D5branes

D5-branes are dynamical objects in type IIB string theory, extended in five spatial dimensions and one time dimension, so their worldvolume is six-dimensional. They are charged under the Ramond–Ramond 6-form potential C6 and act as sources for RR flux through the F7 field strength. In a stack of N coincident D5-branes, the low‑energy dynamics on the worldvolume is a six‑dimensional gauge theory with maximal supersymmetry: for N=1 it is a vector multiplet with a gauge field, five scalars, and fermions; for N>1 it is a nonabelian six‑dimensional (1,1) super Yang–Mills theory.

The classical D5-brane solution in type IIB supergravity preserves half of the spacetime supersymmetry. It can be described by a warped metric and a nontrivial dilaton profile in terms of a harmonic function depending on the transverse four dimensions; the RR 6-form potential carries the brane charge. The solution is the magnetic dual of the D1-brane, and under S-duality it is mapped to the NS5-brane.

D5-branes participate in duality chains and brane constructions. T-duality along directions along the brane can convert D5 into D4 or D6-branes, while S-duality exchanges D5 with NS5. Arrangements of D5-branes with other branes, such as D3-branes, realize defect conformal field theories and various holographic models. When D5-branes wrap internal two-cycles in compactifications, they yield lower-dimensional gauge theories in four or six dimensions.