Related papers: Which BPS Baryons Minimize Volume?

We prove that the minimal volume entropy of mapping tori over oriented closed smooth $3$-manifolds vanishes. Our approach uses a variation of the amenable category and a suitable version of the minimal volume entropy of a homology class…

In this set of lectures various properties of D-branes are discussed. After reviewing the basics, we discuss unstable D-brane/anti-D-brane systems, a subject pioneered by Sen. Following him, we discuss the construction of the non-BPS…

The volume of a k-dimensional foliation $\mathcal{F}$ in a Riemannian manifold $M^{n}$ is defined as the mass of image of the Gauss map, which is a map from M to the Grassmann bundle of k-planes in the tangent bundle. Generalizing a…

We introduce generalized calibrations that take into account the gauge field on the D-brane so that calibrated submanifolds minimize the Dirac-Born-Infeld energy. We establish the calibration bound and show that the calibration form is…

This paper investigates a real-valued topological invariant of 3-manifolds called topological volume. For a given 3-manifold M it is defined as the smallest volume of the complement of a (possibly empty) hyperbolic link in M. Various…

Two recently found coupled BPS submodels of the Skyrme model are further analyzed. Firstly, we provide a geometrical formulation of the submodels in terms of the eigenvalues of the strain tensor. Secondly, we study their thermodynamical…

We carry out a thorough survey of entropy for a large class of $p$-branes in various dimensions. We find that the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy may be given a simple world volume interpretation only for the non-dilatonic $p$-branes, those with…

We explore the possibility of constructing p-brane world-volume actions with the requirements of kappa-symmetry and gauge invariance as the only input. In the process, we develop a general framework which leads to actions interpolating…

In this paper, we find lower bounds for volumes of hyperbolic 3-manifolds with various topological conditions. Let V_3 = 1.01494 denote the volume of a regular ideal simplex in hyperbolic 3-space. As a special case of the main theorem, if a…

We conjecture a topology changing transition in M-theory on a non-compact asymptotically conical Spin(7) manifold, where a 5-sphere collapses and a CP(2) bolt grows. We argue that the transition may be understood as the condensation of…

We study D-branes on Calabi-Yau manifolds, carrying charges which are torsion elements of the K-theory. Interesting physics ensues when we follow these branes into nongeometrical phases of the compactification. On the level of K-theory, we…

We derive a formula for the BPS partition functions of arbitrary S-fold theories. We first generalize the known result for the ${\cal N}=4$ $U(N)$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory to $SO$ and $Sp$ theories, and then we extend the formula to…

We give a brief review of our previous works: [1,2]. We discuss two sets of issues. The first has to do with the possibility of getting a non-supersymmetric dS minimum without the addition of anti-D3 branes as in KKLT, and axionic slow-roll…

We study the quantum volume of D-branes wrapped around various cycles in Calabi-Yau manifolds, as the manifold's moduli are varied. In particular, we focus on the behaviour of these D-branes near phase transitions between distinct low…

We study the BPS states of a D6-brane wrapping the conifold and bound to collections of D2 and D0 branes. We find that in addition to the complexified Kahler parameter of the rigid sphere it is necessary to introduce an extra real parameter…

As a step towards the classification of supergravity backgrounds with flux, we study the (back-reacted) geometry created by a BPS M2-brane when it wraps a cycle in a Calabi-Yau manifold. If it is to preserve supersymmetry, the membrane…

We provide a physical definition of new homological invariants $\mathcal{H}_a (M_3)$ of 3-manifolds (possibly, with knots) labeled by abelian flat connections. The physical system in question involves a 6d fivebrane theory on $M_3$ times a…

We continue our study of BPS equations and supersymmetric configurations in the Bagger-Lambert theory. The superalgebra allows three different types of central extensions which correspond to compounds of various M-theory objects: M2-branes,…

This paper is devoted to the study of non-BPS Dp-branes in the presence of NS5-branes on transverse R^3xS^1.We will formulate the tachyon effective action in this background and then we will discuss its properties. Then we will study the…

The goal of this article is to establish estimates involving the Yamabe minimal volume, mixed minimal volume and some topological invariants on compact 4-manifolds. In addition, we provide topological sphere theorems for compact…