Superpotentials and membrane instantons

Jul, 1999
42 pages
e-Print:
Report number:
  • EFI-99-22A,
  • YCTP-P15-99,
  • IASSNS-99-57,
  • EFI-99-22

Citations per year

1999200620132020202505101520
Abstract:
We investigate nonperturbative effects in M-theory compactifications arising from wrapped membranes. In particular, we show that in d=4, \CN=1 compactifications along manifolds of G2G_2 holonomy, membranes wrapped on rigid supersymmetric 3-cycles induce nonzero corrections to the superpotential. Thus, membrane instantons destabilize many M-theory compactifications. Our computation shows that the low energy description of membrane physics is usefully described in terms of three-dimensional topological field theories, and the superpotential is expressed in terms of topological invariants of the 3-cycle. We discuss briefly some applications of these results. For example, using mirror symmetry we derive a counting formula for supersymmetric three-cycles in certain Calabi-Yau manifolds.
Note:
  • harvmac, no figs, 24 pp (l mode)
  • M-theory
  • compactification
  • effect: nonperturbative
  • membrane model
  • supersymmetry: potential
  • instanton
  • field theory: topological
  • symmetry: mirror
  • Kaluza-Klein model
  • supergravity