For the SU (N) invariant supersymmetric matrix model related to membranes in 4 space-time dimensions we argue that< Psi, chi>= 0 for the previously obtained solution of Q chi= 0, Q^{dagger} Psi= 0.

A bstract M5 branes probing D-type singularities give rise to 6d (1, 0) SCFTs with SO SO flavor symmetry known as D-type conformal matter theories. Gauging the diagonal SO-flavor symmetry leads to a little string theory with an intrinsic scale which can be engineered in F-theory by compactifying on a doubly-elliptic Calabi-Yau manifold. We derive Seiberg-Witten curves for these little string theories which can be interpreted as mirror curves for the corresponding Calabi-Yau manifolds. Under fiber-base duality these models are mapped to D-type quiver gauge theories and we check that their Seiberg-Witten curves match. By taking decompactification limits, we construct the curves for the related 6d SCFTs and connect to known results in the literature by further taking 5d and 4d limits.

We prove the following stronger version of the positivity of quasi-local energy (mass) stated by Liu and Yau: the quasi-local energy of each connected component of the boundary of a compact spacelike hypersurface which satisfies the local energy condition is strictly positive unless the spacetime is flat along the spacelike hypersurface and the boundary of the spacelike hypersurface is connected.

Let M be a complete Einstein manifold of negative curvature, and assume that (as in the AdS/CFT correspondence) it has a Penrose compactification with a conformal boundary M of positive scalar curvature. We show that under these conditions, M and in particular M must be connected. These results resolve some puzzles concerning the AdS/CFT correspondence.

Gravitational waves are predicted by the general theory of relativity. It has been shown that gravitational waves have a nonlinear memory, displacing test masses permanently. This is called the Christodoulou memory. We proved that the electromagnetic field contributes at highest order to the nonlinear memory effect of gravitational waves, enlarging the permanent displacement of test masses. In experiments like LISA or LIGO which measure distances of test masses, the Christodoulou memory will manifest itself as a permanent displacement of these objects. It has been suggested to detect the Christodoulou memory effect using radio telescopes investigating small changes in pulsar's pulse arrival times. The latter experiments are based on present-day technology and measure changes in frequency. In the present paper, we study the electromagnetic Christodoulou memory effect and compute it for binary neutron