We explore the low-energy dynamics of 1/2-BPS heavy particles coupled to the ABJM model via the Higgsing of M2-branes, with focus on physical understanding of the recently discovered 1/2-BPS Wilson loop operators. The low-energy theory of 1/2-BPS heavy particles turns out to have the U(N|N) supergauge symmetry, which explains the novel structure of the 1/2-BPS Wilson loop operator as a holonomy of a U(N|N) superconnection. We show that the supersymmetric transformation of the Wilson loop operator can be identified as a fermionic supergauge transformation, which leads to their invariance under half of the supersymmetry. We also argue that 1/2-BPS Wilson loop operators appear as 1/2-BPS vortices with vorticity 1/k. Such a vortex can be naturally interpreted as a membrane wrapping the Z_k cycle once, or type IIA fundamental string.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1006.5589,
title = {1/2-BPS Wilson Loops and Vortices in ABJM Model},
author = {Ki-Myeong Lee and Sungjay Lee},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1006.5589},
year = {2011}
}