60 research outputs found
Effective Actions near Singularities
We study the heterotic string compactified on K3 x T^2 near the line T=U,
where the effective action becomes singular due to an SU(2) gauge symmetry
enhancement. By `integrating in' the light W^\pm vector multiplets we derive a
quantum corrected effective action which is manifestly SU(2) invariant and
non-singular. This effective action is found to be consistent with a residual
SL(2,Z) quantum symmetry on the line T=U. In an appropriate decompactification
limit, we recover the known SU(2) invariant action in five dimensions.Comment: 33 pages, LaTeX. v2: cosmetic correction on titlepage. v3: references
and note adde
Electric/magnetic duality for chiral gauge theories with anomaly cancellation
We show that 4D gauge theories with Green-Schwarz anomaly cancellation and
possible generalized Chern-Simons terms admit a formulation that is manifestly
covariant with respect to electric/magnetic duality transformations. This
generalizes previous work on the symplectically covariant formulation of
anomaly-free gauge theories as they typically occur in extended supergravity,
and now also includes general theories with (pseudo-)anomalous gauge
interactions as they may occur in global or local N=1 supersymmetry. This
generalization is achieved by relaxing the linear constraint on the embedding
tensor so as to allow for a symmetric 3-tensor related to electric and/or
magnetic quantum anomalies in these theories. Apart from electric and magnetic
gauge fields, the resulting Lagrangians also feature two-form fields and can
accommodate various unusual duality frames as they often appear, e.g., in
string compactifications with background fluxes.Comment: 37 pages; v2: typos corrected and 1 reference adde
(Anti-)Brane backreaction beyond perturbation theory
We improve on the understanding of the backreaction of anti-D6-branes in a
flux background that is mutually BPS with D6-branes. This setup is analogous to
the study of the backreaction of anti-D3-branes inserted in the KS throat, but
does not require us to smear the anti-branes or do a perturbative analysis
around the BPS background. We solve the full equations of motion near the
anti-D6-branes and show that only two boundary conditions are consistent with
the equations of motion. Upon invoking a topological argument we eliminate the
boundary condition with regular H flux since it cannot lead to a solution that
approaches the right kind of flux away from the anti-D6-brane. This leaves us
with a boundary condition which has singular, but integrable, H flux energy
density.Comment: 12 pages + appendices, 1 figure; v2: minor changes, version published
in JHE
Persistent anti-brane singularities
Anti-D-branes inserted in warped throat geometries (supported by fluxes that
carry D-brane charges) develop unphysical singularities. It has been argued
that these singularities could be resolved when one goes beyond the linearized
approximation or includes the effects of brane polarization. In this paper we
consider anti-D6 branes, whose singularities have been shown to exist at the
full non-linear level, and demonstrate that there is no D8 brane polarization
that can resolve the singularity. We comment on the potential implications of
this result for the resolution of anti-D3 brane singularities in the
Klebanov-Strassler geometry.Comment: 16 pages; v2: comments added, version to appear in JHE
Unified Maxwell-Einstein and Yang-Mills-Einstein Supergravity Theories in Five Dimensions
Unified N=2 Maxwell-Einstein supergravity theories (MESGTs) are supergravity
theories in which all the vector fields, including the graviphoton, transform
in an irreducible representation of a simple global symmetry group of the
Lagrangian. As was established long time ago, in five dimensions there exist
only four unified Maxwell-Einstein supergravity theories whose target manifolds
are symmetric spaces. These theories are defined by the four simple Euclidean
Jordan algebras of degree three. In this paper, we show that, in addition to
these four unified MESGTs with symmetric target spaces, there exist three
infinite families of unified MESGTs as well as another exceptional one. These
novel unified MESGTs are defined by non-compact (Minkowskian) Jordan algebras,
and their target spaces are in general neither symmetric nor homogeneous. The
members of one of these three infinite families can be gauged in such a way as
to obtain an infinite family of unified N=2 Yang-Mills-Einstein supergravity
theories, in which all vector fields transform in the adjoint representation of
a simple gauge group of the type SU(N,1). The corresponding gaugings in the
other two infinite families lead to Yang-Mills-Einstein supergravity theories
coupled to tensor multiplets.Comment: Latex 2e, 28 pages. v2: reference added, footnote 14 enlarge
Gauging the Full R-Symmetry Group in Five-dimensional, N=2 Yang-Mills/Einstein/tensor Supergravity
