We classify locally homogeneous quasi-Sasakian manifolds in dimension five that admit a parallel spinor $ψ$ of algebraic type $F \cdot ψ= 0$ with respect to the unique connection $\nabla$ preserving the quasi-Sasakian structure and with totally skew-symmetric torsion. We introduce a certain conformal transformation of almost contact metric manifolds and discuss a link between them and the dilation function in 5-dimensional string theory. We find natural conditions implying conformal invariances of parallel spinors. We present topological obstructions to the existence of parallel spinors in the compact case.
We describe all almost contact metric, almost hermitian and $G_2$-structures admitting a connection with totally skew-symmetric torsion tensor, and prove that there exists at most one such connection. We investigate its torsion form, its Ricci tensor, the Dirac operator and the $\nabla$-parallel spinors. In particular, we obtain solutions of the type II string in dimension $n=5,6$ and 7.
We show that on every Spin(7) manifold there always exists a unique linear connection with totally skew-symmetric torsion preserving a nontrivial spinor and the Spin(7) structure. We express its torsion and the Riemannian scalar curvature in terms of the fundamental 4-form. We present an explicit formula for the Riemannian covariant derivative of the fundamental 4-form in terms of its exterior differential. We show the vanishing of the (\hat)-A genus and obtain a linear relation between Betti numbers of a compact Spin(7) manifolds which are locally but not globally conformally equivalent to a …
In this text we introduce the torsion of spinor connections. In terms of the torsion we give conditions on a spinor connection to produce Killing vector fields. We relate the Bianchi type identities for the torsion of spinor connections with Jacobi identities for vector fields on supermanifolds. Furthermore, we discuss applications of this notion of torsion.
This paper is devoted to the systematic investigation of the cone construction for Riemannian $G$ manifolds M, endowed with an invariant metric connection with skew torsion $\nabla^c$, a `characteristic connection'. We show how to define a $\bar G$ structure on the cone $\bar M=M\x \R^+$ with a cone metric, and we prove that a Killing spinor with torsion on $M$ induces a spinor on $\bar M$ that is parallel w.\,r.\,t. the characteristic connection of the $\bar G$ structure. We establish the explicit correspondence between classes of metric almost contact structures on $M$ and almost hermitian c…
Index theorems for the Dirac operator allow one to study spinors on manifolds with boundary and torsion. We analyse the modifications of the boundary Chern-Simons correction and APS eta invariant in the presence of torsion. The bulk contribution must also be modified and is computed using a supersymmetric quantum mechanics representation. Here we find agreement with existing results which employed heat kernel and Pauli-Villars techniques. Nonetheless, this computation also provides a stringent check of the Feynman rules of de Boer et al. for the computation of quantum mechanical path integrals…
We determine the geometry of supersymmetric heterotic string backgrounds for which all parallel spinors with respect to the connection $\hat\nabla$ with torsion $H$, the NS$\otimes$NS three-form field strength, are Killing. We find that there are two classes of such backgrounds, the null and the timelike. The Killing spinors of the null backgrounds have stability subgroups $K\ltimes\bR^8$ in $Spin(9,1)$, for $K=Spin(7)$, SU(4), $Sp(2)$, $SU(2)\times SU(2)$ and $\{1\}$, and the Killing spinors of the timelike backgrounds have stability subgroups $G_2$, SU(3), SU(2) and $\{1\}$. The former admit…
We investigate the holonomy group of a linear metric connection with skew-symmetric torsion. In case of the euclidian space and a constant torsion form this group is always semisimple. It does not preserve any non-degenerated 2-form or any spinor. Suitable integral formulas allow us to prove similar properties in case of a compact Riemannian manifold equipped with a metric connection of skew-symmetric torsion. On the Aloff-Wallach space N(1,1) we construct families of connections admitting parallel spinors. Furthermore, we investigate the geometry of these connections as well as the geometry o…
We show that a 7-dimensional non-compact Ricci-flat Riemannian manifold with Riemannian holonomy G_2 can admit non-integrable G_2 structures of type R + S^2_0(R^7) + R^7 in the sense of Fernández and Gray. This relies on the construction of some G_2 solvmanifolds, whose Levi-Civita connection is known to give a parallel spinor, admitting a 2-parameter family of metric connections with non-zero skew-symmetric torsion that has parallel spinors as well. The family turns out to be a deformation of the Levi-Civita connection. This is in contrast with the case of compact scalar-flat Riemannian spin …
We use classical (Penrose) two-component spinors to set up the differential geometry of two parabolic contact structures in five dimensions, namely $G_2$ contact geometry and Legendrean contact geometry. The key players in these two geometries are invariantly defined directional derivatives defined only in the contact directions. We explain how to define them and their usage in constructing basic invariants such as the harmonic curvature, the obstruction to being locally flat from the parabolic viewpoint. As an application, we calculate the invariant torsion of the $G_2$ contact structure on t…
The theory of spinors is developed for locally anisotropic (la) spaces, in brief la-spaces, which in general are modeled as vector bundles provided with nonlinear and distinguished connections and metric structures (such la-spaces contain as particular cases the Lagrange, Finsler and, for trivial nonlinear connections, Kaluza-Klein spaces). The la-spinor differential geometry is constructed. The distinguished spinor connections are studied and compared with similar ones on la-spaces. We derive the la-spinor expressions of curvatures and torsions and analyze the conditions when the distinguishe…
The present note deals with the properties of metric connections $\nabla$ with vectorial torsion $V$ on semi-Riemannian manifolds $(M^n,g)$. We show that the $\nabla$-curvature is symmetric if and only if $V^{\flat}$ is closed, and that $V^\perp$ then defines an $(n-1)$-dimensional integrable distribution on $M^n$. If the vector field $V$ is exact, we show that the $V$-curvature coincides up to global rescaling with the Riemannian curvature of a conformally equivalent metric. We prove that it is possible to construct connections with vectorial torsion on warped products of arbitrary dimension …
For any triple $(M^n, g, \nabla)$ consisting of a Riemannian manifold and a metric connection with skew-symmetric torsion we introduce an elliptic, second order operator $Ω$ acting on spinor fields. In case of a reductive space and its canonical connection our construction yields the Casimir operator of the isometry group. Several non-homogeneous geometries (Sasakian, nearly Kähler, cocalibrated $\mathrm{G}_2$-structures) admit unique connections with skew-symmetric torsion. We study the corresponding Casimir operator and compare its kernel with the space of $\nabla$-parallel spinors.
