Covariant hamiltonian for supergravity in $d=3$ and $d=4$
Leonardo Castellani
备注：
24 pages, LaTeX. v2: added Notes in Section 2 and Section 3. A summary of the covariant hamiltonian formalism, included in Section 2 for self-consistency, produces some overlap with arXiv:1906.11852
We extend the covariant canonical formalism recently discussed in ref. [1] to geometric theories coupled to both bosonic and fermionic $p$-forms. This allows a covariant hamiltonian treatment of supergravity theories. As examples we present the covariant hamiltonian formulation for $d=3$ anti-De Sitter supergravity and for the "new minimal" $d=4$, $N=1$ supergravity (with $1$-form and $2$-form auxiliary fields). Form-Poisson brackets and form-Dirac brackets are defined, and used to find the form-canonical generators of all gauge symmetries via an algorithmic procedure.
Taking clues from the recent construction of the covariant action for type II and heterotic string field theories, we construct a manifestly Lorentz covariant action for type IIB supergravity, and discuss its gauge fixing maintaining manifest Lorentz invariance. The action contains a (non-gravitating) free 4-form field besides the usual fields of type IIB supergravity. This free field, being completely decoupled from the interacting sector, has no physical consequence.
Covariance is a useful property for handling supergravity theories. In this paper, we prove a covariance property of supergravity field equations: under reasonable conditions, field equations of supergravity are covariant modulo other field equations. We prove that for any supergravity there exist such covariant equations of motion, other than the regular equations of motion, that are equivalent to the latter. The relations that we find between field equations and their covariant form can be used to obtain multiplets of field equations. In practice, the covariant field equations are easily fou…
We show that the recently found covariant formulation for chiral $p$--forms in $2(p+1)$ dimensions with $p$ even, can be naturally extended to supersymmetric theories. We present the general method for writing covariant actions for chiral bosons and construct, in particular, in six dimensions covariant actions for one tensor supermultiplet, for pure supergravity and for supergravity coupled to an arbitrary number of tensor supermultiplets.
Covariant actions for the bosonic fields of D=10 IIB supergravity are constructed with the help of a single auxiliary scalar field and in a formulation with an infinite series of auxiliary (anti)-self-dual 5-form fields.
In this note we clarify some issues in six-dimensional (1,0) supergravity coupled to vector and tensor multiplets. In particular, we show that, while the low-energy equations embody tensor-vector couplings that contribute only to gauge anomalies, the divergence of the energy-momentum tensor is properly non-vanishing. In addition, we show how to revert to a supersymmetric formulation in terms of covariant non-integrable field equations that embody corresponding covariant anomalies.
We construct a "Chern-Simons-like" action for N=1 Topologically Massive Supergravity from the Chern-Simons actions of N=1 Supergravity and Conformal Supergravity. We convert this action into Hamiltonian form and use this to demonstrate that the theory propagates a single massive (2, 3/2) supermultiplet.
The covariant quantization of massless D=11 superparticle (M0-brane) in its twistor-like Lorentz harmonic formulation is used to clarify the origin and some properties of the Berkovits pure spinor approach to quantum superstring and to search for hidden symmetries of D=11 supergravity. In the twistor like Lorentz harmonic formulation, the SO(16) symmetry is seen already at the classical level. The quantization produces the linearized supergravity multiplet as 128+128=256 component Majorana spinor of SO(16) and also shows an indirect argument in favor of the possible E8 symmetry.
