An explicit form for the lagrangian of an arbitrary half-integer superspin ${\textsf{Y}}=s+1/2$ supermultiplet is obtained in $4{\rm D},~\mathcal{N}=1$ superspace. This is accomplished by the introduction of a tower of pairs of auxiliary superfields of increasing rank which are required to vanish on-shell for free theories. In the massless limit almost all auxiliary superfields decouple except one, which plays the role of compensator as required by the emergent gauge redundancy of the Lagrangian description of the massless theory. The number of off-shell degrees of freedom carried by the theory is $\frac{8}{3}(s+1)(4s^2+11s+3)$.
Free massless higher-superspin superfields on the N=1, D=4 anti-de Sitter superspace are introduced. The linearized gauge transformations are postulated. Two families of dually equivalent gauge-invariant action functionals are constructed for massless half-integer-superspin s+1/2 (s >= 2) and integer-superspin s (s >= 1) superfields. For s=1, one of the formulations for half-integer superspin multiplets reduces to linearized minimal N=1 supergravity with a cosmological term, while the other is the lifting to the anti-de Sitter superspace of linearized non-minimal n=-1 supergravity.
A new description of free massless superfields of arbitrary superspin $Y$ ($Y>1/2$) is proposed. Following the first-order philosophy, we relax some of the properties (reality, gauge redundancy) of the unconstrained higher spin prepotentials and we construct first and half order invariants quantities. These are used to write trivially invariant actions. Additional auxiliary superfields that play the role of spin connections are used to enforce a new local symmetry that restores the degrees of freedom.
The N = 1 superfield formalism in four-dimensions is well formulated and understood, yet there remain unsolved problems. In this thesis, superfield actions for free massless and massive higher spin superfield theories are formulated in four dimensions. The discussion of massless models is restricted to half integer superhelicity. These models describe multiplets with helicities (s, s-1/2) where s is an integer. The investigation of massive models covers recent work on superspin-3/2 and superspin-1 multiplets. Superspin-3/2 multiplets contain component fields with spins (2, 3/2, 3/2, 1) and sup…
We present an alternative method of exploring the component structure of an integer super-helicity Y=s (for any integers) irreducible representation of the Super-Poincare group. We use it to derive the component action and the SUSY transformation laws. The effectiveness of this approach is based on the equations of motion and their properties, like Bianchi identities. These equations are generated by the superspace action when it is expressed in terms of prepotentials. For that reason we reproduce the superspace action for integer superspin, using unconstrained superfields. The appropriate, to…
We present an alternative method to explore the off-shell component structure of theories that describe half-integer super-helicities Y=s+1/2 (where sis any positive integer). We use it to derive the component action, component SUSY transformation laws, and count the component-level degrees of freedom involved. This counting will give us clues about N=2 representations. The foundation of the process relies on the superfield equations of motion, generated by variation of a superspace action expressed in terms of prepotentials. Using this approach we reproduce the half-integer super-helicity sup…
We describe a Lagrangian quantization of the free massless gauge superfield theories of higher superspins both in the anti-de Sitter and flat global superspaces.
We present N=2 supersymmetry transformations, both in N=1, D=4 Minkowski and anti-de Sitter superspaces, for higher superspin massless theories. It is noted that the existence of dual versions of massless supermultiplets with arbitrary superspin s may provide a basis for understanding duality in N=1, D=4 superstring theory. We further conjecture that the N=1, D=4 supergravity pre-potential together with all higher superspin s pre-potentials are components of an N=1, D=4 superstring pre-potential.
We describe the ``universal'' action for massless superfields of all superspins in N = 1, D = 4 anti-de Sitter superspace as a gauge theory of unconstrained superfields taking their values in the commutative algebra of analytic functions over a one-sheeted hyperboloid in $R^{3,1}$. The action is invariant under N = 2 supersymmetry transformations which form a closed algebra off the mass-shell.
We study theories of 4D, N=1 supersymmetric massless, arbitrary higher half odd-integer superspins. A new series of such theories is found to exist for arbitrary superspin Y (Y=s+1/2 for any integer s). The lowest member (s=1) of the series is the original off-shell formulation of 4D, N=1 supergravity first presented by Breitenlohner in 1977.
