Superconformal spaces and implications for superstrings

We clarify some properties of projective superspace by using a manifestly superconformal notation. In particular, we analyze the N=2 scalar multiplet in detail, including its action, and the propagator and its super-Schwinger parameters. The internal symmetry is taken to be noncompact (after Wick rotation), allowing boundary conditions that preserve it off shell. Generalization to N=4 suggests the coset superspace PSU(2,2|4)/OSp(4|4) for the AdS/CFT superstring.Comment: 19 pages, no figures; v2: fixed sign, added note & reference; v3: added note & references, version to appear in Physical Review

N=2 Super-Yang-Mills Theory from a Chern-Simons Action

We present a Chern-Simons action for N=2 Super-Yang-Mills theory (SYM) in 'full' N=2 superspace (hyperspace) augmented by coordinates of the internal SU(2) group and show that this action can be reduced to the usual SYM action in the Harmonic hyperspace. We also discover that the 'choice' of Harmonic hyperspace is not unique and under suitable conditions, further reduction to the well-known Projective hyperspace is possible.Comment: 1+8+1 pages, 1 figur

N=4, 3D Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics in Non-Abelian Monopole Background

Using the harmonic superspace approach, we construct the three-dimensional N=4 supersymmetric quantum mechanics of the supermultiplet (3,4,1) coupled to an external SU(2) gauge field. The off-shell N=4 supersymmetry requires the gauge field to be a static form of the 't Hooft ansatz for the 4D self-dual SU(2) gauge fields, that is a particular solution of Bogomolny equations for BPS monopoles. We present the explicit form of the corresponding superfield and component actions, as well as of the quantum Hamiltonian and N=4 supercharges. The latter can be used to describe a more general N=4 mechanics system, with an arbitrary BPS monopole background and on-shell N=4 supersymmetry. The essential feature of our construction is the use of semi-dynamical spin (4,4,0) multiplet with the Wess-Zumino type action.Comment: 16 pages, reference added, published versio

Supersymmetric sigma models and the 't Hooft instantons

Witten's linear sigma model for ADHM instantons possesses a natural $(0,4)$ supersymmetry. We study generalizations of the infrared limit of the model that are invariant under $(4,4)$ supersymmetry. In the case of four space-time dimensions a background with a conformally flat metric and torsion is required. The geometry is specified by a single real scalar function satisfying Laplace's equation. It gives rise to 't Hooft instantons for the gauge group $SU(2)$, instead of the general ADHM instantons for an $SO(n)$ gauge group in the case $(0,4)$.Comment: 11 pages, Latex fil

On pseudo-hyperk\"ahler prepotentials

An explicit surjection from a set of (locally defined) unconstrained holomorphic functions on a certain submanifold of (Sp_1(C) \times C^{4n}) onto the set HK_{p,q} of local isometry classes of real analytic pseudo-hyperk\"ahler metrics of signature (4p,4q) in dimension 4n is constructed. The holomorphic functions, called prepotentials, are analogues of K\"ahler potentials for K\"ahler metrics and provide a complete parameterisation of HK_{p,q}. In particular, there exists a bijection between HK_{p,q} and the set of equivalence classes of prepotentials. This affords the explicit construction of pseudo-hyperk\"ahler metrics from specified prepotentials. The construction generalises one due to Galperin, Ivanov, Ogievetsky and Sokatchev. Their work is given a coordinate-free formulation and complete, self-contained proofs are provided. An appendix provides a vital tool for this construction: a reformulation of real analytic G-structures in terms of holomorphic frame fields on complex manifolds.Comment: 53 pages; v2: minor amendments to Def.4.1 and Theorem 4.5; a paragraph inserted in the proof of the latter; V3: minor changes; V4: minor changes/ typos corrected for journal versio