Eleven-dimensional supergravity reveals large exceptional symmetries upon reduction, in accordance with the U-duality groups of M-theory, but their higher-dimensional geometric origin has remained a mystery. In this letter, we show that D=11 supergravity can be extended to be fully covariant under the exceptional groups E_{n(n)}, n=6,7,8. Motivated by a similar formulation of double field theory we introduce an extended `exceptional spacetime'. We illustrate the construction by giving the explicit E_{6(6)} covariant form: the full D=11 supergravity, in a 5+6 splitting of coordinates but withou…
IIB supergravity is reformulated with a manifest local USp(8) invariance that makes the embedding of five-dimensional maximal supergravities transparent. In this formulation the ten-dimensional theory exhibits all the 27 one-form fields and 22 of the 27 two-form fields that are required by the vector-tensor hierarchy of the five-dimensional theory. The missing 5 two-form fields must transform in the same representation as a descendant of the ten-dimensional `dual graviton'. The invariant E6(6) symmetric tensor that appears in the vector-tensor hierarchy is reproduced. Generalized vielbeine are…
The covariant Noether charge formalism (also known as the covariant phase method) of Wald and collaborators, including its cohomological extension, is a manifestly covariant Hamiltonian formalism that, in principle, allows one to define and compute the energy, angular momenta, and chemical potentials of generic solutions of gravitational theories. However, it has been observed that for some supergravity solutions the variation of the Noether charge is not (at least manifestably) integrable, and as a result it is unclear whether there are well-defined thermodynamic charges for these solutions. …
We argue that the field-parametrization dependence of Dirac's procedure, for Hamiltonians with first-class constraints not only preserves covariance in covariant theories, but in non-covariant gauge theories it allows one to find the natural field parametrization in which the Hamiltonian formulation automatically leads to the simplest gauge symmetry.
We present the details of the recently constructed $E_{6(6)}$ covariant extension of 11-dimensional supergravity. This theory requires a 5+27 dimensional spacetime in which the `internal' coordinates transform in the $\bar{\bf 27}$ of $E_{6(6)}$. All fields are $E_{6(6)}$ tensors and transform under (gauged) internal generalized diffeomorphisms. The `Kaluza-Klein' vector field acts as a gauge field for the $E_{6(6)}$ covariant `E-bracket' rather than a Lie bracket, requiring the presence of two-forms akin to the tensor hierarchy of gauged supergravity. We construct the complete and unique acti…
This paper is devoted to the analysis of the covariant canonical formalism of $F(R)$ gravity in Einstein frame. We also find canonical transformation between covariant canonical formulation of F(R) gravity in Jordan frame and Einstein frames and we also determine corresponding generating function.
A superspace formulation of IIB supergravity which includes the field strengths of the duals of the usual physical one, three and five-form field strengths as well as the eleven-form field strength is given. The superembedding formalism is used to construct kappa-symmetric SL(2,R) covariant D-brane actions in an arbitrary supergravity background.
The (heterotic) double field theories and the exceptional field theories are recently developed for manifestly duality covariant formulation of various supergravity theories, describing low-energy limit of various (heterotic) superstring and M-theory compactifications. These field theories are known to be reduced to the standard descriptions by introducing appropriately parameterized generalized metric and by applying suitably chosen section conditions. We generalize this development to non-geometric backgrounds by utilizing dual fields pertinent to non-geometric fluxes. We introduce different…
The Lorentz covariant all-loop counterterms built in the 4+32 on shell superspace of N=8 supergravity imply that the theory is not UV finite. Meanwhile, the relevant counterterms depending on the light-cone superfields in 4+16 superspace have not been constructed so far. Our first attempt to construct them suggests that they may be incompatible with the covariant ones. This would lead to a prediction of all-loop UV finiteness of the perturbative S-matrix. Here we rely on the validity of the equivalence theorem for the S-matrix in the light-cone gauge and Lorentz covariant gauges, which require…
We propose a new superspace formulation for N=(4,4) conformal supergravity in two dimensions. This is based on a geometry where the structure group of the curved superspace is chosen to be SO(1,1) x SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R. The off-shell supergravity multiplet possesses super-Weyl transformations generated by an unconstrained real scalar superfield. The new supergravity formulation turns out to be an extension of the minimal multiplet introduced in 1988 by Gates et. al. and it allows the existence of various off-shell matter supermultiplets. Covariant twisted-II and twisted-I multiplets respectively…
In this short note we study unimodular gravity in Weyl-De Donder formalism. We find corresponding Hamiltonian and study consequence of the unimodular constraint on the conjugate covariant momenta. We also find covariant Hamiltonian for Henneaux-Teitelboim unimodular action and study corresponding equations of motion.
