M(atrix) theory on an orbifold and twisted membrane Original Research Article

M(atrix) theory on an orbifold and classical two-branes therein are studied with particular emphasis on heterotic M(atrix) theory on S1/Z2 relevant to strongly coupled heterofic and dual Type IA string theories. By analyzing the orbifold condition on Chan-Paton factors, we show that three choices of gauge group are possible for heterotic M(atrix) theory: SO(2N), SO(2N+1) or USp(2N). By examining the area-preserving diffeomorphism that underlies the M(atrix) theory, we find that each choice of gauge group restricts the possible topologies of two-branes. The result suggests that only the choice of SO(2N) or SO(2N+1) allows open two-branes, and hence, is relevant to heterotic M(atrix) theory. We show that the requirement of both local vacuum energy cancellation and of world-sheet anomaly cancellation of the resulting heterotic string identifies supersymmetric twisted sector spectra with sixteen fundamental representation spinors from each of the two fixed points. Twisted open and closed two-brane configurations are obtained in the large N limit.