Covariant Harmonic Supergraphity for N = 2 Super Yang--Mills Theories

We review the background field method for general N = 2 super Yang-Mills theories formulated in the N = 2 harmonic superspace. The covariant harmonic supergraph technique is then applied to rigorously prove the N=2 non-renormalization theorem as well as to compute the holomorphic low-energy action for the N = 2 SU(2) pure super Yang-Mills theory and the leading non-holomorphic low-energy correction for N = 4 SU(2) super Yang-Mills theory.Comment: 17 pages, LAMUPHYS LaTeX, no figures; based on talks given by I. Buchbinder and S. Kuzenko at the International Seminar ``Supersymmetries and Quantum Symmetries'', July 1997, Dubna; to be published in the proceeding

SU(2) reduction in N=4 supersymmetric mechanics

We perform an su(2) Hamiltonian reduction of the general su(2)-invariant action for a self-coupled (4,4,0) supermultiplet. As a result, we elegantly recover the N=4 supersymmetric mechanics with spin degrees of freedom which was recently constructed in arXiv:0812.4276. This observation underscores the exceptional role played by the ``root'' supermultiplet in N=4 supersymmetric mechanics.Comment: 1+3 page

Nilpotent deformations of N=2 superspace

We investigate deformations of four-dimensional N=(1,1) euclidean superspace induced by nonanticommuting fermionic coordinates. We essentially use the harmonic superspace approach and consider nilpotent bi-differential Poisson operators only. One variant of such deformations (termed chiral nilpotent) directly generalizes the recently studied chiral deformation of N=(1/2,1/2) superspace. It preserves chirality and harmonic analyticity but generically breaks N=(1,1) to N=(1,0) supersymmetry. Yet, for degenerate choices of the constant deformation matrix N=(1,1/2) supersymmetry can be retained, i.e. a fraction of 3/4. An alternative version (termed analytic nilpotent) imposes minimal nonanticommutativity on the analytic coordinates of harmonic superspace. It does not affect the analytic subspace and respects all supersymmetries, at the expense of chirality however. For a chiral nilpotent deformation, we present non(anti)commutative euclidean analogs of N=2 Maxwell and hypermultiplet off-shell actions.Comment: 1+16 pages; v2: discussion of (pseudo)conjugations extended, version to appear in JHE

On Projective Hoops: Loops in Hyperspace

We (re)derive the propagators and Feynman rules for the massless scalar and vector multiplets in N=2 Projective Superspace ('Projective Hyperspace'). With these, we are able to calculate both the divergent and finite parts of 2, 3 & 4-point functions at 1-loop for N=2 Super-Yang-Mills theory (SYM) explicitly in Projective Hyperspace itself. We find that effectively only the coupling constant needs to be renormalized unlike in the N=1 case where an independent wavefunction renormalization is also required. This feature is similar to that of the background field gauge, even though we are using ordinary Fermi-Feynman gauge. The computation of 1-hoop beta-function is then straightforward and matches with the known result. We also show that it receives no 2-hoops contributions. All these calculations provide an alternative proof of the finiteness of N=4 SYM.Comment: 29 pages, 12 figures; Added a reference & modified introduction in v

Worldline Superfield Actions for N=2 Superparticles

We propose doubly supersymmetric actions in terms of n=2(D-2) worldline superfields for N=2 superparticles in D=3,4 and Type IIA D=6 superspaces. These actions are obtained by dimensional reduction of superfield actions for N=1 superparticles in D=4,6 and 10, respectively. We show that in all these models geometrodynamical constraints on target superspace coordinates do not put the theory on the mass shell, so the actions constructed consistently describe the dynamics of the corresponding N=2 superparticles. We also find that in contrast to the IIA D=6 superparticle a chiral IIB D=6 superparticle, which is not obtainable by dimensional reduction from N=1, D=10, is described by superfield constraints which produce dynamical equations. This implies that for the IIB D=6 superparticle the doubly supersymmetric action does not exist in the conventional form.Comment: Latex, 20 pp. Minor corrections, acknowledgements adde