The N=1 self-dual supergravity has SL(2.C) symmetry. This symmetry results in SU(2) charges as the angular-momentum. As in the non-supersymmetric self-dual gravity, the currents are also of their potentials and are therefore identically conserved. The charges are generally invariant and gauge covariant under local SU(2) transforms approaching to be rigid at spatial infinity. The Poisson brackets constitute su(2) algebra and hence can be interpreted as the generally covariant conservative angular-momentum.
The N-extended self-dual supergravity in the ultra-hyperbolic four-dimensional spacetime of kleinian signature (2+2) is given in the N-extended harmonic superspace. We reformulate the on-shell N-extended self-dual supergravity constraints of Siegel to a `zero-curvature' representation, and solve all of them but one in terms of a single superfield prepotential, by using a covariant Frobenius gauge in the Devchand-Ogievetsky approach. An off-shell superspace action, whose equation of motion yields the remaining constraint, is found. Our manifestly Lorentz-covariant action in harmonic superspace …
This paper describes a fully covariant approach to harmonic superspace. It is based on the conformal superspace description of conformal supergravity and involves extending the supermanifold M^{4|8} by the tangent bundle of CP^1. The resulting superspace M^{4|8} x TCP^1 can be identified in a certain gauge with the conventional harmonic superspace M^{4|8} x S^2. This approach not only makes the connection to projective superspace transparent, but simplifies calculations in harmonic superspace significantly by eliminating the need to deal directly with supergravity prepotentials. As an applicat…
We analyze a recent conjecture regarding the perturbative construction of non-linear deformations of all classically duality invariant theories, including N=8 supergravity. Starting with an initial quartic deformation, we engineer a procedure that generates a particular non-linear deformation (Born-Infeld) of the Maxwell theory. This procedure requires the introduction of an infinite number of modifications to a constraint which eliminates degrees of freedom consistent with the duality and field content of the system. We discuss the extension of this procedure to N=1 and N=2 supersymmetric the…
The effective field equations of motion for a mixed theory of open and closed (2,2) world-sheet supersymmetric critical strings are shown to be integrable in the case of an abelian gauge group. The Born-Infeld-type effective action in 2+2 dimensions is intrinsically non-covariant, and it can be interpreted as (a part of) the F-brane world-volume action. The covariant F-brane action is unambiguously restored by its maximal (N=8) world-volume supersymmetry. The 32 supercharges, the local SO(2,1) x SO(8) and rigid SL(2,R) symmetries of the F-brane action naturally suggest its interpretation as th…
We show in the SU(1,1)-covariant formulation that IIB supergravity allows the introduction of a doublet and a quadruplet of ten-form potentials. The Ramond-Ramond ten-form potential which is associated with the SO(32) Type I superstring is in the quadruplet. Our results are consistent with a recently proposed $E_{11}$ symmetry underlying string theory. For the reader's convenience we present the full supersymmetry and gauge transformations of {\it all} fields both in the manifestly SU(1,1) covariant Einstein frame and in the real U(1) gauge fixed string frame.
We show that the covariant effective action for M5-brane is a solution to the Hamilton-Jacobi (H-J) equations of 11-dimensional supergravity. The solution to the H-J equations reproduces the supergravity solution that represents the M2-M5 bound states.
We perform the Hamiltonian constraint analysis for a wide class of gravity theories that are invariant under spatial diffeomorphism. With very general setup, we show that different from the general relativity, the primary and secondary constraints associated with the lapse function $N$ become second class, as long as the lapse function $N$ enters the Hamiltonian nonlinearly. This fact implies that there are three degrees of freedom are propagating, of which two correspond to the usual tensor type transverse and traceless gravitons, and one is the scalar type graviton. By restoring the full spa…
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…
We explore the role of the dilaton field on higher derivative supergravity within the framework of Double Field Theory and use it to fix the Lorentz non covariant field redefinitions connecting the metric and dilaton fields with the duality multiplets.
We conjecture that the light-cone Hamiltonian of N=8 Supergravity can be expressed as a quadratic form. We explain why this rewriting is unique to maximally supersymmetric theories. The N=8 quartic interaction vertex is constructed and used to verify that this conjecture holds to second order in the coupling constant.