Super Feynman rules for any superspin are given for massive $ \mathcal{N}=1 $ supersymmetric theories, including momentum superspace on-shell legs. This is done by extending, from space to superspace, Weinberg's perturbative approach to quantum field theory. Superfields work just as a device that allow one to write super Poincare-covariant superamplitudes for interacting theories, relying neither in path integral nor canonical formulations. Explicit transformation laws for particle states under finite supersymmetric transformations are offered. $ \mathit{C}, \mathit{P}, \mathit{T}, $ and $ \ma…
We present the complete set of $N=1$, $D=4$ quantum algebras associated to massive superparticles. We obtain the explicit solution of these algebras realized in terms of unconstrained operators acting on the Hilbert space of superfields. These solutions are expressed using the chiral, anti-chiral and tensorial projectors which define the three irreducible representations of the supersymmetry on the superfields. In each case the space-time variables are non-commuting and their commutators are proportional to the internal angular momentum of the representation. The quantum algebra associated to …
Although the chiral dotted spinor superfield should describe a Massive Superspin One Half multiplet, it has not been obvious how to derive this from an action. In this paper this is done by including a chiral undotted spinor superfield, finding the BRST transformations that govern both of these, and then finding the action as an invariant of the transformations. It turns out that both kinds of spinor superfields are needed. Moreover, the BRST transformations for the two kinds of chiral spinor superfields are generated from each other by a special involution that exchanges Grassmann odd (even) …
An earlier paper introduced an action for a new kind of irreducible massive superspin one half multiplet, using BRST cohomological techniques including `BRST Recycling'. A mass term was introduced in the earlier paper. A second mass term is discussed in this paper. This new mass invariant is an `Extraordinary Invariant'--it has Zinn sources in it. The natural treatment for this situation is to `Complete the Action' so that the new action yields zero for the BRST Poisson Bracket. In the present case, this Completion meets a BRST Obstruction. Setting the coefficient of this `Completion Obstructi…
We develop two N=2 superfield formulations of free equations of motion for the joint model of all D=4 massless higher-superspin fields in generating form. The explicit Osp(2|4) supersymmetry is achieved without exploiting the harmonic superspace, and with adding no auxiliary component fields to those of N=1 superfields. The formulations are developed in two different Osp(2|4) homogeneous superspaces which have a structure of a fibre bundle over the standard D=4 AdS superspace, with dimensions (7|4) and (7|8). The N=2 covariant derivatives in these spaces are expressed in terms of N=1 ones whic…
In this paper we give explicit construction of massive N=1 supermultiplets in flat d=4 Minkowski space-time. We work in a component on-shell formalism based on gauge invariant description of massive integer and half-integer spin particles where massive supermultiplets are constructed out of appropriate set of massless ones.
We propose the action for a massive $N$-extended superparticle with a pure (half)integer superspin $Y,~Y = 0, 1/2, 1, 3/2, \ldots$. Regardless of the superspin value, the configuration space is ${\Bbb R}^{4|4N} \times S^2$, where $S^2$ corresponds to spinning degrees of freedom. Being explicitly super-Poincaré invariant, the model possesses two gauge symmetries implying strong conservation of the squared momentum and superspin. Hamilton constrained dynamics is developed and canonical quantization is studied. For $N$ = 1 we show that the physical super wave-functions are to be on-shell massive …
We embed the component fields of eleven-dimensional supergravity into a superspace of the form $X\times Y$ where $X$ is the standard 4D, $N=1$ superspace and $Y$ is a smooth 7-manifold. The eleven-dimensional 3-form gives rise to a tensor hierarchy of superfields gauged by the diffeomorphisms of $Y$. It contains a natural candidate for a $G_2$ structure on $Y$, and being a complex of superforms, defines a superspace Chern-Simons invariant. Adding to this a natural generalization of the Riemannian volume on $X\times Y$ and freezing the (superspin-$\frac32$ and 1) supergravity fields on $X$, we …
We introduce a first order description of linearized non-minimal ($n=-1$) supergravity in superspace, using the unconstrained prepotential superfield instead of the conventionally constrained super one forms. In this description, after integrating out the connection-like auxiliary superfield of first-order formalism, the superspace action is expressed in terms of a single superfield which combines the prepotential and compensator superfields. We use this description to construct the supersymmetric cubic interaction vertex $3/2-3/2-1/2$ which describes the electromagnetic interaction between tw…
In recent papers we demonstrated that consistent and non-trivial \emph{linear} transformations of matter supermultiplets generate half-integer superspin supercurrents and the cubic interactions between matter and half-integer superspin supermultiplets. In this work we show that consistent and non-trivial \emph{antilinear} transformations of matter superfields lead to the construction of integer superspin supercurrents and the cubic interactions between mater and integer superspin supermultiplets. Applying Noether's method to these transformations, we find new integer superspin supercurrents fo…
We present a new massive theory of superspin Y=3/2 which has non-minimal supergravity as it's massless limit. The new result will illuminate the underlying structure of auxiliary fields required for the description of arbitrary massive half-integer superspin systems.
