On the central charge extension of the N = 4 SYM spin chain

In this paper it is argued that the central charge extension of the Coulomb branch of N = 4 SYM theory appears as a limit of Beisert’s central charge extension of the planar N = 4 spin chain in the presence of boundaries. These boundaries are interpreted as D-branes that source the central charge and are realized as giant gravitons and dual giant gravitons in the AdS dual. The BPS states that correspond to short representations of the centrally extended algebra on the spin chain can stop from existing when they cross walls of stability that depend on the position of the branes. These walls can be understood easily at weak coupling in the SU(2) sector.