We perform the Lorentz-covariant non-Abelian gauging of supermembrane (M-2 brane) action. This is a generalization of our previous work based on teleparallel formulation, in which Lorentz covariance was not manifest. We introduce the Killing supervector ξ^{A I} with the adjoint index I for a non-Abelian gauge group H. This formulation is applicable to the compactification of supermembrane from eleven dimensions into D dimensions, such as H = SO(11-D) for the compactification M_{11} \to S^{11-D} \times M_D (1\le D \le 9).
We present non-Abelian gaugings of supermembrane for general isometries for compactifications from eleven-dimensions, starting with Abelian case as a guide. We introduce a super Killing vector in eleven-dimensional superspace for a non-Abelian group G associated with the compact space B for a general compactification, and couple it to a non-Abelian gauge field on the world-volume. As a technical tool, we use teleparallel superspace with no manifest local Lorentz covariance. Interestingly, the coupling constant is quantized for the non-Abelian group G, due to its generally non-trivial mapping π…
We discuss an open supermembrane theory on the maximally supersymmetric pp-wave background in eleven dimensions. The boundary surfaces of an open supermembrane are studied by using the covariant supermembrane theory. In particular, we find the configurations of M5-branes and 9-branes preserving a half of supersymmetries at the origin.
We discuss an open supermembrane theory in the AdS_4 x S^7 and AdS_7 x S^4 backgrounds. The possible Dirichlet branes of an open supermembrane are classified by analyzing the covariant Wess-Zumino term. All of the allowed configurations are related to those on the pp-wave background via the Penrose limit.
We discuss an open supermembrane in the presence of a constant three-form. The boundary conditions to ensure the kappa-invariance of the action lead to possible Dirichlet branes. It is shown that a noncommutative (NC) M5-brane is possible as a boundary and the self-duality condition that the flux on the world-volume satisfies is derived from the requirement of the kappa-symmetry. We also find that the open supermembrane can attach to each of infinitely many M2-branes on an M5-brane, namely a strong flux limit of the NC M5-brane.
We provide a mechanism of gauging a theory based on a particular way to embed a theory on a target space such that a nontrivial fibration is produced. A connection over a nontrivial fibration with monodromy provides a natural framework for a new way of gauging a theory. Moreover, properties of the global symmetry of the original theory are included in a particular way in the new theory. This mechanism for gauging a symmetry preserves the total number of degrees of freedom in distinction with the classical one. We consider a particular example to illustrate the mechanism: by reinterpreting the …
By replacing ten-dimensional pure spinors with eleven-dimensional pure spinors, the formalism recently developed for covariantly quantizing the d=10 superparticle and superstring is extended to the d=11 superparticle and supermembrane. In this formalism, kappa symmetry is replaced by a BRST-like invariance using the nilpotent operator Q=int (lambda^alpha d_alpha) where d_alpha is the worldvolume variable corresponding to the d=11 spacetime supersymmetric derivative and lambda^alpha is an SO(10,1) pure spinor variable satisfying (lambda Gamma^c lambda)=0 for c=1 to 11. Super-Poincare covariant …
In a previous work, we have constructed a reparametrization invariant worldsheet action from which one can derive the super-Poincare covariant pure spinor formalism for the superstring at the fully quantum level. The main idea was the doubling of the spinor degrees of freedom in the Green-Schwarz formulation together with the introduction of a new compensating local fermionic symmetry. In this paper, we extend this "double spinor" formalism to the case of the supermembrane in 11 dimensions at the classical level. The basic scheme works in parallel with the string case and we are able to constr…
We study intersecting noncommutative (NC) M5-branes from κ-invariance of an open supermembrane action with constant three-form fluxes. The $κ$-invariance gives rise to possible D-brane configurations for which projection operators can be determined. We construct projection operators for two types of 1/4 BPS intersecting NC M5-branes. The one is an intersection of two NC M5-branes: NC M5\bot NC M5 (3). The other is that of a NC M5-brane and a commutative (C) M5-brane: NC M5\bot C M5 (1). A NC M5-brane can be viewed as a bound state of M5 and M2, and the configurations M2\bot M5 (1) and M2\bot M…
On the basis of the Berkovits pure spinor formalism of covariant quantization of supermembrane, we attempt to construct a M(atrix) theory which is covariant under $SO(1,10)$ Lorentz group. We first construct a bosonic M(atrix) theory by starting with the first-order formalism of bosonic membrane, which precisely gives us a bosonic sector of M(atrix) theory by BFSS. Next we generalize this method to the construction of M(atrix) theory of supermembranes. However, it seems to be difficult to obtain a covariant and supersymmetric M(atrix) theory from the Berkovits pure spinor formalism of supermem…
We give the explicit formulation of the 11D supermembrane as a symplectic torus bundle with non trivial monodromy and non vanishing Euler class. This construction allows a classification of all supermembranes showing explicitly the discrete SL(2,Z) symmetries associated to dualities. It hints as the origin in M-theory of the gauging of the effective theories associated to string theories.
