The Massive Kaluza-Klein Monopole

We construct the (bosonic) effective worldvolume action of an M-theory Kaluza-Klein monopole in a background given by the bosonic sector of eleven-dimensional massive supergravity, i.e. a "massive Kaluza-Klein monopole". As a consistency check we show that the direct dimensional reduction along the isometry direction of the Taub-NUT space leads to the massive D-6-brane. We furthermore perform a double dimensional reduction in the massless case and obtain the effective worldvolume action of a type IIA Kaluza-Klein monopole.Comment: 16 pages, Latex, no figures, typos corrected, one reference adde

Wrapping rules (in) string theory

In this paper we show that the number of all 1/2-BPS branes in string theory compactified on a torus can be derived by universal wrapping rules whose formulation we present. These rules even apply to branes in less than ten dimensions whose ten-dimensional origin is an exotic brane. In that case the wrapping rules contain an additional combinatorial factor that is related to the highest dimension in which the ten-dimensional exotic brane, after compactification, can be realized as a standard brane. We show that the wrapping rules also apply to cases with less supersymmetry. As a specific example, we discuss the compactification of IIA/IIB string theory on $(T^4/{\mathbb{Z}_2}) \times T^n$.Comment: 21 page

BPS Open Strings and A-D-E-singularities in F-theory on K3

We improve on a recently constructed graphical representation of the supergravity 7-brane solution and apply this refined representation to re-study the open string description of the A-D-E-singularities in F-theory on K3. A noteworthy feature of the graphical representation is that it provides the complete global branch cut structure of the 7-brane solution which plays an important role in our analysis. We first identify those groups of branes which when made to coincide lead to the A-D-E-gauge groups. We next show that there is always a sufficient number of open BPS strings to account for all the generators of the gauge group. However, as we will show, there is in general no one-to-one relation between BPS strings and gauge group generators. For the D_{n+4}- and E-singularities, in order to relate BPS strings with gauge group generators, we make an SU(n+4), respectively SU(5) subgroup of the D_{n+4}- and E-gauge groups manifest. We find that only for the D-series (and for the standard A-series) this is sufficient to identify, in a one-to-one manner, which BPS strings correspond to which gauge group generators.Comment: 37 pages, 15 figure

Three-Dimensional Extended Bargmann Supergravity

We show that three-dimensional General Relativity, augmented with two vector fields, allows for a non-relativistic limit, different from the standard limit leading to Newtonian gravity, that results into a well-defined action which is of the Chern-Simons type. We show that this three-dimensional `Extended Bargmann Gravity', after coupling to matter, leads to equations of motion allowing a wider class of background geometries than the ones that one encounters in Newtonian gravity. We give the supersymmetric generalization of these results and point out an important application in the context of calculating partition functions of non-relativistic field theories using localization techniques.Comment: 6 pages, v2: typo's corrected, reference updated, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Defect Branes

We discuss some general properties of "defect branes", i.e. branes of co-dimension two, in (toroidally compactified) IIA/IIB string theory. In particular, we give a full classification of the supersymmetric defect branes in dimensions 2 < D < 11 as well as their higher-dimensionalstring and M-theory origin as branes and a set of "generalized" Kaluza-Klein monopoles. We point out a relation between the generalized Kaluza-Klein monopole solutions and a particular type of mixed-symmetry tensors. These mixed-symmetry tensors can be defined at the linearized level as duals of the supergravity potentials that describe propagating degrees of freedom. It is noted that the number of supersymmetric defect branes is always twice the number of corresponding central charges in the supersymmetry algebra.Comment: Latex2e paper, 28 pages, no figures. Footnote adde

Non-relativistic fields from arbitrary contracting backgrounds

We discuss a non-relativistic contraction of massive and massless field theories minimally coupled to gravity. Using the non-relativistic limiting procedure introduced in our previous work, we (re-)derive non-relativistic field theories of massive and massless spins 0 to 3/2 coupled to torsionless Newton-Cartan backgrounds. We elucidate the relativistic origin of the Newton-Cartan central charge gauge field $m_\mu$ and explain its relation to particle number conservation.Comment: 19 page

The Symmetries of the Carroll Superparticle

Motivated by recent applications of Carroll symmetries we investigate the geometry of flat and curved (AdS) Carroll space and the symmetries of a particle moving in such a space both in the bosonic as well as in the supersymmetric case. In the bosonic case we find that the Carroll particle possesses an infinite-dimensional symmetry which only in the flat case includes dilatations. The duality between the Bargmann and Carroll algebra, relevant for the flat case, does not extend to the curved case. In the supersymmetric case we study the dynamics of the N=1 AdS Carroll superparticle. Only in the flat limit we find that the action is invariant under an infinite-dimensional symmetry that includes a supersymmetric extension of the Lifshitz Carroll algebra with dynamical exponent z=0. We also discuss in the flat case the extension to N=2 supersymmetry and show that the flat N=2 superparticle is equivalent to the (non-moving) N=1 superparticle and that therefore it is not BPS unlike its Galilei counterpart. This is due to the fact that in this case kappa-symmetry eliminates the linearized supersymmetry. In an appendix we discuss the N=2 curved case in three dimensions only and show that there are two N=2 theories that are physically different.Comment: 35 pages; v

Brane orbits

We complete the classification of half-supersymmetric branes in toroidally compactified IIA/IIB string theory in terms of representations of the T-duality group. As a by-product we derive a last wrapping rule for the space-filling branes. We find examples of T-duality representations of branes in lower dimensions, suggested by supergravity, of which none of the component branes follow from the reduction of any brane in ten-dimensional IIA/IIB string theory. We discuss the constraints on the charges of half-supersymmetric branes, determining the corresponding T-duality and U-duality orbits.Comment: 34 pages, 3 figure

Newton-Cartan supergravity with torsion and Schr\"odinger supergravity

We derive a torsionfull version of three-dimensional N=2 Newton-Cartan supergravity using a non-relativistic notion of the superconformal tensor calculus. The "superconformal" theory that we start with is Schr\"odinger supergravity which we obtain by gauging the Schr\"odinger superalgebra. We present two non-relativistic N=2 matter multiplets that can be used as compensators in the superconformal calculus. They lead to two different off-shell formulations which, in analogy with the relativistic case, we call "old minimal" and "new minimal" Newton-Cartan supergravity. We find similarities but also point out some differences with respect to the relativistic case.Comment: 30 page