In double field theory, the physical space has been understood as a subspace of the doubled space. Recently, the doubled space is defined as the para-Hermitian manifold and the physical space is realized as a leaf of a foliation of the doubled space. This construction naturally introduces the fundamental 2-form, which plays an important role in a reformulation of string theory known as the Born sigma model. In this paper, we present the Born sigma model for $p$-branes in M-theory and type IIB theory by extending the fundamental 2-form into U-duality-covariant $(p+1)$-forms.
We study the supersymmetric extension of the gauged $ O(3) $ sigma model in $ 2+1 $ dimensions and find the supersymmetry algebra. We also discuss soliton solutions in case the Maxwell term is replaced by the Born-Infeld term. We show that by appropriate choice of the potential, the self-dual equations in the Born-Infeld case coincide with those of the Maxwell's case.
We detail the construction of the exceptional sigma model, which describes a string propagating in the "extended spacetime" of exceptional field theory. This is to U-duality as the doubled sigma model is to T-duality. Symmetry specifies the Weyl-invariant Lagrangian uniquely and we show how it reduces to the correct 10-dimensional string Lagrangians. We also consider the inclusion of a Fradkin-Tseytlin (or generalised dilaton) coupling as well as a reformulation with dynamical tension.
We show that CPn sigma model solitons solve the field equations of a Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) action and, furthermore, we prove that the non-BPS soliton/anti-soliton solutions of the sigma model also solve the DBI equations. Using the moduli space approximation we compare the dynamics of the BPS sigma model solitons with that of the associated DBI solitons. We find that for the CP1 case the metric on the moduli space of sigma model solitons is identical to that of the moduli space of DBI solitons, but for CPn with n>1 we show that the two metrics are not equal. We also consider the possibility …
A first-order `BPS' equation is obtained for 1/8 supersymmetric intersections of soliton-membranes (lumps) of supersymmetric (4+1)-dimensional massless sigma models, and a special non-singular solution is found that preserves 1/4 supersymmetry. For 4-dimensional hyper-Kähler target spaces ($HK_4$) the BPS equation is shown to be the low-energy limit of the equation for a Cayley-calibrated 4-surface in $\bE^4\times HK_4$. Similar first-order equations are found for stationary intersections of Q-lump-membranes of the massive sigma model, but now generic solutions preserve either 1/8 supersymmetr…
The Poisson-Lie (PL) T-duality is a generalized T-duality based on the Lie algebra of the Drinfel'd double. In particular, when we consider the PL T-duality of a coset space, the dual space is found to be a generalized coset space, which is called the dressing coset. In this paper, we investigate an extension of the dressing cosets to the U-duality setup. We propose the gauged actions for various branes in M-theory and type IIB theory, where the generalized metric is constructed by using the Exceptional Drinfel'd Algebra (EDA) and the gauge algebra is a certain isotropic subalgebra of the EDA.…
We develop the M-brane actions proposed in arXiv:1607.04265 by using $η$-symbols determined in arXiv:1708.06342. Introducing $η$-forms that are defined with the $η$-symbols, we present U-duality-covariant M-brane actions which describe the known brane worldvolume theories for M$p$-branes with $p=0,2,5$. We show that the self-duality relation known in the double sigma model is naturally generalized to M-branes. In particular, for an M5-brane, the self-duality relation is nontrivially realized, where the Hodge star operator is defined with the familiar M5-brane metric while the $η$-form contains…
The current status of `Mathieu Moonshine', the idea that the Mathieu group M24 organises the elliptic genus of K3, is reviewed. While there is a consistent decomposition of all Fourier coefficients of the elliptic genus in terms of Mathieu M24 representations, a conceptual understanding of this phenomenon in terms of K3 sigma-models is still missing. In particular, it follows from the recent classification of the automorphism groups of arbitrary K3 sigma-models that (i) there is no single K3 sigma-model that has M24 as an automorphism group; and (ii) there exist `exceptional' K3 sigma-models w…
We give a covariant realization of the doubled sigma-model formulation of duality-symmetric string theory within the general framework of para-Hermitian geometry. We define a notion of generalized metric on a para-Hermitian manifold and discuss its relation to Born geometry. We show that a Born geometry uniquely defines a worldsheet sigma-model with a para-Hermitian target space, and we describe its Lie algebroid gauging as a means of recovering the conventional sigma-model description of a physical string background as the leaf space of a foliated para-Hermitian manifold. Applying the Kotov-S…
We construct the exceptional sigma model: a two-dimensional sigma model coupled to a supergravity background in a manifestly (formally) $E_{D(D)}$-covariant manner. This formulation of the background is provided by Exceptional Field Theory (EFT), which unites the metric and form fields of supergravity in $E_{D(D)}$ multiplets before compactification. The realisation of the local symmetries of EFT on the worldsheet uniquely fixes the Weyl-invariant Lagrangian and allows us to relate our action to the usual type IIA fundamental string action and a form of the type IIB $(m,n)$ action. This unique…
