Non-abelian U-duality originates from the construction of exceptional Drinfel'd algebra (EDA), which extends the constriction of the classical Drinfel'd double. This symmetry is a natural extension of Poisson--Lie T-duality and is believed to be a symmetry of Type II string/M-theory or their low-energy effective theories. In this paper, we consider non-abelian U-dualities of 11- or 10-dimensional backgrounds starting with E${}_{n(n)}$ EDA with $n\leq 6$ with vanishing trombone gauging. The latter guarantees that all dual backgrounds satisfy the standard supergravity equations of motion. In particular, when the duality includes a timelike T-duality, we obtain solutions of M$^*$-theory or Type II$^*$ background equations, as expected. Also starting with coboundary EDA's we provide examples of generalised Yang--Baxter deformations of M-theory and Type IIB backgrounds. The obtained results provide explicit examples when non-abelian U-duality works well as a solution generating transformation.
T-duality of string theory can be extended to the Poisson-Lie T-duality when the target space has a generalized isometry group given by a Drinfel'd double. In M-theory, T-duality is understood as a subgroup of U-duality, but the non-Abelian extension of U-duality is still a mystery. In this paper, we study membrane theory on a curved background with a generalized isometry group given by the $\mathcal{E}_n$ algebra. This provides a natural setup to study non-Abelian U-duality because the $\mathcal{E}_n$ algebra has been proposed as a U-duality extension of the Drinfel'd double. We show that the…
The act of implementing non-Abelian duality in two dimensional sigma models results unavoidably in an additional reducible symmetry. The Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism is employed to handle this new symmetry. Valuable lessons are learnt here with respect to non-Abelian duality. We emphasise, in particular, the effects of the ghost sector corresponding to this symmetry on non-Abelian duality.
We consider a pure U(1) quantum gauge field theory on a general Riemannian compact four manifold. We compute the partition function with Abelian Wilson loop insertions. We find its duality covariance properties and derive topological selection rules. Finally, we show that, to have manifest duality, one must assume the existence of twisted topological sectors besides the standard untwisted one.
Recent development on non-Abeliann vortices and monopoles is reviewed with an emphasis on their relevance on confinement and duality. A very recent construction of non-Abelian vortices which do not dynamically Abelianize is crucial in this context.
We start by describing two of the main proposals for duality in Abelian gauge theories, namely $F$(ield strength)-duality approach and the $S$% -duality formalism. We then discuss how $F$-duality and $S$-duality can be applied to the case of linearized gravity. By emphasizing the similarities and differences between these two type of dualities we explore the possibility of combining them in just one duality formalism.
The quantum Yang-Mills theory describing dual ($\tilde g$) and non-dual ($g$) charges and revealing the generalized duality symmetry was developed by analogy with the Zwanziger formalism in QED.
We compute the partition function of five-dimension Abelian sYM including a graviphoton term on a five-torus. The result agrees with Abelian M5 brane partition function with zero characteristics on an associated six-torus.
For non-Abelian tensor gauge fields we have found an alternative form of duality transformation, which has the property that the direct and the inverse transformations coincide. This duality transformation has the desired property that the direct and the inverse transformations map Lagrangian forms into each other.
A method for implementing non-Abelian duality on string backgrounds is given. It is shown that a direct generalisation of the familiar Abelian duality induces an extra local symmetry in the gauge invariant theory. The non-Abelian isometry group is shown to be enlarged to a non-semi-simple group. However, upon eliminating the gauge fields to obtain the dual theory the new algebra does not close. Therefore the gauge fixing procedure becomes problematic. The new method proposed here avoids these issues and leads to a dual theory in the proper sense of duality.
We find new type II backgrounds with non-relativistic symmetries via non-Abelian T-duality. First we consider geometries with Galilean symmetries in type IIA, which have been identified as non-relativistic generalizations of the ABJM background and massive IIA supergravities. We then consider the non-Abelian T-duality transformation on the backgrounds with Lifshitz symmetry constructed by Donos and Gauntlett. Using gauge/gravity duality we study aspects of the field theory dual to these backgrounds.
We construct the duality-symmetric actions for a large class of six-dimensional models describing hierarchies of non-Abelian scalar, vector and tensor fields related to each other by first-order (self-)duality equations that follow from these actions. In particular, this construction provides a Lorentz invariant action for non-Abelian self-dual tensor fields. The class of models includes the bosonic sectors of the 6d (1,0) superconformal models of interacting non-Abelian self-dual tensor, vector, and hypermultiplets.
