We are solving for the case of flat superspace some homological problems that were formulated by Berkovits and Howe. (Our considerations can be applied also to the case of supertorus.) These problems arise in the attempt to construct integrals invariant with respect to supersymmetry. They appear also in other situations, in particular, in the pure spinor formalism in supergravity.
A direct anomaly calculation method for general supersymmetric models by path integral measure in superspace is established. It includes the traditional Konishi anomaly as a specific case. As another example, superconformal anomaly in $\mathcal N = 1, D = 4$ conformal supergravity is calculated.
Building on the superspace formulation for four-dimensional N=2 matter-coupled supergravity developed in arXiv:0805.4683, we elaborate upon a general setting for field theory in N=2 conformally flat superspaces, and concentrate specifically on the case of anti-de Sitter (AdS) superspace. We demonstrate, in particular, that associated with the N=2 AdS supergeometry is a unique vector multiplet such that the corresponding covariantly chiral field strength W_0 is constant, W_0=1. This multiplet proves to be intrinsic in the sense that it encodes all the information about the N=2 AdS supergeometry…
It is shown that vielbeins and connections of any (super)space are naturally described in terms of nonlinear realizations of infinite - dimensional diffeomorphism groups of the corresponding (super)space. The method of construction of integral invariants from the invariant Cartan's differential $Ω$ - forms is generalized to the case of superspace.
Using the superspace formulation for the 5D N = 1 Weyl supermultiplet developed in arXiv:0802.3953, we elaborate the concept of conformally flat superspace in five dimensions. For a large family of supersymmetric theories (including sigma-models and Yang-Mills theories) in the conformally flat superspace, we describe an explicit procedure to formulate their dynamics in terms of rigid 4D N = 1 superfields. The case of 5D N = 1 anti-de Sitter superspace is discussed as an example.
The superconformal structure of coset superspaces with AdS_m x S^n geometry of bosonic subspaces is studied. It is shown, in particular, that the conventional superspace extensions of the coset manifolds AdS_2 x S^2, AdS_3 x S^3 and AdS_5 x S^5, which arise as solutions of corresponding D=4,6, 10 supergravities and have been extensively studied in connection with AdS/CFT correspondence, are not superconformally flat, though their bosonic submanifolds are conformally flat. We give a group-theoretical reasoning for this fact. We find that in the AdS_2 x S^2 and AdS_3 x S^3 cases there exist diff…
We propose a physical interpretation of our novel fermionic solution for the IKKT matrix model which obtained in our previous paper hep-th/0307236. We extend the configuration space of bosonic field to supernumbers space and obtain the noncommutative parameter which is not bi-grassmann but an ordinary number. This establishes the connection between Seiberg's noncommutative superspace and our solution of the IKKT matrix model.
An embedding superspace, whose Bosonic part is the flat 2 + 1 dimensional embedding space for AdS2, is introduced. Superfields and several supersymmetric models are examined in the embedded AdS2 superspace.
N-extended massless arbitrary integer and half-integer spin supermultiplets in four dimensional flat space are studied in the framework of light-cone gauge formalism. For such multiplets, by using light-cone momentum superspace, we build unconstrained light-cone gauge superfield formulation. The superfield formulation is used to develop a superspace representation for all cubic interactions vertices of the N-extended massless supermultiplets. Our suitable treatment of the light-cone gauge superfields allows us to obtain attractively simple superspace representation for the cubic interaction ve…
A path integral formula for the associative star-product of two superfields is proposed. It is a generalization of the Kontsevich-Cattaneo-Felder's formula for the star-product of functions of bosonic coordinates. The associativity of the star-product imposes certain conditions on the background of our sigma model. For generic background the action is not supersymmetric. The supersymmetry invariance of the action constrains the background and leads to a simple formula for the star-product.
The superform construction of supersymmetric invariants, which consists of integrating the top component of a closed superform over spacetime, is reviewed. The cohomological methods necessary for the analysis of closed superforms are discussed and some further theoretical developments presented. The method is applied to higher-order corrections in heterotic string theory up to $\a'^3$. Some partial results on $N=2,d=10$ and $N=1,d=11$ are also given.
Using linearized superfields, $R^4$ terms in the Type II superstring effective action compactified on $T^2$ are constructed as integrals in N=2 D=8 superspace. The structure of these superspace integrals allows a simple proof of the $R^4$ non-renormalization theorems which were first conjectured by Green and Gutperle.
