The ABJM Model is a Higher Gauge Theory

Abstract

M2-branes couple to a 3-form potential, which suggests that their description involves a non-abelian 2-gerbe or, equivalently, a principal 3-bundle. We show that current M2-brane models fit this expectation: they can be reformulated as higher gauge theories on such categorified bundles. We thus add to the still very sparse list of physically interesting higher gauge theories.

1+10 pages, minor corrections, published version

References in corpus (9)

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• Algebraic structures on parallel M2-branes
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Cited by in corpus (11)

• Higher-form symmetries and 3-group in axion electrodynamics
• Towards an M5-Brane Model I: A 6d Superconformal Field Theory
• $L_{\infty }$-Algebra Models and Higher Chern-Simons Theories
• The Non-Abelian Self-Dual String and the (2,0)-Theory
• Self-dual String and Higher Instanton Solutions
• Algebraic formulation of higher gauge theory
• Higher Gauge Theory
• Non-topological Vortex Configurations in the ABJM Model
• Dynamics of a lattice 2-group gauge theory model
• A class of hermitian generalized Jordan triple systems and Chern-Simons gauge theory
• Generalized Higher Gauge Theory and M5-brane dynamics. Proceedings: Higher structures in String and M-theory, Tohoku Forum for Creativity, March 7-11 2016