We construct N=2 supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models on the cotangent bundles over the non-compact exceptional Hermitian symmetric spaces M=E_{6(-14)}/SO(10)xU(1) and E_{7(-25)}/E_6xU(1). In order to construct them we use the projective superspace formalism which is an N=2 off-shell superfield formulation in four-dimensional space-time. This formalism allows us to obtain the explicit expression of N=2 supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models on the cotangent bundles over any Hermitian symmetric spaces in terms of the N=1 superfields, once the Kahler potentials of the base manifolds are obtained…
We calculate the beta-functions for an open string sigma-model in the presence of a U(1) background. Passing to N=2 boundary superspace, in which the background is fully characterized by a scalar potential, significantly facilitates the calculation. Performing the calculation through three loops yields the equations of motion up to five derivatives on the fieldstrengths, which upon integration gives the bosonic sector of the effective action for a single D-brane in trivial bulk background fields through four derivatives and to all orders in alpha'. Finally, the present calculation shows that d…
For a superstring theory in four spacetime dimensions, we propose a modification of the Born-Infeld action that possesses a well-defined tensionless limit. We interpret this as describing the effective target space dynamics of null strings on a D3-brane. We argue that such a modification can be induced by nonperturbative contributions from instantons in the worldsheet sigma-model describing string propagation on the brane.
Starting from a higher Courant bracket associated to exceptional generalized geometry, we provide a systematic derivation of all types of fluxes and their Bianchi identities for four-dimensional compactifications of M-theory. We show that these fluxes may be understood as generalized Wess-Zumino terms in certain topological threebrane sigma-models of AKSZ-type, which relates them to the higher structure of a Lie algebroid up to homotopy. This includes geometric compactifications of M-theory with G-flux and on twisted tori, and also its compactifications with non-geometric Q- and R-fluxes in sp…
We revise the use of 8-dimensional conformal, complex (Cartan) domains as a base for the construction of conformally invariant quantum (field) theory, either as phase or configuration spaces. We follow a gauge-invariant Lagrangian approach (of nonlinear sigma-model type) and use a generalized Dirac method for the quantization of constrained systems, which resembles in some aspects the standard approach to quantizing coadjoint orbits of a group G. Physical wave functions, Haar measures, orthonormal basis and reproducing (Bergman) kernels are explicitly calculated in and holomorphic picture in t…
In this thesis we study two-dimensional supersymmetric non-linear sigma-models with boundaries. We derive the most general family of boundary conditions in the non-supersymmetric case. Next we show that no further conditions arise when passing to the N = 1 model and we present a manifest N = 1 off-shell formulation. Subsequently, we determine under which conditions a second supersymmetry exists. Finally we recast some of our results in N = 2 superspace. Leaning on these results we then calculate the beta-functions through three loops for an open string sigma-model in the presence of U(1) backg…
We study D-branes in the extended geometry appearing in exceptional field theory (or exceptional generalised geometry). Starting from the exceptional sigma model (an $E_{d(d)}$ covariant worldsheet action with extra target space coordinates), we define open string boundary conditions. We write down Neumann and Dirichlet projectors compatible with the preservation of half-maximal supersymmetry by the brane (building on previous work on the definition of generalised orientifold quotients in exceptional field theory). This leads to a definition of D-branes, plus their S-duals, as particular subsp…
We consider the ordinary and noncommutative Dirac-Born-Infeld theories within the open string sigma-model. First, we propose a renormalization scheme, hybrid point splitting regularization, that leads directly to the Seiberg-Witten description including their two-form. We also show how such a form appears within the standard renormalization scheme just by some freedom in changing variables. Second, we propose a Wilson factor which has the noncommutative gauge invariance on the classical level and then compute the sigma-model partition function within one of the known renormalization scheme tha…
The supersymmetric Born-Infeld actions describing gauge-fixed D-5- and D-3-branes in ambient six-dimensional (6d) spacetime are constructed in superspace. A new 6d action is the (1,0) supersymmetric extension of the 6d Born-Infeld action. It is related via dimensional reduction to another remarkable 4d action describing the N=2 supersymmetric extension of the Born-Infeld-Nambu-Goto action with two real scalars. Both actions are the Goldstone actions associated with partial (1/2) spontaneous breaking of extended supersymmetry having 16 supercharges down to 8 supercharges. Both actions can be pu…
