Unifying R-symmetry in M-theory

In this contribution we address the following question: Is there a group with a fermionic presentation which unifies all the physical gravitini and dilatini of the maximal supergravity theories in D=10 and D=11 (without introducing new degrees of freedom)? The affirmative answer relies on a new mathematical object derived from the theory of Kac--Moody algebras, notably E10. It can also be shown that in this way not only the spectrum but also dynamical aspects of all supergravity theories can be treated uniformly.Comment: 17 pages. Proceedings of ICMP 200

IIB supergravity and E10

We analyse the geodesic E10/K(E10) sigma-model in a level decomposition w.r.t. the A8xA1 subalgebra of E10, adapted to the bosonic sector of type IIB supergravity, whose SL(2,R) symmetry is identified with the A1 factor. The bosonic supergravity equations of motion, when restricted to zeroth and first order spatial gradients, are shown to match with the sigma-model equations of motion up to level four. Remarkably, the self-duality of the five-form field strength is implied by E10 and the matching.Comment: 14 page

E10 Cosmology

We construct simple exact solutions to the E10/K(E10) coset model by exploiting its integrability. Using the known correspondences with the bosonic sectors of maximal supergravity theories, these exact solutions translate into exact cosmological solutions. In this way, we are able to recover some recently discovered solutions of M-theory exhibiting phases of accelerated expansion, or, equivalently, S-brane solutions, and thereby accommodate such solutions within the E10/K(E10) model. We also discuss the difficulties regarding solutions with non-vanishing (constant) curvature of the internal manifold.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure. v2: Additional reference

Oxidizing Borcherds symmetries

The tensor hierarchy of maximal supergravity in D dimensions is known to be closely related to a Borcherds (super)algebra that is constructed from the global symmetry group E(11-D). We here explain how the Borcherds algebras in different dimensions are embedded into each other and can be constructed from a unifying Borcherds algebra. The construction also has a natural physical explanation in terms of oxidation. We then go on to show that the Hodge duality that is present in the tensor hierarchy has an algebraic counterpart. For D>8 the Borcherds algebras we find differ from the ones existing in the literature although they generate the same tensor hierarchy.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, 5 table

Loops in exceptional field theory

We study certain four-graviton amplitudes in exceptional field theory in dimensions $D\geq 4$ up to two loops. As the formulation is manifestly invariant under the U-duality group $E_{11-D}(\mathbb{Z})$, our resulting expressions can be expressed in terms of automorphic forms. In the low energy expansion, we find terms in the M-theory effective action of type $R^4$, $\nabla^4R^4$ and $\nabla^6 R^4$ with automorphic coefficient functions in agreement with independent derivations from string theory. This provides in particular an explicit integral formula for the exact string theory $\nabla^6 R^4$ threshold function. We exhibit moreover that the usual supergravity logarithmic divergences cancel out in the full exceptional field theory amplitude, within an appropriately defined dimensional regularisation scheme. We also comment on terms of higher derivative order and the role of the section constraint for possible counterterms.Comment: 1+78 pages: v2: Added references and typos corrected. Version accepted by JHEP. v3: corrected discussion of associativity in EFT and other typo

On higher spin realizations of K(E10)

Starting from the known unfaithful spinorial representations of the compact subalgebra K(E10) of the split real hyperbolic Kac-Moody algebra E10 we construct new fermionic `higher spin' representations of this algebra (for `spin-5/2' and `spin-7/2', respectively) in a second quantized framework. Our construction is based on a simplified realization of K(E10) on the Dirac and the vector spinor representations in terms of the associated roots, and on a re-definition of the vector spinor first introduced by Damour and Hillmann. The latter replaces manifestly SO(10) covariant expressions by new expressions that are covariant w.r.t. SO(1,9), the invariance group of the DeWitt metric restricted to the space of scale factors. We present explicit expressions for all K(E10) elements that are associated to real roots of the hyperbolic algebra (of which there are infinitely many), as well as novel explicit realizations of the generators associated to imaginary roots and their multiplicities. We also discuss the resulting realizations of the Weyl group.Comment: 33 page

Supergravity divergences, supersymmetry and automorphic forms

We investigate the occurrence of divergences in maximal supergravity in various dimensions from the point of view of supersymmetry constraints on the U-duality invariant threshold functions defining the higher derivative couplings in the effective action. Our method makes use of tensorial differential equations that constrain these couplings. We study in detail the Fourier modes and wave-front sets of the associated automorphic functions and find that they are always associated to special nilpotent orbits.Comment: 45 pages, 2 figures. v2: JHEP version with small correction

Higher spin fields from indefinite Kac-Moody algebras

The emergence of higher spin fields in the Kac-Moody theoretic approach to M-theory is studied. This is based on work done by Schnakenburg, West and the second author. We then study the relation of higher spin fields in this approach to other results in different constructions of higher spin field dynamics. Of particular interest is the construction of space-time in the present set-up and we comment on the various existing proposals.Comment: 1+18 pages. Based on a talk presented by A. Kleinschmidt at the First Solvay Workshop on Higher-Spin Gauge Theories held in Brussels on May 12-14, 200