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Title: The large N limit of superconformal field theories and supergravity

Abstract

We show that the large {ital N} limit of certain conformal field theories in various dimensions include in their Hilbert space a sector describing supergravity on the product of Anti-deSitter spacetimes, spheres and other compact manifolds. This is shown by taking some branes in the full M/string theory and then taking a low energy limit where the field theory on the brane decouples from the bulk. We observe that, in this limit, we can still trust the near horizon geometry for large {ital N}. The enhanced supersymmetries of the near horizon geometry correspond to the extra supersymmetry generators present in the superconformal group (as opposed to just the super-Poincare group). The {close_quote}t Hooft limit of 3+1N=4 super-Yang-Mills at the conformal point is shown to contain strings: they are IIB strings. We conjecture that compactifications of M/string theory on various Anti-deSitter spacetimes is dual to various conformal field theories. This leads to a new proposal for a definition of M-theory which could be extended to include five non-compact dimensions. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Lyman Laboratory of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)
Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
687977
Report Number(s):
CONF-981170-
Journal ID: APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 99:010507
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 484; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: 2. meeting on trends in theoretical physics, Buenos Aires (Argentina), 29 Nov - 4 Dec 1998; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
66 PHYSICS; SUPERGRAVITY; SUPERSYMMETRY; CONFORMAL INVARIANCE; STRING MODELS; SPACE-TIME; YANG-MILLS THEORY; POINCARE GROUPS

Citation Formats

Maldacena, J. The large N limit of superconformal field theories and supergravity. United States: N. p., 1999. Web. doi:10.1063/1.59653.
Maldacena, J. The large N limit of superconformal field theories and supergravity. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.59653
Maldacena, J. 1999. "The large N limit of superconformal field theories and supergravity". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.59653.
@article{osti_687977,
title = {The large N limit of superconformal field theories and supergravity},
author = {Maldacena, J},
abstractNote = {We show that the large {ital N} limit of certain conformal field theories in various dimensions include in their Hilbert space a sector describing supergravity on the product of Anti-deSitter spacetimes, spheres and other compact manifolds. This is shown by taking some branes in the full M/string theory and then taking a low energy limit where the field theory on the brane decouples from the bulk. We observe that, in this limit, we can still trust the near horizon geometry for large {ital N}. The enhanced supersymmetries of the near horizon geometry correspond to the extra supersymmetry generators present in the superconformal group (as opposed to just the super-Poincare group). The {close_quote}t Hooft limit of 3+1N=4 super-Yang-Mills at the conformal point is shown to contain strings: they are IIB strings. We conjecture that compactifications of M/string theory on various Anti-deSitter spacetimes is dual to various conformal field theories. This leads to a new proposal for a definition of M-theory which could be extended to include five non-compact dimensions. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}},
doi = {10.1063/1.59653},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/687977}, journal = {AIP Conference Proceedings},
number = 1,
volume = 484,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999},
month = {Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999}
}