Uniqueness of N=2\mathcal{N}=2 and 33 pure supergravities in 4D

After proving the impossibility of consistent non-minimal coupling of a real Rarita-Schwinger gauge field to electromagnetism, we re-derive the necessity of introducing the graviton in order to couple a complex Rarita-Schwinger gauge field to electromagnetism, with or without a cosmological term, thereby obtaining ${\cal N}=2$ pure supergravity as the only possibility. These results are obtained with the BRST-BV deformation method around the flat and (A)dS backgrounds in 4 dimensions. The same method applied to $n_{v}$ vectors, ${\cal N}$ real spin-3/2 gauge fields and at most one real spinor field also requires gravity and yields ${\cal N}=3$ pure supergravity as well as ${\cal N}=1$ pure supergravity coupled to a vector supermultiplet, with or without cosmological terms. Independently from the matter content, we finally derive strong necessary quadratic constraints on the possible gaugings for an arbitrary number of spin-1 and spin-3/2 gauge fields, that are relevant for larger supergravities.Comment: LaTeX, 31 + 1 pages, no figure. v2: Extended discussion at the end of Section 3, corrected typos and references adde

E11E_{11}, Borcherds algebras and maximal supergravity

The dynamical $p$-forms of torus reductions of maximal supergravity theory have been shown some time ago to possess remarkable algebraic structures. The set ("dynamical spectrum") of propagating $p$-forms has been described as a (truncation of a) real Borcherds superalgebra \mf{V}_D that is characterized concisely by a Cartan matrix which has been constructed explicitly for each spacetime dimension $11 \geq D \geq 3.$ In the equations of motion, each differential form of degree $p$ is the coefficient of a (super-) group generator, which is itself of degree $p$ for a specific gradation (the \mf{V}-gradation). A slightly milder truncation of the Borcherds superalgebra enables one to predict also the "spectrum" of the non-dynamical $(D - 1)$ and $D$-forms. The maximal supergravity $p$-form spectra were reanalyzed more recently by truncation of the field spectrum of $E_{11}$ to the $p$-forms that are relevant after reduction from 11 to $D$ dimensions. We show in this paper how the Borcherds description can be systematically derived from the split ("maximally non compact") real form of $E_{11}$ for $D \geq 1.$ This explains not only why both structures lead to the same propagating $p$-forms and their duals for $p\leq (D - 2),$ but also why one obtains the same $(D - 1)$-forms and "top" $D$-forms. The Borcherds symmetries \mf{V}_2 and \mf{V}_1 are new too. We also introduce and use the concept of a presentation of a Lie algebra that is covariant under a given subalgebra.Comment: 39 pages. Version 2 contains improved presentation in particular an extra appendix B giving details on the infinite rank limit possibility. Version to appear in JHE

Counterterms in type I Supergravities

We compute the one-loop divergences of D=10, N=1 supergravity and of its reduction to D=8. We study the tensor structure of the counterterms appearing in D=8 and D=10 and compare these to expressions previously found in the low energy expansion of string theory. The infinities have the primitive Yang-Mills tree amplitude as a common factor.Comment: 26 pages, Latex, 4 eps figure

Cosmological billiards and oxidation

We show how the properties of the cosmological billiards provide useful information (spacetime dimension and $p$-form spectrum) on the oxidation endpoint of the oxidation sequence of gravitational theories. We compare this approach to the other available methods: $GL(n,R)$ subgroups and the superalgebras of dualities.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the 27th Johns Hopkins Workshop and in the Proceedings of the 36th International Symposium Ahrenshoop; v2: minor error correcte

Gravitational duality near de Sitter space

Gravitational instantons ''Lambda-instantons'' are defined here for any given value Lambda of the cosmological constant. A multiple of the Euler characteristic appears as an upper bound for the de Sitter action and as a lower bound for a family of quadratic actions. The de Sitter action itself is found to be equivalent to a simple and natural quadratic action. In this paper we also describe explicitly the reparameterization and duality invariances of gravity (in 4 dimensions) linearized about de Sitter space. A noncovariant doubling of the fields using the Hamiltonian formalism leads to first order time evolution with manifest duality symmetry. As a special case we recover the linear flat space result of Henneaux and Teitelboim by a smooth limiting process.Comment: 13 pages, no figure - v2 contains only small redactional changes (one reference added) and is essentially the published versio