While string or Yang-Mills theories are based on Lie algebra or two-algebra structure, recent studies indicate that M-theory may require a one higher, three-algebra structure. Here we construct a covariant action for a supermembrane in eleven dimensions, which is invariant under global supersymmetry, local fermionic symmetry and worldvolume diffeomorphism. Our action is classically on-shell equivalent to the celebrated Bergshoeff-Sezgin-Townsend action. However, the novelty is that we spell the action genuinely in terms of Nambu three-brackets: All the derivatives appear through Nambu brackets…
We study the relation between the kappa-symmetric formulation of the supermembrane in eleven dimensions and the pure-spinor version. Recently, Berkovits related the Green-Schwarz and pure-spinor superstrings. In this paper, we attempt to extend this method to the supermembrane. We show that it is possible to reinstate the reparameterisation constraints in the pure-spinor formulation of the supermembrane by introducing a topological sector and performing a similarity transformation. The resulting BRST charge is then of conventional type and is argued to be (related to) the BRST charge of the ka…
A Lorentz covariant matrix regularization of membrane thories is studied.It is shown that the action for a bosonic membrane can be defined by matrix regularization in a Lorentz covariant manner. The generator of area preserving diffeomorphism can also be consistently defined by matrix regularization, and we can make the area preserving gauge symmetry manifest. However, the reparametrization BRST charge explicitly depends on a specific basis set introduced to define the matrix regularization. We also briefly comment on an extension of the present formulation to a supermembrane.
We build up a class of N=2 supersymmetric non-linear $σ$-models in an N=1 superspace based on the Atiyah-Ward space-time of (2+2)-signature metric. We also discuss the gauging of isometries of the associated hyper-Kählerian target spaces and present the resulting gauge-covariant supersymmetric action functional.
We gauge the abelian hierarchy of tensor fields in 4D by a Lie algebra. The resulting non-abelian tensor hierarchy can be interpreted via an equivariant chain complex. We lift this structure to N=1 superspace by constructing superfield analogs for the tensor fields, along with covariant superfield strengths. Next we construct Chern-Simons actions, for both the bosonic and N=1 cases, and note that the condition of gauge invariance can be presented cohomologically. Finally, we provide an explicit realization of these structures by dimensional reduction, for example by reducing the three-form of …
We extend our formulation of the covariant quantum superstring as a WZNW model with N=2 superconformal symmetry to N=4. The two anticommuting BRST charges in the N=4 multiplet of charges are the usual BRST charge Q_S and a charge Q_V proposed by Dijkgraaf, Verlinde and Verlinde for topological models. Using our recent work on "gauging cosets", we then construct a further charge Q_C which anticommutes with Q_S + Q_V and which is intended for the definition of the physical spectrum.
We discuss locally Weyl (scale) covariant generalisations of gravitational theories using Riemann-Cartan-Weyl space-times in arbitrary dimensions. We demonstrate the procedure of Weyl gauging on two examples in particular: General relativity, and topologically massive gravity in three dimensions.
We consider theories of N=2 supergravity with Fayet-Iliopoulos gauging, and describe a procedure to obtain non-BPS extremal black hole solutions in asymptotically AdS_4 space, in a fully symplectic covariant framework. By considering both electric as well as magnetic gauging, we are able to find new extremal purely magnetic and dyonic solutions. We consistently impose the Dirac quantization condition as a constraint on the black hole and gravitinos charges. This additional requirement allows to parameterize the black hole entropy in terms of an integer and of the entropy of the corresponding b…
We show that our recently proposed method\cite{BMM1,BMM2,BMM3,BM4} of constructing nonrelativistic diffeomorphism invariant field theories by gauging the Galilean symmetry provides a natural connection with the geometry of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE). Specifically, the covariant derivative that appears on gauging, exactly reproduces the form that yields the Hall viscosity and Wen-Zee shift \cite{CYF}.