In three dimensions, it is known that field theories possessing extended $(p,q)$ anti-de Sitter (AdS) supersymmetry with ${\cal N}=p+q \geq 3$ can be realised in (2,0) AdS superspace. Here we present a formalism to reduce every field theory with (2,0) AdS supersymmetry to ${\cal N}=1$ AdS superspace. As nontrivial examples, we consider supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models formulated in terms of ${\cal N}=2$ chiral and linear supermultiplets. The $(2,0) \to (1,0)$ AdS reduction technique is then applied to the off-shell massless higher-spin supermultiplets in (2,0) AdS superspace constructed i…
We consider cubic interactions of the form $s-Y-Y$ between a massless integer superspin $s$ supermultiplet and two massless arbitrary integer or half integer superspin $Y$ supermultiplets. We focus on non-minimal interactions generated by gauge invariant supercurrent multiplets which are bilinear in the superfield strength of the superspin $Y$ supermultiplet. We find two types of consistent supercurrents. The first one corresponds to conformal integer superspin $s$ supermultiplets, exist only for even values of $s, s=2\ell+2$, for arbitrary values of $Y$ and it is unique. The second one, corre…
We give an explicit superspace construction of higher spin conserved supercurrents built out of $4D,\mathcal{N}=1$ massless supermultiplets of arbitrary spin. These supercurrents are gauge invariant and generate a large class of cubic interactions between a massless supermultiplet with superspin $Y_1=s_1+1/2$ and two massless supermultiplets of arbitrary superspin $Y_2$. These interactions are possible only for $s_1\geq 2Y_2$. At the equality, the supercurrent acquires its simplest form and defines the supersymmetric, higher spin extension of the linearized Bel-Robinson tensor.
A variant for the superspin one-half massive superparticle in $ 4D $, $ \mathcal{N}=1 $, based on Dirac superfields, is offered. As opposed to the current known models that use spinor chiral superfields, the propagating fields of the supermultiplet are those of the lowest mass dimensions possible: scalar, Dirac and vector fields. Besides the supersymmetric chiral condition, the Dirac superfields are not further constrained, allowing a very straightforward implementation of the path-integral method. The corresponding superpropagators are presented. In addition, an interaction super Yukawa poten…
This thesis presents the general structure of non-conformal higher-spin supercurrent multiplets in three and four spacetime dimensions. Such supercurrents are in one-to-one correspondence with off-shell massless higher-spin gauge supermultiplets, some of which are constructed in this thesis for the first time. In the first part of the thesis, we propose a new off-shell formulation for a massless integer superspin multiplet, whose gauge-invariant action involves an unconstrained complex superconformal prepotential, in conjunction with two types of compensators. Next, we deduce the structure of …
We study the multipoint super-correlation functions of the full non-chiral stress-tensor multiplet in N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory in the Born approximation. We derive effective supergraph Feynman rules for them. Surprisingly, the Feynman rules for the non-chiral correlators are obtained from those for the chiral correlators by a simple Grassmann shift of the space-time variables. We rely on the formulation of the theory in Lorentz harmonic chiral (LHC) superspace elaborated in the twin paper arXiv:1601.06803. In this approach only the chiral half of the supersymmetry is manifest. The other hal…
We discuss a special ``symplectic'' class of N = 4 supersymmetric sigma models in (0+1) dimension with 5r bosonic and 4r complex fermionic degrees of freedom. These models can be described off shell by N = 2 superfields (so that only half of supersymmetries are manifest) and also by N = 4 superfields in the framework of the harmonic superspace approach. Using the latter, we derive the general form of the relevant bosonic target metric.