By using graded (super) Lie algebras, we can construct noncommutative superspace on curved homogeneous manifolds. In this paper, we take a flat limit to obtain flat noncommutative superspace. We particularly consider $d=2$ and $d=4$ superspaces based on the graded Lie algebras $osp(1|2)$, $su(2|1)$ and $psu(2|2)$. Jacobi identities of supersymmetry algebras and associativities of star products are automatically satisfied. Covariant derivatives which commute with supersymmetry generators are obtained and chiral constraints can be imposed. We also discuss that these noncommutative superspaces ca…
A fully quantum version of the Witten-Olive analysis of the central charge in the N=1 Wess-Zumino model in $d=2$ with a kink solution is presented by using path integrals in superspace. We regulate the Jacobians with heat kernels in superspace, and obtain all superconformal anomalies as one Jacobian factor. The conserved quantum currents differ from the Noether currents by terms proportional to field equations, and these terms contribute to the anomalies. We identify the particular variation of the superfield which produces the central charge current and its anomaly; it is the variation of the…
Massive arbitrary spin supermultiplets and massless (scalar and spin one-half) supermultiplets of the N=2 Poincare superalgebra in three-dimensional flat space are considered. Both the integer spin and half-integer spin supermultiplets are studied. For such massive and massless supermultiplets, a formulation in terms of light-cone gauge unconstrained superfields defined in a momentum superspace is developed. For the supermultiplets under consideration a superspace first derivative representation for all cubic interaction vertices is obtained. A superspace representation for dynamical generator…
We give an explicit superspace propagator for the chiral scalar field strength of 10D IIB supergravity on an AdS5 x S5 background. Because this space is conformally flat, the propagator is very simple, almost identical to that of flat space. We also give an explicit expansion over the Kaluza-Klein modes of S5. The fact that the full propagator is so much simpler suggests that, as in 2D conformal field theory, AdS/CFT calculations would be simpler without a mode expansion.
We built up a explicit realization of (0+1)-dimensional q-deformed superspace coordinates as operators on standard superspace. A q-generalization of supersymmetric transformations is obtained, enabling us to introduce scalar superfields and a q-supersymmetric action. We consider a functional integral based on this action. Integration is implemented, at the level of the coordinates and at the level of the fields, as traces over the corresponding representation spaces. Evaluation of these traces lead us to standard functional integrals. The generation of a mass term for the fermion field leads, …
We extend the results of arXiv:1401.1645 on the generalized conformal Sp(2n)-structure of infinite multiplets of higher spin fields, formulated in spaces with extra tensorial directions (hyperspaces), to the description of OSp(1|2n)-invariant infinite-dimensional higher-spin supermultiplets formulated in terms of scalar superfields on flat hyper-superspaces and on OSp(1|n) supergroup manifolds. We find generalized superconformal transformations relating the superfields and their equations of motion in flat hyper-superspace with those on the OSp(1|n) supermanifold. We then use these transformat…
Supersymmetric terms in the effective action of N=2 supergravity in four dimensions are generically classified into chiral-superspace integrals and full-superspace integrals. For a theory of N=2 vector multiplets coupled to supergravity, a special class of couplings is given by chiral-superspace integrals that are governed by a holomorphic prepotential function. The quantum entropy of BPS black holes in such theories depends on the prepotential according to a known integral formula. We show, using techniques of localization, that a large class of full-superspace integrals in the effective acti…
In the framework of the prepotential description of superspace two-dimensional $(2,2)$ supergravity, we discuss the construction of invariant integrals. In addition to the full superspace measure, we derive the measure for chiral superspace, and obtain the explicit expressions for going from superspace actions to component actions. We consider both the minimal $U_A(1)$ and the extended $U_V(1) \otimes U_A(1)$ theories.
We present a covariant, supersymmetric and kappa-symmetric action for non-Abelian multiwave system (nAmW) in D=3 AdS superspace. Its flat superspace limit provides a simplest counterpart of the recently proposed action for 11 dimensional system of N nearly coincident M-waves (multiple M0-branes), which is presently known for the case of flat target superspace only.
We reconstruct the action of $N=1, D=4$ Wess-Zumino and $N=1, 2, D=4$ super-Yang-Mills theories, using integral top forms on the supermanifold ${\cal M}^{(4|4)}$. Choosing different Picture Changing Operators, we show the equivalence of their rheonomic and superspace actions. The corresponding supergeometry and integration theory are discussed in detail. This formalism is an efficient tool for building supersymmetric models in a geometrical framework.
