English

Real ADE-equivariant (co)homotopy and Super M-branes

High Energy Physics - Theory 2019-05-24 v3 Mathematical Physics Algebraic Topology Differential Geometry math.MP

Abstract

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 that real equivariant cohomotopy on superspaces is a consistent such choice, at least rationally. After explaining this new approach, we demonstrate how to use Elmendorf's theorem in equivariant homotopy theory to reveal ADE-singularities as part of the data of equivariant 4-sphere-valued super-cocycles on 11d super-spacetime. We classify these super-cocycles and find a detailed black brane scan that enhances the entries of the old brane scan to cascades of fundamental brane super-cocycles on strata of intersecting black M-brane species. We find that on each singular stratum the black brane's instanton contribution, namely its super Nambu-Goto/Green-Schwarz action, appears as the homotopy datum associated to the morphisms in the orbit category.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1805.05987,
  title  = {Real ADE-equivariant (co)homotopy and Super M-branes},
  author = {John Huerta and Hisham Sati and Urs Schreiber},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1805.05987},
  year   = {2019}
}

Comments

87 pages, various figures, v2: minor polishing, v3: published version