We construct explicit canonical transformations producing non-abelian duals in principal chiral models with arbitrary group G. Some comments concerning the extension to more general $σ$-models, like WZW models, are given.
In this short article we develop recent proposals to relate Yang-Baxter sigma-models and non-abelian T-duality. We demonstrate explicitly that the holographic space-times associated to both (multi-parameter)-$β$-deformations and non-commutative deformations of ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills gauge theory including the RR fluxes can be obtained via the machinery of non-abelian T-duality in Type II supergravity.
The standard notion of the non-Abelian duality in string theory is generalized to the class of $\si$-models admitting `non-commutative conserved charges'. Such $\si$-models can be associated with every Lie bialgebra $(\cg ,\cgt)$ and they possess an isometry group iff the commutant $[\cgt,\cgt]$ is not equal to $\cgt$. Within the enlarged class of the backgrounds the non-Abelian duality {\it is} a duality transformation in the proper sense of the word. It exchanges the roles of $\cg$ and $\cgt$ and it can be interpreted as a symplectomorphism of the phase spaces of the mutually dual theories. …
We examine the electric-magnetic duality for a U(1) gauge theory on a general 4-manifold. The partition function for such a theory transforms as a modular form of specific weight. However, in the canonical approach, we show that S-duality, like T-duality, is generated by a canonical transformation leading to a modular invariant partition function.
We examine T-duality transformations for supersymmetric strings with target space geometry with compact abelian isometries. We consider the partition function of these models and we show that although T-duality is not a symmetry, due to an anomaly, it relates type IIA to type IIB strings. In this way we extend the corresponding result for toroidal compactification to the general case of non-trivial backgrounds with abelian isometries and for world sheets of any genera.
We analyse abelian T-duality for WZW models of simply-connected groups. We demonstrate that the dual theory is a certain orbifold of the original theory, and check that it is conformally invariant. We determine the spectrum of the dual theory, and show that it agrees with the spectrum of the original theory.
Non--Abelian duality in relation to supersymmetry is examined. When the action of the isometry group on the complex structures is non--trivial, extended supersymmetry is realized non--locally after duality, using path ordered Wilson lines. Prototype examples considered in detail are, hyper--Kahler metrics with SO(3) isometry and supersymmetric WZW models. For the latter, the natural objects in the non--local realizations of supersymmetry arising after duality are the classical non--Abelian parafermions. The canonical equivalence of WZW models and their non--Abelian duals with respect to a vect…
We briefly review the essential points of our recent work in non-Abelian T-duality. In particular, we show how non-abelian T-duals can effectively describe infinitely high spin sectors of a parent theory and how to implement the transformation in the presence of non-vanishing Ramond fields in type-II supergravity.
We examine non-Abelian T-duality on backgrounds preserving N=1 supersymmetry. We show how backgrounds with SU(3)-structure are mapped to backgrounds with SU(2)-structure. We provide the transformation rules for the corresponding pure spinors. We use these techniques to construct new flavoured solutions of type IIA supergravity.
An outline of the conformality approach to the gauge hierarchy is given including the use of non-abelian orbifolds to give unified models of the left-right type.
Electric-magnetic duality and higher dimensional analogues are obtained as symmetries in generalized coset constructions, similar to the axial-vector duality of two dimensional coset models described by Rocek and Verlinde. We also study global aspects of duality between p-forms and (d-p-2)-forms in d-manifolds. In particular, the modular duality anomaly is governed by the Euler character as in four and two dimensions. Duality transformations of Wilson line operator insertions are also considered.
A general study of non-abelian duality is presented. We first identify a possible obstruction to the conformal invariance of the dual theory for non-semisimple groups. We construct the exact non-abelian dual for any Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) model for any anomaly free subgroup, and the corresponding extension for coset conformal field theories. We characterize the exact non-abelian dual for $σ$-models with chiral isometries and extend the standard notion of duality to anomalous subgroups of WZW models, thus giving a way of constructing dual transformations for different groups on the left and o…
Non-Abelian duality transformations built on non-semi-simple isometry groups are analysed. We first give the conditions under which the original non-linear sigma model and its non-Abelian dual are equivalent. The existence of an invariant and non-degenerate bilinear form for the isometry Lie algebra is crucial for this equivalence. The non-Abelian dual of a conformally invariant sigma model, with non-semi-simple isometries, is then constructed and its beta functions are shown to vanish. This study resolves an apparent obstruction to the conformal invariance of sigma models obtained via non-Abe…
We investigate non-abelian gaugings of WZNW models. When the gauged group is semisimple we are able to present exact formulae for the dual conformal field theory, for all values of the level $k$. The results are then applied to non-abelian target space duality in string theory, showing that the standard formulae are quantum mechanically well defined in the low energy limit if the gauged group is semisimple.
