On BPS Strings in $\mathcal{N}=4$ Yang-Mills Theory

Abstract

We study singular time-dependent $\frac{1}{8}$-BPS configurations in the abelian sector of $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory that represent BPS string-like defects in $\mathbb{R}\times S^3$ spacetime. Such BPS strings can be described as intersections of the zeros of holomorphic functions in two complex variables with a 3-sphere. We argue that these BPS strings map to $\frac{1}{8}$-BPS surface operators under the state-operator correspondence of the CFT. We show that the string defects are holographically dual to noncompact probe D3-branes in global $Ad{S}_5\times S^5$ that share supersymmetries with a class of dual-giant gravitons. For simple configurations, we demonstrate how to define a good variational problem and propose a regularization scheme that leads to finite energy and global charges on both sides of the holographic correspondence.

v2, 55 pages, 1 figure