We investigate the covariant Hamiltonian symplectic structure of General Relativity for spatially bounded regions of spacetime with a fixed time-flow vector. For existence of a well-defined Hamiltonian variational principle taking into account a spatial boundary, it is necessary to modify the standard Arnowitt-Deser-Misner Hamiltonian by adding a boundary term whose form depends on the spatial boundary conditions for the gravitational field. The most general mathematically allowed boundary conditions and corresponding boundary terms are shown to be determined by solving a certain equation obta…
We study $2D$ supergravity in a covariant and gauge independent way. The theory is obtained from $2D$ bosonic gravity following the square root method and the diffeomorphism superalgebra is explicitly computed. We argue that our approach could be a procedure for introducing nontrivial physics in quantum $2D$ (super)gravity.
In this short note we formulate Covariant Hamiltonian formalism for strings, p-branes and Non-BPS Dp-branes. We also analyse the vacuum tachyon condensation in case of unstable D1-brane.
A consistent N=1 supersymmetric $σ$-model can be constructed, given a Kähler manifold by adding chiral matter multiplets. Their scalar components are covariant tensors on the underlying Kähler manifold. The Kähler U(1)-charges can be adjusted such that the anomalies cancel, using the holomorphic functions in which the Kähler potential transforms. The arbitrariness of the U(1)-charges of matter multiplets is related to their Weyl-weights in superconformal gravity, before it is reduced to supergravity. The covariance of the Kähler potential forces the superpotential to be covariant as well. This…
I review the classical and quantum dynamics of systems with local world-line supersymmetry. The hamiltonian formulation, in particular the covariant hamiltonian approach, is emphasized. Anomalous behaviour of local quantum supersymmetry is investigated and illustrated by supersymmetric dynamics on the sphere $S^2$.
Covariant (polysymplectic)Hamiltonian field theory is the Hamiltonian counterpart of classical Lagrangian field theory. They are quasi-equivalent in the case of almost-regular Lagrangians. This work addresses BV quantization of polysymplectic Hamiltonian field theory. We compare BV quantizations of associated Lagrangian and polysymplectic Hamiltonian field systems in the case of almost-regular quadratic Lagrangians.
We review and investigate different aspects of scalar fields in supergravity theories both when they parametrize symmetric spaces and when they parametrize spaces of special holonomy which are not necessarily symmetric (Kahler and Quaternionic-Kahler spaces): their role in the definition of derivatives of the fermions covariant under the R-symmetry group and (in gauged supergravities) under some gauge group, their dualization into (d-2)-forms, their role in the supersymmetry transformation rules (via fermion shifts, for instance) etc. We find a general definition of momentum map that applies t…
We study how the supersymmetry algebra extension of N=2 supergravity with central charges describes the NUT charge in a duality-covariant way. The stationary BPS states of N=2 supergravity can be embedded in the flat space solution of the timelike reduced theory. Upon reduction, the Killing superalgebra extension and the global superalgebra of charges are described covariantly under the coset structure of the three-dimensional theory. The integral of the Nester-Witten form given by Gibbons and Hull for N=2 has a covariant generalization that includes the NUT charge.
The higher order symmetries are investigated in a covariant Hamiltonian formulation. The covariant phase-space approach is extended to include the presence of external gauge fields and scalar potentials. The special role of the Killing-Yano tensors is pointed out. Some non-trivial examples involving Runge-Lenz type conserved quantities are explicitly worked out.
Light-Front (LF) Hamiltonian for QED in (1+1)-dimensions is constructed using the boson form of this model with additional Pauli-Villars type ultraviolet regularization. Perturbation theory, generated by this LF Hamiltonian, is proved to be equivalent to usual covariant chiral perturbation theory. The obtained LF Hamiltonian depends explicitly on chiral condensate parameters which enter in a form of some coupling constants.
