A Quantum Mechanical Model of Spherical Supermembranes

We present a quantum mechanical model of spherical supermembranes. Using superfields to represent the Cartesian coordinates of the membrane, we are able to exactly determine its supersymmetric vacua. We find there are two classical vacua, one corresponding to an extended membrane and one corresponding to a point-like membrane. Instanton effects then lift these vacua to massive states. Similarities to spherical supermembranes as giant gravitons and in Matrix theory on pp-waves is discussed.