1/2-BPS membrane instantons in AdS$_4 \times$S$^7 / \mathbf{Z}_k$

Abstract: According to the covariant open superstring description of D-branes in the AdS$_4 \times \mathbf{CP}^3$ background, 1/2-BPS D2-branes are purely instantonic. Based on this and by taking the eleven dimensional viewpoint, we identify the 1/2-BPS instantonic M2-brane configurations in the AdS$_4 \times$ S$^7 / \mathbf{Z}_k$ background, which reduces to the AdS$_4 \times \mathbf{CP}^3$ under the large $k$ limit, and evaluate their action values. We also consider the previously known 1/2-BPS instantonic objects in ten dimensions from the M2-brane viewpoint to compare with our results.