We study Chevalley-Eilenberg cohomology of physically relevant Lie superalgebras related to supersymmetric theories, providing explicit expressions for their cocycles in terms of their Maurer-Cartan forms. We then include integral forms in the picture by defining a notion of integral forms related to a Lie superalgebra. We develop a suitable generalization of Chevalley-Eilenberg cohomology extended to integral forms and we prove that it is isomorphic to the ordinary Chevalley-Eilenberg cohomology of the Lie superalgebra. Next we study equivariant Chevalley-Eilenberg cohomology for coset supers…
We define the worldline harmonic SU(2|1) superspace and its analytic subspace as a deformation of the flat N=4, d=1 harmonic superspace. The harmonic superfield description of the two mutually mirror off-shell (4,4,0) SU(2|1) supermultiplets is developed and the corresponding invariant actions are presented, as well as the relevant classical and quantum supercharges. Whereas the σ-model actions exist for both types of the (4,4,0) multiplet, the invariant Wess-Zumino term can be defined only for one of them, thus demonstrating non-equivalence of these multiplets in the SU(2|1) case as opposed t…
In this paper the classical theory of spherical harmonics in R^m is extended to superspace using techniques from Clifford analysis. After defining a super-Laplace operator and studying some basic properties of polynomial null-solutions of this operator, a new type of integration over the supersphere is introduced by exploiting the formal equivalence with an old result of Pizzetti. This integral is then used to prove orthogonality of spherical harmonics of different degree, Green-like theorems and also an extension of the important Funk-Hecke theorem to superspace. Finally, this integration ove…
We review some recent results obtained in studying superspace formulations of 2D N=(4,4) matter-coupled supergravity. For a superspace geometry described by the minimal supergravity multiplet, we first describe how to reduce to components the chiral integral by using ``ectoplasm'' superform techniques as in arXiv:0907.5264 and then we review the bi-projective superspace formalism introduced in arXiv:0911.2546. After that, we elaborate on the curved bi-projective formalism providing a new result: the solution of the covariant type-I twisted multiplet constraints in terms of a weight-(-1,-1) bi-…
We show how manifestly supersymmetric action for Wess-Zumino model can be constructed within the unfolded dynamics approach. The off-shell unfolded system for N = 1, D = 4 scalar supermultiplet is found. The action is presented in the form of integral of a closed 4-form over any (4, 0) surface in superspace as well as a superspace integral of an integral form or a chiral integral form. The proposed method is argued to provide a most general tool for the analysis of manifestly supersymmetric functionals.
An extended class of N=2 locally supersymmetric invariants with higher-derivative couplings based on full superspace integrals, is constructed. These invariants may depend on unrestricted chiral supermultiplets, on vector supermultiplets and on the Weyl supermultiplet. Supersymmetry is realized off-shell. A non-renormalization theorem is proven according to which none of these invariants can contribute to the entropy and electric charges of BPS black holes. Some of these invariants may be relevant for topological string deformations.
It is shown that the quantization of a superparticle propagating in an N=1, D=4 superspace extended with tensorial coordinates results in an infinite tower of massless spin states satisfying the Vasiliev unfolded equations for free higher spin fields in flat and AdS_4 N=1 superspace. The tensorial extension of the AdS_4 superspace is proved to be a supergroup manifold OSp(1|4). The model is manifestly invariant under an OSp(N|8) (N=1,2) superconformal symmetry. As a byproduct, we find that the Cartan forms of arbitrary Sp(2n) and OSp(1|2n) groups are GL(2n) flat, i.e. they are equivalent to fl…
The construction of supersymmetric invariant integrals is discussed in a superspace setting. The formalism is applied to D=4, N=4 SYM and used to construct the F^2, F^4 and (F^5 + \del^2 F^4) terms in the effective action of coincident D-branes. The results are in agreement with those obtained by other methods. A simple derivation of the abelian \del^4 F^4 invariant is given and generalised to the non-abelian case. We also find some double-trace invariants. The invariants are interpreted in terms of superconformal multiplets: the F^2 and F^4 terms are given by one-half BPS multiplets, the (F^5…
We express the covariant actions of a super p-brane and the corresponding equations of motion, in the flat and curved superspaces, in terms of the Nambu (p+1)-brackets. These brackets make the (p+1)-algebra structure of super p-brane manifest. For the flat superspace, this reconstruction of the action also allows reformulating it in terms of two sets of differential forms.