The double sigma model with the strong constraints is equivalent to a classical theory of the normal sigma model with one on-shell self-duality relation. The one-form gauge field comes from the boundary term. It is the same as the normal sigma model. The gauge symmetries under the strong constraints are the diffeomorphism and one-form gauge transformation in the double sigma model. These gauge symmetries are also the same as the Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) theory. The main task of this work is to compute one-loop $β$ function to obtain the low energy effective theory of the double sigma model. We …
We describe a dynamical worldsheet origin for the Lagrangian describing the low-energy dynamics of a system of parallel D-branes. We show how matrix-valued collective coordinate fields for the D-branes naturally arise as couplings of a worldsheet sigma-model, and that the quantum dynamics require that these couplings be mutually noncommutative. We show that the low-energy effective action for the sigma-model couplings describes the propagation of an open string in the background of the multiple D-brane configuration, in which all string interactions between the constituent branes are integrate…
We consider a sigma model formulation of open string theory with boundary fermions carrying Chan-Paton charges at the string ends. This formalism is particularly suitable for studying world-volume potentials on D-branes. We perform explicit two-loop sigma model computations of the potential T-dual to the non-abelian Born-Infeld action. We also discuss the world-volume couplings of NS fluxes which are responsible for Myers' dielectric effect.
We study non-linear sigma models with N local supersymmetries in three space-time dimensions. For N=1 and 2 the target space of these models is Riemannian or Kahler, respectively. All N>2 theories are associated with Einstein spaces. For N=3 the target space is quaternionic, while for N=4 it generally decomposes into two separate quaternionic spaces, associated with inequivalent supermultiplets. For N=5,6,8 there is a unique (symmetric) space for any given number of supermultiplets. Beyond that there are only theories based on a single supermultiplet for N=9,10,12 and 16, associated with coset…
It has been assumed that it is possible to approximate the interactions of quantized BPS solitons by quantising a dynamical system induced on a moduli space of soliton parameters. General properties of the reduction of quantum systems by a Born-Oppenheimer approximation are described here and applied to sigma models and their moduli spaces in order to learn more about this approximation. New terms arise from the reduction proceedure, some of them geometrical and some of them dynamical in nature. The results are generalised to supersymmetric sigma models, where most of the extra terms vanish.
We study the elliptic genera of two-dimensional orbifold CFTs, where the orbifolding procedure introduces du Val surface singularities on the target space. The N=4 character decompositions of the elliptic genus contributions from the twisted sectors at the singularities obey a consistent scaling property, and contain information about the arrangement of exceptional rational curves in the resolution. We also discuss how these twisted sector elliptic genera are related to twining genera and Hodge elliptic genera for sigma models with K3 target space.
The two-dimensional minimal supersymmetric sigma models with homogeneous target spaces $G/H$ and chiral fermions of the same chirality are revisited. We demonstrate that the Moore-Nelson consistency condition revealing a global anomaly in CP(N-1) (with N>2 and ${\mathcal N}=(0,2)$ supersymmetry) due to a nontrivial first Pontryagin class is in one-to-one correspondence with the local anomalies of isometries in these models. These latter anomalies are generated by fermion loop diagrams which we explicitly calculate. In the case of O}(N) sigma models the first Pontryagin class vanishes, so there…
Rederiving the one-loop divergences for the most general coupling of the open string sigma model by the heat kernel technique, we distinguish the classical background field from the mean field of the effective action. The latter is arbitrary, i.e. does not fulfil the boundary conditions. As a consequence a new divergent counter term strongly suggests the introduction of another external one-form field (beside the usual gauge field), coupled to the normal derivative at the boundary. Actually such a field has been proposed in the literature for different reasons, but its full impact never seems …
We attempt to give a complete description of the "exceptional" finite subgroups Sigma(36x3), Sigma(72x3) and Sigma(216x3) of SU(3), with the aim to make them amenable to model building for fermion masses and mixing. The information on these groups which we derive contains conjugacy classes, proper normal subgroups, irreducible representations, character tables and tensor products of their three-dimensional irreducible representations. We show that, for these three exceptional groups, usage of their principal series, i.e. ascending chains of normal subgroups, greatly facilitates the computation…
We study the structure of the flat space wavefunctional in scalar field theories with nonlinearly realized symmetries. These symmetries imply soft theorems that are satisfied by wavefunction coefficients in the limit where one of the external momenta is scaled to zero. After elucidating the structure of these soft theorems in the nonlinear sigma model, Dirac-Born-Infeld, and galileon scalar theories, we combine them with information about the singularity structure of the wavefunction to bootstrap the wavefunction coefficients of these theories. We further systematize this construction through …
