SL(2)×R+SL(2)\times\mathbb{R}^+ Exceptional Field Theory: An Action for F-Theory

Exceptional Field Theory employs an extended spacetime to make supergravity fully covariant under the U-duality groups of M-theory. The 12-dimensional EFT associated to the group $SL(2)\times\mathbb{R}^+$ together with its action is presented. Demanding the closure of the algebra of local symmetries leads to a constraint, known as the section condition, that must be imposed on all fields. This constraint has two inequivalent solutions, one giving rise to 11-dimensional supergravity and the other leading to Type IIB supergravity and F-theory. Thus $SL(2)\times\mathbb{R}^+$ Exceptional Field Theory contains both F-theory and M-theory in a single 12-dimensional formalism.Comment: Proceedings prepared for the "Workshop on Geometry and Physics", November 2016, Ringberg Castle, Germany, v.2: references added, published in PoS CORFU2016 (2017

Branes are Waves and Monopoles

In a recent paper it was shown that fundamental strings are null waves in Double Field Theory. Similarly, membranes are waves in exceptional extended geometry. Here the story is continued by showing how various branes are Kaluza-Klein monopoles of these higher dimensional theories. Examining the specific case of the E7 exceptional extended geometry, we see that all branes are both waves and monopoles. Along the way we discuss the O(d; d) transformation of localized brane solutions not associated to an isometry and how true T-duality emerges in Double Field Theory when the background possesses isometries.Comment: 32 pages, Latex, v2, typos correcte

Generalised Kinematics for Double Field Theory

We formulate a kinematical extension of Double Field Theory on a $2d$-dimensional para-Hermitian manifold $(\mathcal{P},\eta,\omega)$ where the $O(d,d)$ metric $\eta$ is supplemented by an almost symplectic two-form $\omega$. Together $\eta$ and $\omega$ define an almost bi-Lagrangian structure $K$ which provides a splitting of the tangent bundle $T\mathcal{P}=L\oplus\tilde{L}$ into two Lagrangian subspaces. In this paper a canonical connection and a corresponding generalised Lie derivative for the Leibniz algebroid on $T\mathcal{P}$ are constructed. We find integrability conditions under which the symmetry algebra closes for general $\eta$ and $\omega$, even if they are not flat and constant. This formalism thus provides a generalisation of the kinematical structure of Double Field Theory. We also show that this formalism allows one to reconcile and unify Double Field Theory with Generalised Geometry which is thoroughly discussed.Comment: 41 pages, v2: typos corrected, references added, published versio

DUALITY COVARIANT SOLUTIONS IN EXTENDED FIELD THEORIES

PhDDouble field theory and exceptional field theory are formulations of supergravity that make certain dualities manifest symmetries of the action. To achieve this, the geometry is extended by including dual coordinates corresponding to winding modes of the fundamental objects. This geometrically unifies the spacetime metric and the gauge fields (and their local symmetries) in a generalized geometry. Solutions to these extended field theories take the simple form of waves and monopoles in the extended space. From a supergravity point of view they appear as 1/2 BPS objects such as the string, the membrane and the fivebrane in ordinary spacetime. In this thesis double field theory and exceptional field theory are introduced, solutions to their equations of motion are constructed and their properties are analyzed. Further it is established how isometries in the extended space give rise to duality relations between the supergravity solutions. Extensions to these core ideas include studying Goldstone modes, probing singularities at the core of solutions and localizing them in winding space. The relation of exceptional field theory to F-theory is also covered providing an action for the latter and incorporating the duality between M-theory and F-theory.STFC studentshi

Intermittent bulk release of human cytomegalovirus

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can infect a variety of cell types by using virions of varying glycoprotein compositions. It is still unclear how this diversity is generated, but spatio-temporally separated envelopment and egress pathways might play a role. So far, one egress pathway has been described in which HCMV particles are individually enveloped into small vesicles and are subsequently exocytosed continuously. However, some studies have also found enveloped virus particles inside multivesicular structures but could not link them to productive egress or degradation pathways. We used a novel 3D-CLEM workflow allowing us to investigate these structures in HCMV morphogenesis and egress at high spatio-temporal resolution. We found that multiple envelopment events occurred at individual vesicles leading to multiviral bodies (MViBs), which subsequently traversed the cytoplasm to release virions as intermittent bulk pulses at the plasma membrane to form extracellular virus accumulations (EVAs). Our data support the existence of a novel bona fide HCMV egress pathway, which opens the gate to evaluate divergent egress pathways in generating virion diversity