Aspects of Quantum Fermionic T-duality

We study two aspects of fermionic T-duality: the duality in purely fermionic sigma models exploring the possible obstructions and the extension of the T-duality beyond classical approximation. We consider fermionic sigma models as coset models of supergroups divided by their maximally bosonic subgroup OSp(m|n)/SO(m) x Sp(n). Using the non-abelian T-duality and a non-conventional gauge fixing we derive their fermionic T-duals. In the second part of the paper, we prove the conformal invariance of these models at one and two loops using the Background Field Method and we check the Ward Identities.Comment: 65 pages, 5 figure

The Background Field Method and the Linearization Problem for Poisson Manifolds

The background field method (BFM) for the Poisson Sigma Model (PSM) is studied as an example of the application of the BFM technique to open gauge algebras. The relationship with Seiberg-Witten maps arising in non-commutative gauge theories is clarified. It is shown that the implementation of the BFM for the PSM in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism is equivalent to the solution of a generalized linearization problem (in the formal sense) for Poisson structures in the presence of gauge fields. Sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution and a constructive method to derive it are presented.Comment: 33 pp. LaTex, references and comments adde

Non-Critical Covariant Superstrings

We construct a covariant description of non-critical superstrings in even dimensions. We construct explicitly supersymmetric hybrid type variables in a linear dilaton background, and study an underlying N=2 twisted superconformal algebra structure. We find similarities between non-critical superstrings in 2n+2 dimensions and critical superstrings compactified on CY_(4-n) manifolds. We study the spectrum of the non-critical strings, and in particular the Ramond-Ramond massless fields. We use the supersymmetric variables to construct the non-critical superstrings sigma-model action in curved target space backgrounds with coupling to the Ramond-Ramond fields. We consider as an example non-critical type IIA strings on AdS_2 background with Ramond-Ramond 2-form flux.Comment: harvmac, amssym, 46 p

Curved Beta-Gamma Systems and Quantum Koszul Resolution

We consider the partition function of beta-gamma systems in curved space of the type discussed by Nekrasov and Witten. We show how the Koszul resolution theorem can be applied to the computation of the partition functions and to characters of these systems and find a prescription to enforce the hypotheses of the theorem at the path integral level. We illustrate the technique in a few examples: a simple 2-dimensional target space, the N-dimensional conifold, and a superconifold. Our method can also be applied to the Pure Spinor constraints of superstrings.Comment: harvmac, 17 page

Super-Chern-Simons Theory as Superstring Theory

Superstrings and topological strings with supermanifolds as target space play a central role in the recent developments in string theory. Nevertheless the rules for higher-genus computations are still unclear or guessed in analogy with bosonic and fermionic strings. Here we present a common geometrical setting to develop systematically the prescription for amplitude computations. The geometrical origin of these difficulties is the theory of integration of superforms. We provide a translation between the theory of supermanifolds and topological strings with supertarget space. We show how in this formulation one can naturally construct picture changing operators to be inserted in the correlation functions to soak up the zero modes of commuting ghost and we derive the amplitude prescriptions from the coupling with an extended topological gravity on the worldsheet. As an application we consider a simple model on R^(3|2) leading to super-Chern-Simons theory.Comment: hravmac, 50p

Super Background Field Method for N=2 SYM

The implementation of the Background Field Method (BFM) for quantum field theories is analysed within the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formalism. We provide a systematic way of constructing general splittings of the fields into classical and quantum parts, such that the background transformations of the quantum fields are linear in the quantum variables. This leads to linear Ward-Takahashi identities for the background invariance and to great simplifications in multiloop computations. In addition, the gauge fixing is obtained by means of (anti)canonical transformations generated by the gauge-fixing fermion. Within this framework we derive the BFM for the N=2 Super-Yang-Mills theory in the Wess-Zumino gauge viewed as the twisted version of Donaldson-Witten topological gauge theory. We obtain the background transformations for the full BRST differential of N=2 Super-Yang-Mills (including gauge transformations, SUSY transformations and translations). The BFM permits all observables of the supersymmetric theory to be identified easily by computing the equivariant cohomology of the topological theory. These results should be regarded as a step towards the construction of a super BFM for the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model.Comment: 34 pages, Latex, JHEP3.cl