We analyse super non-Abelian T-duality for principal chiral models, symmetric space sigma models, and semi-symmetric space sigma models for general Lie supergroups. This includes T-duality along both bosonic and fermionic directions. As an example, we perform the explicit dualisation of the OSp(1|2) principal chiral model, and, whilst the target superspace of this model is a three-dimensional supergravity background, we find that its super non-Abelian T-dual falls outside the class of such backgrounds.
Abelian Chern-Simons gauge theory is known to possess a `$S$-self-dual' action where its coupling constant $k$ is inverted {\it i.e.} $k \leftrightarrow {1 \over k}$. Here a vector non-abelian duality is found in the pure non-abelian Chern-Simons action at the classical level. The dimensional reduction of the dual Chern-Simons action to two-dimensions constitutes a dual Wess-Zumino-Witten action already given in the literature.
We examine non-abelian duality transformations in the open string case. After gauging the isometries of the target space and developing the general formalism, we study in details the duals oftarget spaces with SO(N) isometries which, for the SO(2) case, reduces to the known abelian T-duals. We apply the formalism to electrically and magnetically charged 4D black hole solutions and, as in the abelian case, dual coordinates satisfy Dirichlet conditions.
We present a convenient method for deriving the transformation of the dilaton under T-duality in the path-integral approach. Subtleties arising in performing the integral over the gauge fields are carefully analysed using Pauli-Villars regularization, thereby clarifying existing ambiguities in the literature. The formalism can not only be applied to the abelian case, but, and this for the first time, to the non-abelian case as well. Furthermore, by choosing a particular gauge, we directly obtain the target-space covariant expression for the dual geometry in the abelian case. Finally it is show…
Recently Seiberg has conjectured a duality symmetry connecting different theories of the supersymmetric QCD type. We provide support for this conjecture by analyzing a flat direction of the theory along which the two dual theories go over to the same theory in the IR.
A modification of the Abelian Duality transformations is proposed guaranteeing that a (not necessarily conformally invariant) $σ$-model be quantum equivalent (at least up to two loops in perturbation theory) to its dual. This requires a somewhat non standard perturbative treatment of the {\sl dual} $σ$-model. Explicit formulae of the modified duality transformation are presented for a special class of block diagonal purely metric $σ$-models.
With the help of M-theory configuration of N=1 supersymmetric QCD, we analyze the strong coupling moduli of N=1 theory and its relation with S-duality transformation in N=2 supersymmetric QCD. As a result we confirm that two type-IIA descriptions for N=1 supersymmetric QCD, one of them being strong coupling description and another being weak, correspond to a single M-theory description for N=1 supersymmetric QCD. The existence of singlet fields is also discussed.
It has been argued by some authors that the parent action approach cannot be used in order to establish the duality between the 2+1 Abelian and non-Abelian Self-Dual (SD) and Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons (YMCS) models for all the coupling regimes. We propose here an alternative (perturbative) point of view, and show that this equivalence can be achieved with the parent action approach.
We investigate duality transformations in a class of backgrounds with non-Abelian isometries, i.e. Bianchi-type (homogeneous) cosmologies in arbitrary dimensions. Simple duality transformations for the metric and the antisymmetric tensor field, generalizing those known from the Abelian isometry (Bianchi I) case, are obtained using either a Lagrangian or a Hamiltonian approach. Applying these prescriptions to a specific conformally invariant $\s$-model, we show that no dilaton transformation leads to a new conformal background. Some possible ways out of the problem are suggested.
Superconformal sigma models with Calabi--Yau target spaces described as complete intersection subvarieties in toric varieties can be obtained as the low-energy limit of certain abelian gauge theories in two dimensions. We formulate mirror symmetry for this class of Calabi--Yau spaces as a duality in the abelian gauge theory, giving the explicit mapping relating the two Lagrangians. The duality relates inequivalent theories which lead to isomorphic theories in the low-energy limit. This formulation suggests that mirror symmetry could be derived using abelian duality. The application of duality …
We present a brief review on the canonical transformation description of some duality symmetries in string and gauge theories. In particular, we consider abelian and non-abelian T-dualities in closed and open string theories as well as S-duality in abelian and non-abelian non-supersymmetric gauge theories.
