# nLab D4-brane

Contents

This entry is about a D-brane species in string theory. For the items in the ADE-classification of name D4, see there.

# Contents

## Idea

The D-brane of dimension $4+1$ in type IIA string theory.

## Properties

### Worldvolume theory

Khovanov homology has long been expected to appear as the observables in a 4-dimensional TQFT in higher analogy of how the Jones polynomial arises as an observable in 3-dimensional Chern-Simons theory. For instance for $\Sigma : K \to K'$ a cobordism between two knots there is a natural morphism

$\Phi_\Sigma : \mathcal{K}(K) \to \mathcal{K}(K')$

between the Khovanov homologies associated to the two knots.

In (Witten11) it is argued, following indications in (GukovSchwarzVafa) that this 4d TQFT is related to the worldvolume theory of the image in type IIA of D3-branes ending on NS5-branes in type IIB after one S-duality and one T-duality operation:

$(D3 - NS5) \stackrel{S}{\mapsto} (D3 - D5) \stackrel{T}{\mapsto} (D4-D6) \stackrel{IIA/M}{\mapsto} (M5 - MK6) \,.$

Earlier indication for this had come from the observation that Chern-Simons theory is the effective background theory for the A-model 2d TCFT (see TCFT – Worldsheet and effective background theories for details).

Notice that after the above T-duality operation the $(D4-D6)$-system wraps the $S^1$ (circle) along which the T-duality takes place.

Lifting that configuration to 11-dimensional supergravity gives M5-branes (the erstwhile D4-branes) on Taub-NUT ($\times S^1$). The M5-branes wrap the circle-fiber of Taub-NUT space, which shrinks to zero size at the origin (the MK6, the location of the erstwhile D6, which is where the D4s “end”). The low-energy theory, on a stack of M5-branes, is the 6d (2,0)-susy QFT.

### Bound states

bound states/brane intersections involving D4-branes:

$d$$N$superconformal super Lie algebraR-symmetryblack brane worldvolume
superconformal field theory
$\phantom{A}3\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}2k+1\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}B(k,2) \simeq$ osp$(2k+1 \vert 4)\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}SO(2k+1)\phantom{A}$
$\phantom{A}3\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}2k\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}D(k,2)\simeq$ osp$(2k \vert 4)\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}SO(2k)\phantom{A}$M2-brane
D=3 SYM
BLG model
ABJM model
$\phantom{A}4\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}k+1\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}A(3,k)\simeq \mathfrak{sl}(4 \vert k+1)\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}U(k+1)\phantom{A}$D3-brane
D=4 N=4 SYM
D=4 N=2 SYM
D=4 N=1 SYM
$\phantom{A}5\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}1\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}F(4)\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}SO(3)\phantom{A}$D4-brane
D=5 SYM
$\phantom{A}6\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}k\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}D(4,k) \simeq$ osp$(8 \vert 2k)\phantom{A}$$\phantom{A}Sp(k)\phantom{A}$M5-brane
D=6 N=(2,0) SCFT
D=6 N=(1,0) SCFT

(Shnider 88, also Nahm 78, see Minwalla 98, section 4.2)

Table of branes appearing in supergravity/string theory (for classification see at brane scan).

branein supergravitycharged under gauge fieldhas worldvolume theory
black branesupergravityhigher gauge fieldSCFT
D-branetype IIRR-fieldsuper Yang-Mills theory
$(D = 2n)$type IIA$\,$$\,$
D(-2)-brane$\,$$\,$
D0-brane$\,$$\,$BFSS matrix model
D2-brane$\,$$\,$$\,$
D4-brane$\,$$\,$D=5 super Yang-Mills theory with Khovanov homology observables
D6-brane$\,$$\,$D=7 super Yang-Mills theory
D8-brane$\,$$\,$
$(D = 2n+1)$type IIB$\,$$\,$
D(-1)-brane$\,$$\,$$\,$
D1-brane$\,$$\,$2d CFT with BH entropy
D3-brane$\,$$\,$N=4 D=4 super Yang-Mills theory
D5-brane$\,$$\,$$\,$
D7-brane$\,$$\,$$\,$
D9-brane$\,$$\,$$\,$
(p,q)-string$\,$$\,$$\,$
(D25-brane)(bosonic string theory)
NS-branetype I, II, heteroticcircle n-connection$\,$
string$\,$B2-field2d SCFT
NS5-brane$\,$B6-fieldlittle string theory
D-brane for topological string$\,$
A-brane$\,$
B-brane$\,$
M-brane11D SuGra/M-theorycircle n-connection$\,$
M2-brane$\,$C3-fieldABJM theory, BLG model
M5-brane$\,$C6-field6d (2,0)-superconformal QFT
M9-brane/O9-planeheterotic string theory
M-wave
topological M2-branetopological M-theoryC3-field on G2-manifold
topological M5-brane$\,$C6-field on G2-manifold
S-brane
SM2-brane,
membrane instanton
M5-brane instanton
D3-brane instanton
solitons on M5-brane6d (2,0)-superconformal QFT
self-dual stringself-dual B-field
3-brane in 6d

## References

### Double dimensional reduction from M5-brane

The relation of the M5-brane to the D4-brane and the D=5 super Yang-Mills theory in its worldvolume theory by double dimensional reduction:

### D4-D8 intersection

On D4-D8 bound states?:

With an eye towards holographic QCD:

### String phenomenology / intersecting D4-brane models

intersecting D-brane models with intersecting D4-branes:

Only D4-branes (possibly on O4-plane orientifolds):

• D. Bailin, G. V. Kraniotis, A. Love, Standard-like models from intersecting D4-branes, Phys. Lett. B530 (2002) 202-209 (arXiv:hep-th/0108131)

• H. Kataoka, M. Shimojo, $SU(3) \times SU(2) \times U(1)$ Chiral Models from Intersecting D4-/D5-branes, Progress of Theoretical Physics, Volume 107, Issue 6, June 2002, Pages 1291–1296 (arXiv:hep-th/0112247, doi:10.1143/PTP.107.1291)

• D. Bailin, Standard-like models from D-branes, J Phys (2003) 60: 199 (arXiv:hep-th/0210227)

• D. Bailin, G. V. Kraniotis, A. Love, New Standard-like Models from Intersecting D4-Branes, Phys. Lett. B547 (2002) 43-50 (arXiv:hep-th/0208103)

### Relation to Khovanov homology

The relation to Khovanov homology

Last revised on November 26, 2019 at 10:33:36. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.