I conjecture that a flat 10D compact universe emerged out of nothing (By ``nothing'' I mean no notion of space and time) with all it's symmetries intact: Poincare invariance, conformal invariance and supersymmetry, it's massless moduli fields, and a zero energy density. Its subsequent evolution and spontaneous breaking of these symmetries or by quantum fluctuations leads to topological defects on this superspace which are the fields we observe (or haven't yet observed) propagating in this spacetime. By the law of naturalness it will restore all these broken symmetries. In recent years, the cos…
We use the non-minimal pure spinor formalism to compute in a super-Poincare covariant manner the four-point massless one and two-loop open superstring amplitudes, and the gauge anomaly of the six-point one-loop amplitude. All of these amplitudes are expressed as integrals of ten-dimensional superfields in a "pure spinor superspace" which involves five $θ$ coordinates covariantly contracted with three pure spinors. The bosonic contribution to these amplitudes agrees with the standard results, and we demonstrate identities which show how the $t_8$ and $ε_{10}$ tensors naturally emerge from integ…
By using integral forms we derive the superspace action of D=3, N=1 supergravity as an integral on a supermanifold. The construction is based on target space picture changing operators, here playing the role of Poincare' duals to the lower-dimensional spacetime surfaces embedded into the supermanifold. We show how the group geometrical action based on the group manifold approach interpolates between the superspace and the component supergravity actions, thus providing another proof of their equivalence.
We study Siegel superparticle moving in $R^{4|4}$ flat superspace. Canonical quantization is accomplished yielding the massless Wess-Zumino model as an effective field theory. Path integral representation for the corresponding superpropagator is constructed and proven to involve the Siegel action in a gauge fixed form. It is shown that higher order fermionic constraints intrinsic in the theory, though being a consequence of others in $d=4$, make a crucial contribution into the path integral.
The ${\cal N}{=}8, 1D$ analytic bi-harmonic superspace is shown to provide a natural setting for ${\cal N}{=}8$ supersymmetric mechanics associated with the off-shell multiplet ${\bf (4, 8, 4)}$ . The latter is described by an analytic superfield $q^{1,1}$, and we construct the general superfield and component actions for any number of such multiplets. The set of transformations preserving the flat superspace constraints on $q^{1,1}$ constitutes ${\cal N}{=}8$ extension of the two-dimensional Heisenberg algebra {\bf h}(2), with an operator central charge. The corresponding invariant $q^{1,1}$ …
Using the worldline SU(2|1) superfield approach, we construct N=4 superconformally invariant actions for the d=1 multiplets (1, 4, 3) and (2, 4, 2). The SU(2|1) superfield framework automatically implies the trigonometric realization of the superconformal symmetry and the harmonic oscillator term in the corresponding component actions. We deal with the general N=4 superconformal algebra D(2,1;$α$) and its central-extended $α$=0 and $α$=-1 psu(1,1|2)$\oplus$su(2) descendants. We capitalize on the observation that D(2,1;$α$) at $α\neq$0 can be treated as a closure of its two su(2|1) subalgebras,…
A new $N=1$ superfield theory in $D=4$ flat superspace is suggested. It describes dynamics of supergravity compensator and can be considered as a low-energy limit for $N=1$, $D=4$ superfield supergravity. The theory is shown to be renormalizable in infrared limit and infrared free. A quantum effective action is investigated in infrared domain.
We describe a systematic approach for the evaluation of Witten diagrams for multi-loop scattering amplitudes of a conformally coupled scalar $ϕ^4$-theory in Euclidean AdS$_4$, by recasting the Witten diagrams as flat space Feynman integrals. We derive closed form expressions for the anomalous dimensions for all double-trace operators up to the second order in the coupling constant. We explain the relation between the flat space unitarity methods and the discontinuities of the short distance expansion on the boundary of Witten diagrams.
We study the Picard-Fuchs differential equations for the Seiberg-Witten period integrals in N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. For A-D-E gauge groups we derive the Picard-Fuchs equations by using the flat coordinates in the A-D-E singularity theory. We then find that these are equivalent to the Gauss-Manin system for two-dimensional A-D-E topological Landau-Ginzburg models and the scaling relation for the Seiberg-Witten differential. This suggests an interesting relationship between four-dimensional N=2 gauge theories in the Coulomb branch and two-dimensional topological field theories.
We use the techniques of integral forms to analyse the easiest example of two dimensional sigma models on a supermanifold. We write the action as an integral of a top integral form over a D=2 supermanifold and we show how to interpolate between different superspace actions. Then, we consider curved supermanifolds and we show that the definitions used for flat supermanifold can also be used for curved supermanifolds. We prove it by first considering the case of a curved rigid supermanifold and then the case of a generic curved supermanifold described by a single superfield $E$.