed strings can be seen either as one-dimensional objects in a target space or as points in the free loop space. Correspondingly, a B-field can be seen either as a connection on a gerbe over the target space, or as a connection on a line bundle over the loop space. Transgression establishes an equivalence between th…

In this paper we show that in some important cases 4-dimensional data can be extracted from superstring theory such that a) the data are 4 Euclidean geometries embedded in standard $\mathbb{R}^{4}$, b) these data depend on NS and D brane charges of some string backgrounds, c) it is of potential relevance to 4-dimension…

In this note we generalize a result by Alekseev and Strobl for the case of $p$-branes. We show that there is a relation between anomalous free current algebras and "isotropic" involutive subbundles of $T\oplus \wedge^p T^*$ with the Vinogradov bracket, that is a generalization of the Courant bracket. As an application …

Departing from the observation that the Penrose limit of AdS_3 x S^3 is a group contraction in the sense of Inonu and Wigner, we explore the relation between the symmetric D-branes of AdS_3 x S^3 and those of its Penrose limit, a six-dimensional symmetric plane wave analogous to the four-dimensional Nappi--Witten space…

Analyzes D-branes in string theory backgrounds using advanced cohomology.

The abstract discusses constructing 3d N=2 gauge theories using surgeries and M5-branes.

Higher gauge theory via differential nonabelian cohomology

Following recent work by Ghomi, Solomon and Tabachnikov, we study geometry and topology of skew branes. A skew brane is a codimension 2 submanifold in affine space such that the tangent spaces at any pair of distinct points are not parallel. We prove that if an oriented closed manifold has a non-zero Euler characterist…

Abelian gerbes and twisted bundles describe the topology of the NS-NS 3-form gauge field strength H. We review how they have been usefully applied to study and resolve global anomalies in open string theory. Abelian 2-gerbes and twisted nonabelian gerbes describe the topology of the 4-form field strength G of M-theory.…

This paper shows how to construct anomaly free world sheet actions in string theory with $D$-branes. Our method is to use Deligne cohomology and bundle gerbe theory to define geometric objects which are naturally associated to $D$-branes and connections on them. The holonomy of these connections can be used to cancel g…