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 present a formulation of the maximally supersymmetric N=4 gauge theory in Lorentz harmonic chiral (LHC) superspace. It is closely related to the twistor formulation of the theory but employs the simpler notion of Lorentz harmonic variables. They parametrize a two-sphere and allow us to handle efficiently infinite towers of higher-spin auxiliary fields defined on ordinary space-time. In this approach the chiral half of N=4 supersymmetry is manifest. The other half is realized non-linearly and the algebra closes on shell. We give a straightforward derivation of the Feynman rules in coordinate…
The SOSO action is an irreducible action for a complex massive superspin one half representation of SUSY, made from spin one half superfields. The theory requires `BRST recycling' to find appropriate nilpotent BRST transformations. A superfield treatment is probably not available, which means that mass terms, possible anomalies, and couplings to other representations, are all to be found using BRST cohomology. In two earlier papers two mass terms and a potential anomaly were examined, without explaining how they arose from the BRST cohomology. This paper is designed to fill that gap in the the…
In this paper the interaction Lagrangian of a superparticle with an external chiral superfield $Φ(x,θ,\barθ)$,invariant with respect to the global supersymmetry, is proposed. The kinematics of the superparticle is defined in an extended superspace described by superspace coordinates $(x_μ,θ_α,\barθ_α)$, where $x_μ$ are pure bosonic coordinates, $μ=0,\ldots,3$; $θ_α$ and $\barθ_α$ are additional fermionic Grassmann-valued spinors. With the purpose of the construction of the required Lagrangian, chiral analogues of the supervector $A_μ(x,θ,\barθ)$ and superspinor $A_α(x,θ,\barθ)$, $\bar{A}_{\dot…
As a step towards formulating projective superspace techniques for supergravity theories with eight supercharges, this work is devoted to field theory in five-dimensional N = 1 anti-de Sitter superspace AdS^{5|8} = SU(2,2|1)/SO(4,1) x U(1) which is a maximally symmetric curved background. We develop the differential geometry of AdS^{5|8} and describe its isometries in terms of Killing supervectors. Various off-shell supermultiplets in AdS^{5|8} x S^2 are defined, and supersymmetric actions are constructed both in harmonic and projective superspace approaches. Several families of supersymmetric…
In the recent paper [1] the classification of non-unitary representations of the three dimensional superconformal group has been constructed. From AdS/CFT they must correspond to N=1 supermultiplets containing partially massless fields in $AdS_4$. Moreover, the simplest example of such supermultiplets which contains a partially massless spin-2 was explicitly constructed. In this paper we extend this result and develop explicit Lagrangian construction of general N=1 supermultiplets containing partially massless fields with arbitrary superspin. We use the frame-like gauge invariant description o…
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…
We review the non-anticommutative Q-deformations of N=(1,1) supersymmetric theories in four-dimensional Euclidean harmonic superspace. These deformations preserve chirality and harmonic Grassmann analyticity. The associated field theories arise as a low-energy limit of string theory in specific backgrounds and generalize the Moyal-deformed supersymmetric field theories. A characteristic feature of the Q-deformed theories is the half-breaking of supersymmetry in the chiral sector of the Euclidean superspace. Our main focus is on the chiral singlet Q-deformation, which is distinguished by preser…
We discuss the construction of non-chiral S-matrix of four-dimensional N=4 super Yang-Mills using a non-chiral superspace. This construction utilizes the non-chiral representation of dual superconformal symmetry, which is the natural representation from the point of view of the six-dimensional parent theory. The superspace in discussion is projective superspace constructed by Hatsuda and Siegel, and is based on a half coset U(2,2|4)/U(1,1|2)^2_+. We obtain the non-chiral representation of the five-point and general n-point MHV and anti-MHV amplitude. The non-chiral formulation can be straightf…
This letter provides a superfield based approach to constructing a collinear slice of $\mathcal{N}$ = 1 superspace. The strategy is analogous to integrating out anti-collinear fermionic degrees-of-freedom as was developed in the context of soft-collinear effective theory. The resulting Lagrangian can be understood as an integral over collinear superspace, where half the supercoordinates have been integrated out. The application to $\mathcal{N}$ = 1 super Yang-Mills is presented. Collinear superspace provides the foundation for future explorations of supersymmetric soft-collinear effective theo…
Recent one-loop calculations of certain supergravity-mediated quantum corrections in supersymmetric brane-world models employ either the component formulation (hep-th/0305184) or the superfield formalism with only half of the bulk supersymmetry manifestly realized (hep-th/0305169 and hep-th/0411216). There are reasons to expect, however, that 5D supergraphs provide a more efficient setup to deal with these and more involved (in particular, higher-loop) calculations. As a first step toward elaborating such supergraph techniques, we develop in this letter a manifestly supersymmetric formulation …
The half-maximal supergravity theories in three dimensions, which have local $SO(8)\xz SO(n)$ and rigid SO(8,n) symmetries, are discussed in a superspace setting starting from the superconformal theory. The on-shell theory is obtained by imposing further constraints; it is essentially a non-linear sigma model that induces a Poincaré supergeometry. The deformations of the geometry due to gauging are briefly discussed. The possible $p$-form field strengths are studied using supersymmetry and SO(8,n) symmetry. The set of such forms obeying consistent Bianchi identities constitutes a Lie super co-…
We give an explicit component Lagrangian construction of massive higher spin on-shell $N=1$ supermultiplets in four-dimensional Anti-de Sitter space $AdS_4$. We use a frame-like gauge invariant description of massive higher spin bosonic and fermionic fields. For the two types of the supermultiplets (with integer and half-integer superspins) each one containing two massive bosonic and two massive fermionic fields we derive the supertransformations leaving the sum of four their free Lagrangians invariant such that the algebra of these supertransformations is closed on-shell.