We show that certain five dimensional, N=2 Yang-Mills/Einstein supergravity
theories admit the gauging of the full R-symmetry group, SU(2)_R, of the
underlying N=2 Poincare superalgebra. This generalizes the previously studied
Abelian gaugings of U(1)_R subgroup of SU(2)_R and completes the construction
of the most general vector and tensor field coupled five dimensional N=2
supergravity theories with gauge interactions. The gauging of SU(2)_R turns out
to be possible only in special cases, and leads to a new type of scalar
potential. For a large class of these theories the potential does not have any
critical points.Comment: Latex file, 15 pages ; section two is split in two and the discussion
of the critical points is moved into the new section. Version to appear in
Physical Review
Textures and Semi-Local Strings in SUSY Hybrid Inflation
Global topological defects may account for the large cold spot observed in
the Cosmic Microwave Background. We explore possibilities of constructing
models of supersymmetric F-term hybrid inflation, where the waterfall fields
are globally SU(2)-symmetric. In contrast to the case where SU(2) is gauged,
there arise Goldstone bosons and additional moduli, which are lifted only by
masses of soft-supersymmetry breaking scale. The model predicts the existence
of global textures, which can become semi-local strings if the waterfall fields
are gauged under U(1)_X. Gravitino overproduction can be avoided if reheating
proceeds via the light SU(2)-modes or right-handed sneutrinos. For values of
the inflaton- waterfall coupling >=10^-4, the symmetry breaking scale imposed
by normalisation of the power spectrum generated from inflation coincides with
the energy scale required to explain the most prominent of the cold spots. In
this case, the spectrum of density fluctuations is close to scale-invariant
which can be reconciled with measurements of the power spectrum by the
inclusion of the sub-dominant component due to the topological defects.Comment: 29 page
Symplectic structure of N=1 supergravity with anomalies and Chern-Simons terms
The general actions of matter-coupled N=1 supergravity have Peccei-Quinn
terms that may violate gauge and supersymmetry invariance. In addition, N=1
supergravity with vector multiplets may also contain generalized Chern-Simons
terms. These have often been neglected in the literature despite their
importance for gauge and supersymmetry invariance. We clarify the interplay of
Peccei-Quinn terms, generalized Chern-Simons terms and quantum anomalies in the
context of N=1 supergravity and exhibit conditions that have to be satisfied
for their mutual consistency. This extension of the previously known N=1
matter-coupled supergravity actions follows naturally from the embedding of the
gauge group into the group of symplectic duality transformations. Our results
regarding this extension provide the supersymmetric framework for studies of
string compactifications with axionic shift symmetries, generalized
Chern-Simons terms and quantum anomalies.Comment: 27 pages; v2: typos corrected; version to be published in
Class.Quantum Gra
Unified N=2 Maxwell-Einstein and Yang-Mills-Einstein Supergravity Theories in Four Dimensions
We study unified N=2 Maxwell-Einstein supergravity theories (MESGTs) and
unified Yang-Mills Einstein supergravity theories (YMESGTs) in four dimensions.
As their defining property, these theories admit the action of a global or
local symmetry group that is (i) simple, and (ii) acts irreducibly on all the
vector fields of the theory, including the ``graviphoton''. Restricting
ourselves to the theories that originate from five dimensions via dimensional
reduction, we find that the generic Jordan family of MESGTs with the scalar
manifolds [SU(1,1)/U(1)] X [SO(2,n)/SO(2)X SO(n)] are all unified in four
dimensions with the unifying global symmetry group SO(2,n). Of these theories
only one can be gauged so as to obtain a unified YMESGT with the gauge group
SO(2,1). Three of the four magical supergravity theories defined by simple
Euclidean Jordan algebras of degree 3 are unified MESGTs in four dimensions.
Two of these can furthermore be gauged so as to obtain 4D unified YMESGTs with
gauge groups SO(3,2) and SO(6,2), respectively. The generic non-Jordan family
and the theories whose scalar manifolds are homogeneous but not symmetric do
not lead to unified MESGTs in four dimensions. The three infinite families of
unified five-dimensional MESGTs defined by simple Lorentzian Jordan algebras,
whose scalar manifolds are non-homogeneous, do not lead directly to unified
MESGTs in four dimensions under dimensional reduction. However, since their
manifolds are non-homogeneous we are not able to completely rule out the
existence of symplectic sections in which these theories become unified in four
dimensions.Comment: 47 pages; latex fil
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