For a general class of SO(4) symmetric backgrounds in type II-supergravity, we show that the action of non-Abelian T-duality can be described via consistent truncation to seven dimensional theories with seemingly massive modes. As such, any solution to these theories uplifts to both massive type IIA and IIB supergravities presenting an invertible map between the two. For supersymmetric backgrounds, we show that for spinors transforming under SO(4) the non-Abelian T-duality transformation breaks the original supersymmetry by half. We use these mappings to generate the non-Abelian T-duals of the…
We systematically apply the formalism of duality walls to study the action of duality transformations on boundary conditions and local and nonlocal operators in two, three, and four-dimensional free field theories. In particular, we construct a large class of D-branes for two-dimensional sigma-models with toroidal targets and determine the action of the T-duality group on it. It is manifest in this formalism that T-duality transformations on D-branes are given by a differential-geometric version of the Fourier-Mukai transform.
In this letter we generalised the procedure of non-abelian T-duality based on a B-shift and a sequence of formal abelian T-dualities in non-isometric directions to 11-dimensional backgrounds. This consists of a C-shift followed by either a formal U-duality transformation or taking a IIB section. We investigate restrictions and applicability of the procedure and find that it can provide supergravity solutions for the SL(5) exceptional Drinfeld algebra only when a spectator field is present, which is consistent with examples known in the literature.
We study the effect of T-duality on supersymmetry in the context of type II supergravity. For both U(1) Abelian and SU(2) non-Abelian T-duality, we demonstrate that the supersymmetry variations after T-duality are related to the variations before T-duality through the Kosmann spinorial Lie derivative, which vanishes when the Killing spinors are independent of the T-duality directions. As a byproduct of our analysis, we present closed expressions for SU(2) T-duality in a class of spacetimes with diagonal Bianchi IX symmetry and comment on specific examples of T-dual geometries, including a nove…
In this paper we propose a linear quiver with gauge groups of increasing rank as field theory dual to the AdS_5 background constructed by Sfetsos and Thompson through non-Abelian T-duality. The formalism to study 4d N=2 SUSY CFTs developed by Gaiotto and Maldacena is essential for our proposal. We point out an interesting relation between (Hopf) Abelian and non-Abelian T-dual backgrounds that allows to see both backgrounds as different limits of a solution constructed by Maldacena and Nunez. This suggests different completions of the long quiver describing the CFT dual to the non-Abelian T-dua…
We obtain an AdS$_{2}$ solution to Type IIA supergravity with 4 Poincare supersymmetries, via non-Abelian T-duality with respect to a freely acting SL(2,$\mathbf{R}$) isometry group, operating on the AdS$_3\times$S$^3\times$CY$_2$ solution to Type IIB. That is, non-Abelian T-duality on AdS$_3$. The dual background obtained fits in the class of AdS$_2\times$S$^3\times$CY$_2$ solutions to massive Type IIA constructed in [1]. We propose and study a quiver quantum mechanics dual to this solution that we interpret as describing the backreaction of the baryon vertex of a D4-D8 brane intersection.
Recent progress which relates non-abelian T-duality of $\mathcal{N}=1$ SuGra solutions to the powerful techniques of Generalised geometry is reviewed. It is shown that SU(3) structure solutions are mapped to SU(2) structures and the transformation rule of the corresponding pure spinors is presented. This constitutes an important step on the road towards the utility of the duality within holography, showing for example, how smeared sources must transform and so how to add flavour to the T-duals.
The paper commented upon gives the impression that whether the gauged version of a sigma model gives rise to the original or the dual model depends on the choice of gauge fixing. It is demonstrated here that this is not so.
We present a brief discussion of recent work on duality symmetries in non-trivial string backgrounds. Duality is obtained from a gauged non-linear sigma-model with vanishing gauge field strength. Standard results are reproduced for abelian gauge groups, whereas a new type of duality is identified for non--abelian gauge groups. Examples of duals of WZW models and 4-d black holes are given. (Presented at `From Superstrings to Supergravity', Erice 1992)
We study the action of non-Abelian T-duality in the context of N=1 geometries with well understood field theory duals. In the conformal case this gives rise to a new solution that contains an AdS_5 X S^2 piece. In the case of non-conformal geometries we obtain a new background in massive IIA supergravity that presents similar behaviour to the cascade of Seiberg dualities. Some physical observables are discussed.
We consider the action of a non-abelian T-duality on backgrounds with an AdS${}_5$ factor in type IIA supergravity, finding a new type IIB background, as well as the non-abelian T-dual of a domain wall solution which has as limits the non-abelian T-dual of $AdS_5\times T^{1,1}$ and the non-abelian T-dual of $AdS_3\times \mathbb{R}^2\times S^2\times S^3$. We explore some consequences of non-abelian T-duality for the dual conformal field theories.
