Bundle Gerbes for Orientifold Sigma Models

Real bundle gerbes, orientifolds and twisted KR-homology

We consider Real bundle gerbes on manifolds equipped with an involution and prove that they are classified by their Real Dixmier-Douady class in Grothendieck's equivariant sheaf cohomology. We show that the Grothendieck group of Real bundle gerbe modules is isomorphic to twisted KR-theory for a torsion Real Dixmier-Douady class. Using these modules as building blocks, we introduce geometric cycles for twisted KR-homology and prove that they generate a real-oriented generalised homology theory dual to twisted KR-theory for Real closed manifolds, and more generally for Real finite CW-complexes, …

Sign choices for orientifolds

We analyse the problem of assigning sign choices to O-planes in orientifolds of type II string theory. We show that there exists a sequence of invariant $p$-gerbes with $p\geq-1$, which give rise to sign choices and are related by coboundary maps. We prove that the sign choice homomorphisms stabilise with the dimension of the orientifold and we derive topological constraints on the possible sign configurations. Concrete calculations for spherical and toroidal orientifolds are carried out, and in particular we exhibit a four-dimensional orientifold where not every sign choice is geometrically a…

Global gauge anomalies in two-dimensional bosonic sigma models

We revisit the gauging of rigid symmetries in two-dimensional bosonic sigma models with a Wess-Zumino term in the action. Such a term is related to a background closed 3-form H on the target space. More exactly, the sigma-model Feynman amplitudes of classical fields are associated to a bundle gerbe with connection of curvature H over the target space. Under conditions that were unraveled more than twenty years ago, the classical amplitudes may be coupled to the topologically trivial gauge fields of the symmetry group in a way which assures infinitesimal gauge invariance. We show that the resul…

微分$T_2$-对偶与带联络的主3-丛的张景

Differential $T_2$-Duality and Spans of Principal 3-Bundles with Connections

本文提出推广T-对偶的$T_2$-对偶，通过带联络的范畴化主丛张景刻画其对偶对，结合维度约化关联超引力，还讨论其源于类Buscher的3d sigma模型张景。