Ghost-Free Superconformal Action for Multiple M2-Branes

Bandres, Miguel A.; Lipstein, Arthur E.; Schwarz, John H.

Abstract

The Bagger-Lambert construction of N = 8 superconformal field theories (SCFT) in three dimensions is based on 3-algebras. Three groups of researchers recently realized that an arbitrary semisimple Lie algebra can be incorporated by using a suitable Lorentzian signature 3-algebra. The SU(N) case is a candidate for the SCFT describing coincident M2-branes. However, these theories contain ghost degrees of freedom, which is unsatisfactory. We modify them by gauging certain global symmetries. This eliminates the ghosts from these theories while preserving all of their desirable properties. The resulting theories turn out to be precisely equivalent to N = 8 super Yang-Mills theories.

Citation

Bandres, M. A., Lipstein, A. E., & Schwarz, J. H. (2008). Ghost-Free Superconformal Action for Multiple M2-Branes. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2008(07), Article 117. https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708/2008/07/117

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2008
• Deposit Date: Feb 22, 2016
• Journal: Journal of High Energy Physics
• Print ISSN: 1126-6708
• Publisher: Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2008
• Issue: 07
• Article Number: 117
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708/2008/07/117
• Publisher URL: http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1126-6708/2008/07/117/meta