We gauge the non-abelian isometries of a sigma model with boundaries. Forcing the field strength of the gauge fields to vanish renders the gauged model equivalent to the ungauged one provided that boundary conditions are taken into account properly. Integrating out the gauge fields gives the T-dual model. We observe that T-duality interchanges Neumann (or mixed) boundary conditions with Dirichlet boundary conditions.
We study a connection between duality and topological field theories. First, 2d Kramers-Wannier duality is formulated as a simple 3d topological claim (more or less Poincare duality), and a similar formulation is given for higher-dimensional cases. In this form they lead to simple TFTs with boundary coloured in two colours. The statistical models live on the boundary of these TFTs, as in the CS/WZW or AdS/CFT correspondence. Classical models (Poisson-Lie T-duality) suggest a non-abelian generalization in the 2dcase, with abelian groups replaced by quantum groups. Amazingly, the TFT formulation…
The field theory dual to the Freedman-Townsend model of a non-Abelian anti-symmetric tensor field is a nonlinear sigma model on the group manifold G. This can be extended to the duality between the Freedman-Townsend model coupled to Yang-Mills fields and a nonlinear sigma model on a coset space G/H. We present the supersymmetric extension of this duality, and find that the target space of this nonlinear sigma model is a complex coset space, GC/HC.
Abelian Gauge Theories are quantized in a geometric representation that generalizes the Loop Representation and treates electric and magnetic operators on the same footing. The usual canonical algebra is turned into a topological algebra of non local operators that resembles the order-disorder dual algebra of 't Hooft. These dual operators provide a complete description of the physical phase space of the theories.
This is a general introduction to duality in field theories. The existence and breaking of global symmetries is used as a guideline to systematically prove duality between different field theories. Systems discussed include abelian and non-abelian T-duality in string theory, abelian and nonabelian bosonization, and duality for massless and massive antisymmetric tensor field theories in arbitrary number of dimensions. Open questions regarding these techniques are also discussed. (Lectures given at 33rd Karpacz Winter School `Duality: Strings and Fields' .)
Using the homogeneous Gödel spacetimes we find some new solutions for the field equations of bosonic string effective action up to first order in $α'$ including both dilaton and axion fields. We then discuss in detail the (non-)Abelian T-dualization of Gödel string cosmologies via the Poisson-Lie (PL) T-duality approach. In studying Abelian T-duality of the models we get seven dual models in such a way that they are constructed by one-, two- and three-dimensional Abelian Lie groups acting freely on the target space manifold. The results of our study show that the Abelian T-dual models are, und…
We present a formulation of Double Field Theory with a Drinfeld double as extended spacetime. It makes Poisson-Lie T-duality (including abelian and non-abelian T-duality as special cases) manifest. This extends the scope of possible applications of the theory, which so far captured abelian T-duality only, considerably. The full massless bosonic subsector (NS/NS and R/R) of type II string theories is covered.
We study the symmetry of the one-loop effective action of bosonic string theory under non-Abelian T-duality transformations. It is shown that the original Lagrangian and its dual are proportional. This result implies that the corresponding reduced low energy effective actions are equivalent and leads to a functional relation between the Weyl anomaly coefficients of the original and dual two-dimensional non-linear sigma models. {}Finally, we apply this formalism to some simple examples.
The dynamics of abelian vector and antisymmetric tensor gauge fields can be described in terms of twisted self-duality equations. These first-order equations relate the p-form fields to their dual forms by demanding that their respective field strengths are dual to each other. It is well known that such equations can be integrated to a local action that carries on equal footing the p-forms together with their duals and is manifestly duality invariant. Space-time covariance is no longer manifest but still present with a non-standard realization of space-time diffeomorphisms on the gauge fields.…
We give a geometric characterization of the quasi axial-vector (Kiritsis-Obers) target space duality in the spirit of the bi-algebra (Klimcik-Severa) approach. We show that the sigma-models constructed by taking quotients have non-abelian chiral currents that obey "non-commutative conservation laws" and provide the criterion for a sigma-model to have a dual using the axial-vector procedure.
We investigate vortices on a cylinder in supersymmetric non-Abelian gauge theory with hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation. We identify moduli space of periodic vortices and find that a pair of wall-like objects appears as the vortex moduli is varied. Usual domain walls also can be obtained from the single vortex on the cylinder by introducing a twisted boundary condition. We can understand these phenomena as a T-duality among D-brane configurations in type II superstring theories. Using this T-duality picture, we find a one-to-one correspondence between the moduli space of non-Ab…
