Supersymmetric Drinfeld-Sokolov reduction

The Drinfeld-Sokolov construction of integrable hierarchies, as well as its generalizations, may be extended to the case of loop superalgebras. A sufficient condition on the algebraic data for the resulting hierarchy to be invariant under supersymmetry transformation is given. The method used is a construction of the hierarchies in superspace, where supersymmetry is manifest. Several examples are discussed.Comment: 25 pages, LaTeX fil

N=2 KP and KdV hierarchies in extended superspace

We give the formulation in extended superspace of an $N=2$ supersymmetric KP hierarchy using chirality preserving pseudo-differential operators. We obtain two quadratic hamiltonian structures, which lead to different reductions of the KP hierarchy. In particular we find two different hierarchies with the $N=2$ classical super-${\cal W}_n$ algebra as a hamiltonian structure. The relation with the formulation in $N=1$ superspace is carried out.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX file, important reference adde

Stable non-BPS D-branes of type I

We review the boundary state description of the non-BPS D-branes in the type I string theory and show that the only stable configurations are the D-particle and the D-instanton. We also compute the gauge and gravitational interactions of the non-BPS D-particles and compare them with the interactions of the dual non-BPS particles of the heterotic string finding complete agreement. In this way we provide further dynamical evidence of the heterotic/type I duality.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure.eps, JHEP.cls, talk given by A. Lerda at the TMR Conference "Quantum aspects of gauge theories, supersymmetry and unification", Paris, September 199

Modular anomaly equation, heat kernel and S-duality in N=2 theories

We investigate epsilon-deformed N=2 superconformal gauge theories in four dimensions, focusing on the N=2* and Nf=4 SU(2) cases. We show how the modular anomaly equation obeyed by the deformed prepotential can be efficiently used to derive its non-perturbative expression starting from the perturbative one. We also show that the modular anomaly equation implies that S-duality is implemented by means of an exact Fourier transform even for arbitrary values of the deformation parameters, and then we argue that it is possible, perturbatively in the deformation, to choose appropriate variables such that it reduces to a Legendre transform.Comment: 30 pages, LeTeX2e. V2: references added, appendix B expanded, a few typos correcte

Transformations of locally conformally K\"ahler manifolds

We consider several transformation groups of a locally conformally K\"ahler manifold and discuss their inter-relations. Among other results, we prove that all conformal vector fields on a compact Vaisman manifold which is neither locally conformally hyperk\"ahler nor a diagonal Hopf manifold are Killing, holomorphic and that all affine vector fields with respect to the minimal Weyl connection of a locally conformally K\"ahler manifold which is neither Weyl-reducible nor locally conformally hyperk\"ahler are holomorphic and conformalComment: 8 page

Higher dimensional abelian Chern-Simons theories and their link invariants

The role played by Deligne-Beilinson cohomology in establishing the relation between Chern-Simons theory and link invariants in dimensions higher than three is investigated. Deligne-Beilinson cohomology classes provide a natural abelian Chern-Simons action, non trivial only in dimensions $4l+3$, whose parameter $k$ is quantized. The generalized Wilson $(2l+1)$-loops are observables of the theory and their charges are quantized. The Chern-Simons action is then used to compute invariants for links of $(2l+1)$-loops, first on closed $(4l+3)$-manifolds through a novel geometric computation, then on $\mathbb{R}^{4l+3}$ through an unconventional field theoretic computation.Comment: 40 page