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arXiv · 1006.5589

1/2-BPS Wilson Loops and Vortices in ABJM Model

Ki-Myeong Lee·Sungjay Lee
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Abstract

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.

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Ki-Myeong Lee, Sungjay Lee. 2010-06-29. 1/2-BPS Wilson Loops and Vortices in ABJM Model. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep09(2010)004

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