Kinky brane worlds

We present a toy model for five-dimensional heterotic M theory where bulk three-branes, originating in 11 dimensions from M five-branes, are modeled as kink solutions of a bulk scalar field theory. It is shown that the vacua of this defect model correspond to a class of topologically distinct M-theory compactifications. Topology change can then be analyzed by studying the time evolution of the defect model. In the context of a four-dimensional effective theory, we study in detail the simplest such process, that is, the time evolution of a kink and its collision with a boundary. We find that the kink is generically absorbed by the boundary thereby changing the boundary charge. This opens up the possibility of exploring the relation between more complicated defect configurations and the topology of brane-world models.