MS Seminar (Mathematics - String Theory)

Speaker: Tadashi Okazaki (Osaka U./Caltech)
Title: Superconformal quantum mechanics from M2-branes
Date (JST): Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 11:45 - 12:45
Place: Seminar Room A
Related File: 1392.pdf
Abstract: We will discuss the superconformal quantum mechanics arising from the M2-branes. We begin with a review of the superconformal quantum mechanics and emphasize that conformal symmetry and supersymmetry in quantum mechanics contain a number of exotic and enlightening properties which do not occur in higher dimensional field theories. We will see that superfield and superspace formalism is available for N ≤ 8 superconformal mechanical models. We will then discuss the M2-branes with a focus on the world-volume descriptions of the multiple M2-branes which are superconformal three-dimensional Chern- Simons matter theories. Finally we will argue that the two topics are connected in M- theoretical construction by considering the multiple M2-branes wrapped around a compact Riemann surface and study the emerging IR quantum mechanics. We will establish that the resulting quantum mechanics realizes a set of novel N ≥ 8 superconformal quantum mechanical models which have not been reached so far. Also we will discuss possible applications of the superconformal quantum mechanics to mathematical physics.