A Family of M-theory Flows with Four Supersymmetries

Abstract

We use the techniques of "algebraic Killing spinors" to obtain a family of holographic flow solutions with four supersymmetries in M-theory. The family of supersymmetric backgrounds constructed here includes the non-trivial flow to the (2+1)-dimensional analog of the Leigh-Strassler fixed point as well as generalizations that involve the M2-branes spreading in a radially symmetric fashion on the Coulomb branch of this non-trivial fixed point theory. In spreading out, these M2-branes also appear to undergo dielectric polarization into M5-branes. Our results naturally extend the earlier applications of the "algebraic Killing spinor" method and also generalize the harmonic Ansatz in that our entire family of new supersymmetric backgrounds is characterized by the solutions of a single, second-order, non-linear PDE. We also show that our solution is a natural hybrid of special holonomy and the "dielectric deformation" of the canonical supersymmetry projector on the M2-branes.

19 pages; harvmac