We review the group-geometric approach to supergravity theories, in the perspective of recent developments and applications. Usual diffeomorphisms, gauge symmetries and supersymmetries are unified as superdiffeomorphisms in a supergroup manifold. Integration on supermanifolds is briefly revisited, and used as a tool to provide a bridge between component and superspace actions. As an illustration of the constructive techniques, the cases of $d=3,4$ off-shell supergravities and $d=5$ Chern-Simons supergravity are discussed in detail. A cursory account of $d=10+2$ supergravity is also included. W…
We outline a formulation of membrane dynamics in D=8 which is fully covariant under the U-duality group SL(2,Z) x SL(3,Z), and encodes all interactions to fields in the eight-dimensional supergravity, which is constructed through Kaluza-Klein reduction on T^3. Among the membrane degrees of freedom is an SL(2,R) doublet of world-volume 2-form potentials, whose quantised electric fluxes determine the membrane charges, and are conjectured to provide an interpretation of the variables occurring in the minimal representation of E_{6(6)} which appears in the context of automorphic membranes. We solv…
We perform the Hamiltonian analysis of non-relativistic covariant Horava-Lifshitz gravity in the formulation presented recently in arXiv:1009.4885. We argue that the resulting Hamiltonian structure is in agreement with the original construction of non-relativistic covariant Hořava-Lifshitz gravity presented in arXiv:1007.2410. Then we extend this construction to the case of RFDiff invariant Hořava-Lifshitz theory. We find well behaved Hamiltonian system with the number of the first and the second class constraints that ensure the correct number of physical degrees of freedom of gravity.
Hidden symmetries in a covariant Hamiltonian formulation are investigated involving gauge covariant equations of motion. The special role of the Stackel-Killing tensors is pointed out. A reduction procedure is used to reduce the original phase space to another one in which the symmetries are divided out. The reverse of the reduction procedure is done by stages performing the unfolding of the gauge transformation followed by the Eisenhart lift in connection with scalar potentials.
The various phase spaces involved in the dynamics of parametrized nonrelativistic Hamiltonian systems are displayed by using Crnkovic and Witten's covariant canonical formalism. It is also pointed out that in Dirac's canonical formalism there exists a freedom in the choice of the symplectic structure on the extended phase space and in the choice of the equations that define the constraint surface with the only restriction that these two choices combine in such a way that any pair (of these two choices) generates the same gauge transformation. The consequence of this freedom on the algebra of o…
We consider a classical spinning particle in the frame of the relativistic physics by means of a covariant Hamiltonian and of a generalization of Poisson brackets which take into account the gauge fields. We obtain different equations of motion and evolution in this context and we compare our results with those of Bargmann-Michel-Telegdi. An extension to the case of a curved space and a link towards quantum theory are given at the end of the paper.
The problem of the restoring of the equivalence between Light-Front (LF) Hamiltonian and conventional Lorentz-covariant formulations of gauge theory is solved for QED(1+1) and (perturbatively to all orders) for QCD(3+1). For QED(1+1) the LF Hamiltonian is constructed which reproduces the results of Lorentz-covariant theory. This is achieved by bosonization of the model and by analysing the resulting bosonic theory to all orders in the fermion mass. For QCD(3+1) we describe nonstandard regularization that allows to restore mentioned equivalence with finite number of counterterms in LF Hamiltoni…
We show that, in the framework of covariant Hamiltonian field theory, a degenerate almost regular quadratic Lagrangian $L$ admits a complete set of non-degenerate Hamiltonian forms such that solutions of the corresponding Hamilton equations, which live in the Lagrangian constraint space, exhaust solutions of the Euler--Lagrange equations for $L$. We obtain the characteristic splittings of the configuration and momentum phase bundles. Due to the corresponding projection operators, the Koszul-Tate resolution of the Lagrangian constraints for a generic almost regular quadratic Lagrangian is const…
We discuss the covariant formulation of the dynamics of particles with abelian and non-abelian gauge charges in external fields. Using this formulation we develop an algorithm for the construction of constants of motion, which makes use of a generalization of the concept of Killing vectors and tensors in differential geometry. We apply the formalism to the motion of classical charges in abelian and non-abelian monopole fields
The low-energy effective theories describing string compactifications in the presence of fluxes are so-called gauged supergravities: deformations of the standard abelian supergravity theories. The deformation parameters can be identified with the various possible (geometric and non-geometric) flux components. In these lecture notes we review the construction of gauged supergravities in a manifestly duality covariant way and illustrate the construction in several examples.
