Geometries with Killing Spinors and Supersymmetric AdS Solutions

The seven and nine dimensional geometries associated with certain classes of supersymmetric $AdS_3$ and $AdS_2$ solutions of type IIB and D=11 supergravity, respectively, have many similarities with Sasaki-Einstein geometry. We further elucidate their properties and also generalise them to higher odd dimensions by introducing a new class of complex geometries in $2n+2$ dimensions, specified by a Riemannian metric, a scalar field and a closed three-form, which admit a particular kind of Killing spinor. In particular, for $n\ge 3$, we show that when the geometry in $2n+2$ dimensions is a cone we obtain a class of geometries in $2n+1$ dimensions, specified by a Riemannian metric, a scalar field and a closed two-form, which includes the seven and nine-dimensional geometries mentioned above when $n=3,4$, respectively. We also consider various ansatz for the geometries and construct infinite classes of explicit examples for all $n$.Comment: 28 page

AdS(3) Solutions of IIB Supergravity from D3-branes

We consider pure D3-brane configurations of IIB string theory which lead to supersymmetric solutions containing an AdS$_3$ factor. They can provide new examples of AdS$_3$/CFT$_2$ examples on D3-branes whose worldvolume is partially compactified. When the internal 7 dimensional space is non-compact, they can be identified as supersymmetric fluctuations of higher dimensional AdS solutions and are in general dual to 1/8-BPS operators thereof. We find that supersymmetry requires the 7 dimensional space take the form of a warped U(1) fibration over a 6 dimensional Kahler manifold.Comment: 10 pages, no figure, JHEP3.cls; v3: corrected errors in the published versio

AdS spacetimes from wrapped M5 branes

We derive a complete geometrical characterisation of a large class of $AdS_3$, $AdS_4$ and $AdS_5$ supersymmetric spacetimes in eleven-dimensional supergravity using G-structures. These are obtained as special cases of a class of supersymmetric $\mathbb{R}^{1,1}$, $\mathbb{R}^{1,2}$ and $\mathbb{R}^{1,3}$ geometries, naturally associated to M5-branes wrapping calibrated cycles in manifolds with $G_2$, SU(3) or SU(2) holonomy. Specifically, the latter class is defined by requiring that the Killing spinors satisfy the same set of projection conditions as for wrapped probe branes, and that there is no electric flux. We show how the R-symmetries of the dual field theories appear as isometries of the general AdS geometries. We also show how known solutions previously constructed in gauged supergravity satisfy our more general G-structure conditions, demonstrate that our conditions for half-BPS $AdS_5$ geometries are precisely those of Lin, Lunin and Maldacena, and construct some new singular solutions.Comment: 1+56 pages, LaTeX; v2, references added; v3, minor corrections, final version to appear in JHE

Superconformal field theories from crystal lattices

We propose a brane configuration for the (2+1)d, $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal theories (CFT$_3$) arising from M2-branes probing toric Calabi-Yau 4-fold cones, using a T-duality transformation of M-theory. We obtain intersections of M5-branes on a three-torus which form a 3d bipartite crystal lattice in a way similar to the 2d dimer models for CFT$_4$. The fundamental fields of the CFT$_3$ are M2-brane discs localized around the intersections, and the super-potential terms are identified with the atoms of the crystal. The model correctly reproduces the complete BPS spectrum of mesons and baryons.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, revtex; v2. references added, minor correction

A Calibration Bound for the M-Theory Fivebrane

We construct a covariant bound on the energy-momentum of the M-fivebrane which is saturated by all supersymmetric configurations. This leads to a generalised notion of a calibrated geometry for M-fivebranes when the worldvolume gauge field is non-zero. The generalisation relevant for Dp-branes is also given.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX2e, uses vmargin.sty. Typos corrected, a reference and a new discussion on conserved charges added. v4: A typo in the expression for the D-fourbrane energy correcte

The Geometry of D=11 Null Killing Spinors

We determine the necessary and sufficient conditions on the metric and the four-form for the most general bosonic supersymmetric configurations of D=11 supergravity which admit a null Killing spinor i.e. a Killing spinor which can be used to construct a null Killing vector. This class covers all supersymmetric time-dependent configurations and completes the classification of the most general supersymmetric configurations initiated in hep-th/0212008.Comment: 30 pages, typos corrected, reference added, new solution included in section 5.1; uses JHEP3.cl

Branes in L(p,q,r)L^{(p,q,r)}

We have found the solution to the back reaction of putting a stack of coincident D3 and D5 branes in $R^{3,1}\times M_6$, where $M_6$ is constructed from an infinite class of Sasaki-Einstein spaces, $L^{(p,q,r)}$. The non-zero fluxes associated to 2-form potential suggests the presence of a non-contractible 2-cycle in this geometry. The radial part of the warp factor has the usual form and possess the cascading feature. We argue that generically the duals of these SE spaces will have irrational central charges.Comment: 8 pp, Latex, a minor change and typos fixe

Properties of some conformal field theories with M-theory duals

By studying classes of supersymmetric solutions of D=11 supergravity with AdS_5 factors, we determine some properties of the dual four-dimensional N=1 superconformal field theories. For some explicit solutions we calculate the central charges and also the conformal dimensions of certain chiral primary operators arising from wrapped membranes. For the most general class of solutions we show that there is a consistent Kaluza-Klein truncation to minimal D=5 gauged supergravity. This latter result allows us to study some aspects of the dual strongly coupled thermal plasma with a non-zero R-charge chemical potential and, in particular, we show that the ratio of the shear viscosity to the entropy density has the universal value of 1/4 pi.Comment: Consistent truncation extended to include fermions. Reference added. 28 page