We present a method based on mutations of helices which leads to the construction (in the large volume limit) of exceptional coherent sheaves associated with the $(\sum_al_a=0)$ orbits in Gepner models. This is explicitly verified for a few examples including some cases where the ambient weighted projective space has singularities not inherited by the Calabi-Yau hypersurface. The method is based on two conjectures which lead to the analog,in the general case, of the Beilinson quiver for $\BP^n$. We discuss how one recovers the McKay quiver using the gauged linear sigma model (GLSM) near the or…
In this paper, we study the geometries given by commuting pairs of generalized endomorphisms ${\cal A} \in \text{End}(T\oplus T^*)$ with the property that their product defines a generalized metric. There are four types of such commuting pairs: generalized Kähler (GK), generalized para-Kähler (GpK), generalized chiral and generalized anti-Kähler geometries. We show that GpK geometry is equivalent to a pair of para-Hermitian structures and we derive the integrability conditions in terms of these. From the physics point of view, this is the geometry of $2D$ $(2,2)$ twisted supersymmetric sigma m…
The special galileon and Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) theories are effective field theories of a single scalar field that have many interesting properties in flat space. These theories can be extended to all maximally symmetric spaces, where their algebras of shift symmetries are simple. We study aspects of the curved space versions of these theories: for the special galileon, we find a new compact expression for its Lagrangian in de Sitter space and a field redefinition that relates it to the previous, more complicated formulation. This field redefinition reduces to the well-studied galileon duali…
In the quest for the mathematical formulation of M-theory, we consider three major open problems: a first-principles construction of the single (abelian) M5-brane Lagrangian density, the origin of the gauge field in heterotic M-theory, and the supersymmetric enhancement of exceptional M-geometry. By combining techniques from homotopy theory and from supergeometry to what we call super-exceptional geometry within super-homotopy theory, we present an elegant joint solution to all three problems. This leads to a unified description of the Nambu-Goto, Perry-Schwarz, and topological Yang-Mills Lagr…
We study (2,2) supersymmetric field theories on two-dimensional worldsheet with boundaries. We determine D-branes (boundary conditions and boundary interactions) that preserve half of the bulk supercharges in non-linear sigma models, gauged linear sigma models, and Landau-Ginzburg models. We identify a mechanism for brane creation in LG theories and provide a new derivation of a link between soliton numbers of the massive theories and R-charges of vacua at the UV fixed point. Moreover we identify Lagrangian submanifolds that arise as the mirror of certain D-branes wrapped around holomorphic cy…
A new super-exceptional embedding construction of the heterotic M5-brane's sigma-model was recently shown to produce, at leading order in the super-exceptional vielbein components, the super-Nambu-Goto (Green-Schwarz-type) Lagrangian for the embedding fields plus the Perry-Schwarz Lagrangian for the free abelian self-dual higher gauge field. Beyond that, further fields and interactions emerge in the model, arising from probe M2- and probe M5-brane wrapping modes. Here we classify the full super-exceptional field content and work out some of its characteristic interactions from the rich super-e…
We study the generalized Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) action, which describes a $q$-brane ending on a $p$-brane with a ($q$+1)-form background. This action has the equivalent descriptions in commutative and non-commutative settings, which can be shown from the generalized metric and Nambu-Sigma model. We mainly discuss the dimensional reduction of the generalized DBI at the massless level on the flat spacetime and constant antisymmetric background in the case of flat spacetime, constant antisymmetric background and the gauge potential vanishes for all time-like components. In the case of $q=2$, we …
Non-Riemannian generalization of the standard Born-Infeld (BI) Lagrangian is introduced and analized from a theory of gravitation with dynamical torsion field. The field equations derived from the proposed action lead to a trace free gravitational equation (non-riemannian analog to the trace free equation (TFE) from[1][2][3]) and the field equations for the torsion respectively. In this theoretical context, the fundamental constants arise all from the same geometry through geometrical invariant quantities (as from the curvature R). New results involving generation of primordial magnetic fields…
We introduce T-duality invariant versions of D-branes in doubled geometry using a global covariant framework based on para-Hermitian geometry and metric algebroids. We define D-branes as conformal boundary conditions for the open string version of the Born sigma-model, where they are given by maximally isotropic vector bundles which do not generally admit the standard geometric picture in terms of submanifolds. When reduced to the conventional sigma-model description of a physical string background as the leaf space of a foliated para-Hermitian manifold, integrable branes yield D-branes as lea…