We propose a new off-shell formulation for N-extended conformal supergravity in three spacetime dimensions. Our construction is based on the gauging of the N-extended superconformal algebra in superspace. Covariant constraints are imposed such that the algebra of covariant derivatives is given in terms of a single curvature superfield which turns out to be the super Cotton tensor. An immediate corollary of this construction is that the curved superspace is conformally flat if and only if the super Cotton tensor vanishes. Upon degauging of certain local symmetries, our formulation is shown to r…
Gauging the M-2-brane effective action with respect to an Abelian isometry in such a way that the invariance under gauge transformations of the 3-form potential is maintained (slightly modified) we obtain a fully covariant action with 11-dimensional target space that gives the massive D-2-brane effective action upon dimensional reduction in the direction of the gauged isometry.
We construct supergravity theories in twelve and thirteen dimensions with the respective signatures (10,2) and (11,2) with some technical details. Starting with N=1 supergravity in 10+2 dimensions coupled to Green-Schwarz superstring, we give N=2 chiral supergravity in 10+2 dimensions with its couplings to super (2+2)-brane. We also build an N=1 supergravity in 11+2 dimensions, coupled to supermembrane. All of these formulations utilize scalar (super)fields intact under supersymmetry, replacing the null-vectors introduced in their original formulations. This method makes all the equations SO(1…
Gauging or extending bulk and boundary conformal field theories: Application to bulk and domain wall problem in topological matter and their descriptions by (mock) modular covariant
We discuss the relation between standard N=2 supergravity with translational gauging and N=2 supergravities with scalar-tensor multiplets with massive tensors and Abelian electric charges. We point out that a symplectic covariant formulation of N=2 supergravity can be achieved just in the presence of tensor multiplets. As a consequence one can see that the formulation of the N=2 theory as it comes from IIB flux compactification, which is included in these models, is equivalent to a non perturbative phase of standard N=2 supergravity. It is also shown that the IIB tadpole cancellation condition…
Compactifications in duality covariant constructions such as generalised geometry and double field theory have proven to be suitable frameworks to reproduce gauged supergravities containing non-geometric fluxes. However, it is a priori unclear whether these approaches only provide a reformulation of old results, or also contain new physics. To address this question, we classify the T- and U-duality orbits of gaugings of (half-)maximal supergravities in dimensions seven and higher. It turns out that all orbits have a geometric supergravity origin in the maximal case, while there are non-geometr…
We present a convenient method for deriving the transformation of the dilaton under T-duality in the path-integral approach. Subtleties arising in performing the integral over the gauge fields are carefully analysed using Pauli-Villars regularization, thereby clarifying existing ambiguities in the literature. The formalism can not only be applied to the abelian case, but, and this for the first time, to the non-abelian case as well. Furthermore, by choosing a particular gauge, we directly obtain the target-space covariant expression for the dual geometry in the abelian case. Finally it is show…
We develop a new off-shell formulation for five-dimensional (5D) conformal supergravity obtained by gauging the 5D superconformal algebra in superspace. An important property of the conformal superspace introduced is that it reduces to the superconformal tensor calculus (formulated in the early 2000's) upon gauging away a number of superfluous fields. On the other hand, a different gauge fixing reduces our formulation to the SU(2) superspace of arXiv:0802.3953, which is suitable to describe the most general off-shell supergravity-matter couplings. Using the conformal superspace approach, we sh…
We review the history of Newton-Cartan gravity with an emphasis on recent developments, including the covariant, off-shell large speed of light expansion of general relativity. Depending on the matter content, this expansion either leads to Newton-Cartan geometry with absolute time or to Newton-Cartan geometry with non-relativistic gravitational time dilation effects. The latter shows that non-relativistic gravity includes a strong field regime and goes beyond Newtonian gravity. We start by reviewing early developments in Newton-Cartan geometry, including the covariant description of Newtonian…
We review the covariant canonical formalism initiated by D'Adda, Nelson and Regge in 1985, and extend it to include a definition of form-Poisson brackets (FPB) for geometric theories coupled to $p$-forms, gauging free differential algebras. The form-Legendre transformation and the form-Hamilton equations are derived from a $d$-form Lagrangian with $p$-form dynamical fields $ϕ$. Momenta are defined as derivatives of the Lagrangian with respect to the "velocities" $dϕ$ and no preferred time direction is used. Action invariance under infinitesimal form-canonical transformations can be studied in …
Recently it was shown how to formulate the finite-element equations of motion of a non-Abelian gauge theory, by gauging the free lattice difference equations, and simultaneously determining the form of the gauge transformations. In particular, the gauge-covariant field strength was explicitly constructed, locally, in terms of a path ordered product of exponentials (link operators). On the other hand, the Dirac and Yang-Mills equations were nonlocal, involving sums over the entire prior lattice. Earlier, Matsuyama had proposed a local Dirac equation constructed from just the above-mentioned lin…
