Properties of some conformal field theories with M-theory duals

TL;DR

Gauntlett, Ó Colgáin, and Varela analyze D=11 supergravity solutions with AdS_5 factors to extract CFT data for the dual 4D N=1 theories, computing central charges and chiral primaries from wrapped membranes in explicit M_6 bases. They establish a consistent KK truncation to minimal D=5 gauged supergravity for the most general AdS_5 vacua, enabling a holographic hydrodynamics analysis that yields η/s = 1/4π and c_s = 1/√3; the R-symmetry is encoded in the 5D gauge field. Central charges scale as N^3 for KE_4 and S^2×S^2 bases and as N^2 for S^2×T^2/Y^{p,q} cases, reflecting distinct dual CFT structures. The work also provides explicit Δ expressions for chiral primaries arising from various wrapped membranes and demonstrates consistency with known IIB duals upon reduction, broadening the landscape of AdS_5/CFT_4 dualities in M-theory. Overall, the paper connects detailed geometric data of M-theory backgrounds to concrete CFT observables and universal hydrodynamic properties, with suggestions for further exploration of broader truncations and extended R-symmetry sectors.

Abstract

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.