Five-Brane Thresholds and Membrane Instantons in Four-Dimensional Heterotic M-Theory
Abstract
The effective four-dimensional supergravity of M-theory compactified on the orbifold S1/Z2 and a Calabi-Yau threefold includes in general moduli supermultiplets describing massless modes of five-branes. For each brane, one of these fields corresponds to fluctuations along the interval. The five-brane also leads to modifications of the anomaly-cancelling terms in the eleven-dimensional theory, including gauge contributions located on their world-volumes. We obtain the interactions of the brane "interval modulus" predicted by these five-brane-induced anomaly-cancelling terms and we construct their effective supergravity description. In the condensed phase, these interaction terms generate an effective non-perturbative superpotential which can also be interpreted as instanton effects of open membranes stretching between five-branes and the S1/Z2 fixed hyperplanes. Aspects of the vacuum structure of the effective supergravity are also briefly discussed.
Turn this paper into a full lesson
ArcXiv compiles a staged curriculum from this paper: 8-12 lessons across beginner → advanced, synthesised section guides, visuals, flashcards, a quiz, exercises, and on-demand deep dives per section. Grounded in the abstract, never invented.