The forms in D-dimensional (half-)maximal supergravity theories are discussed for 3 $\leq$ D $\leq$ 11. Superspace methods are used to derive consistent sets of Bianchi identities for all the forms for all degrees, and to show that they are soluble and fully compatible with supersymmetry. The Bianchi identities determine Lie superalgebras that can be extended to Borcherds superalgebras of a special type. It is shown that any Borcherds superalgebra of this type gives the same form spectrum, up to an arbitrary degree, as an associated Kac-Moody algebra. For maximal supergravity up to D-form pote…
We compute form factors of half-BPS operators in N=4 super Yang-Mills dual to massive Kaluza-Klein modes in supergravity. These are appropriate supersymmetrisations T_k of the scalar operators Tr(ϕ^k) for any k, which for k=2 give the chiral part of the stress-tensor multiplet operator. Using harmonic superspace, we derive simple Ward identities for these form factors, which we then compute perturbatively at tree level and one loop. We propose a novel on-shell recursion relation which links form factors with different numbers of fields. Using this, we conjecture a general formula for the n-poi…
We present a superfield formulation of the quantization program for theories with first class constraints. An exact operator formulation is given, and we show how to set up a phase-space path integral entirely in terms of superfields. BRST transformations and canonical transformations enter on equal footing, and they allow us to establish a superspace analog of the BFV theorem. We also present a formal derivation of the Lagrangian superfield analogue of the field-antifield formalism, by an integration over half of the phase-space variables.
We propose a description of %manifestly supersymmetric continuous spin representations in $4D,\mathcal{N}=1$ Minkowski superspace at the level of equations of motions. The usual continuous spin wave function is promoted to a chiral or a complex linear superfield which includes both the single-valued (span integer helicities) and the double-valued (span half-integer helicities) representations thus making their connection under supersymmetry manifest. The set of proposed superspace constraints for both superfield generate the expected Wigner's conditions for both representations.
In the framework of light-cone gauge formulation, massless arbitrary spin N=1 supermultiplets in four-dimensional flat space are considered. We study both the integer (super)spin and half-integer (super)spin supermultiplets. For such supermultiplets, formulation in terms of unconstrained light-cone gauge superfields defined on chiral momentum superspace is used. Superfield representation for all cubic interaction vertices of the supermultiplets is obtained. Representation of the cubic vertices in terms of component fields is derived. Realization of relativistic symmetries of N=1 Poincare super…
Superfields in 2-dimensional (2,2)-superspacetime which are independent of (some) half of the fermionic coordinates are discussed in a hopefully both comprehensive and comprehensible manner. An embarrassing abundance of these simplest `building blocks' makes it utterly impossible to write down the `most general Lagrangian'. With some ad hoc but perhaps plausible restrictions, a rather general Lagrangian is found, which exhibits many of the phenomena that have been studied recently, and harbors many more. In particular, it becomes patently obvious that the (2,2)-supersymmetric 2-dimensional fie…
Off-shell higher spin N=2 supermultiplets in three spacetime dimensions (3D) are presented in this paper. We propose gauge prepotentials for higher spin superconformal gravity and construct the corresponding gauge-invariant field strengths, which are proved to be conformal primary superfields. These field strengths are higher spin generalisations of the (linearised) N=2 super-Cotton tensor, which controls the superspace geometry of conformal supergravity. We also construct the higher spin extensions of the linearised N=2 conformal supergravity action. We provide two dually equivalent off-shell…
