M2-brane

An M2-brane, also known as a membrane, is a fundamental extended object in M-theory. It is a two-dimensional brane, meaning it is extended in two spatial dimensions. The "M" in M2-brane refers to M-theory, a theoretical framework in physics that aims to unify all five consistent versions of superstring theory.

M2-branes are characterized by their ability to couple to a 3-form gauge field, which is a type of generalized electromagnetic field. They carry a charge associated with this field. Multiple M2-branes can interact with each other, and under certain circumstances, these interactions can lead to the formation of other objects in M-theory, such as M5-branes.

The dynamics of M2-branes are described by an effective field theory known as the ABJM theory (Aharony-Bergman-Jafferis-Maldacena theory), which is a three-dimensional superconformal Chern-Simons theory. This theory provides a way to study the behavior of M2-branes at low energies and allows for the computation of various physical quantities.

The study of M2-branes is important for understanding the structure and properties of M-theory, and it has connections to various areas of theoretical physics, including string theory, supergravity, and quantum field theory. Their properties and interactions play a crucial role in understanding the non-perturbative aspects of these theories.