We explicitly write down all eigenvalues of the Rumin Laplacian on the standard contact spheres, and express the analytic torsion functions associated with the {Rumin complex} in terms of the Riemann zeta function. In particular, we find that the functions vanish at the origin and determine the analytic torsions.
We collect our recent results ([5] and [8]) and we get the equivalence of the three notions of the title under some conditions. We then use this equivalence in order to prove some consequences about Sasakian manifolds, complex almost contact structures and complex k-contact structures.
We study 5-dimensional Riemannian manifolds that admit an almost contact metric structure. We classify these structures by their intrinsic torsion and review the literature in terms of this scheme. Moreover, we determine necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of metric connections with vectorial, totally skew-symmetric or traceless cyclic torsion that are compatible with the almost contact metric structure. Finally, we examine explicit examples of almost contact metric 5-manifolds from this perspective.
We compute the scalar curvature of 7-dimensional ${G}_2$-manifolds admitting a connection with totally skew-symmetric torsion. We prove the formula for the general solution of the Killing spinor equation and express the Riemannian scalar curvature of the solution in terms of the dilation function and the NS 3-form field. In dimension n=7 the dilation function involved in the second fermionic string equation has an interpretation as a conformal change of the underlying integrable ${G}_2$-structure into a cocalibrated one of pure type $W_3$.
This review article intends to introduce the reader to non-integrable geometric structures on Riemannian manifolds and invariant metric connections with torsion, and to discuss recent aspects of mathematical physics--in particular superstring theory--where these naturally appear. Connections with skew-symmetric torsion are exhibited as one of the main tools to understand non-integrable geometries. To this aim a a series of key examples is presented and successively dealt with using the notions of intrinsic torsion and characteristic connection of a $G$-structure as unifying principles. % The G…
We introduce the notion of $\varepsilonη\,$-Einstein $\varepsilon\,$-contact metric three-manifold, which includes as particular cases $η\,$-Einstein Riemannian and Lorentzian (para) contact metric three-manifolds, but which in addition allows for the Reeb vector field to be null. We prove that the product of an $\varepsilonη\,$-Einstein Lorentzian $\varepsilon\,$-contact metric three-manifold with an $\varepsilonη\,$-Einstein Riemannian contact metric three-manifold carries a bi-parametric family of Ricci-flat Lorentzian metric-compatible connections with isotropic, totally skew-symmetric, cl…
A natural connection with totally skew-symmetric torsion on almost contact manifolds with B-metric is constructed. The class of these manifolds, where the considered connection exists, is determined. Some curvature properties for this connection, when the corresponding curvature tensor has the properties of the curvature tensor for the Levi-Civita connection and the torsion tensor is parallel, are obtained.
We give a classification of $1^{st}$ order invariant differential operators acting between sections of certain bundles associated to Cartan geometries of the so called metaplectic contact projective type. These bundles are associated via representations, which are derived from the so called higher symplectic, harmonic or generalized Kostant spinor modules. Higher symplectic spinor modules are arising from the Segal-Shale-Weil representation of the metaplectic group by tensoring it by finite dimensional modules. We show that for all pairs of the considered bundles, there is at most one $1^{st}$…
The space of the torsion (0,3)-tensors of the linear connections on almost contact manifolds with B-metric is decomposed in 15 orthogonal and invariant subspaces with respect to the action of the structure group. Three known connections, preserving the structure, are characterized regarding this classification.
We study the geometric properties of a $2m$-dimensional complex manifold $\mathcal{M}$ admitting a holomorphic reduction of the frame bundle to the structure group $P \subset \mathrm{Spin}(2m,\mathbb{C})$, the stabiliser of the line spanned by a pure spinor at a point. Geometrically, $\mathcal{M}$ is endowed with a holomorphic metric $g$, a holomorphic volume form, a spin structure compatible with $g$, and a holomorphic pure spinor field $ξ$ up to scale. The defining property of $ξ$ is that it determines an almost null structure, ie an $m$-plane distribution $\mathcal{N}_ξ$ along which $g$ is …
We classify 7-dimensional cocalibrated $\G_2$-manifolds with parallel characteristic torsion and non-abelian holonomy. All these spaces admit a metric connection $\nabla^{\mathrm{c}}$ with totally skew-symmetric torsion and a spinor field $Ψ_1$ solving the equations in the common sector of type II superstring theory. There exist $\G_2$-structures with parallel characteristic torsion that are not naturally reductive.
We go further on the study of harmonicity for almost contact metric structures already initiated by Vergara-Diaz and Wood. By using the intrinsic torsion, we characterise harmonic almost contact metric structures in several equivalent ways and show conditions relating harmonicity and classes of almost contact metric structures. Additionally, we study the harmonicity of such structures as a map into the quotient bundle of the oriented orthonormal frames by the action of the structural group U(n)x1. Finally, by using a Bochner type formula proved by Bor and Hernandez Lamoneda, we display some ex…
We propose a definition for analytic torsion of the Rumin complex on contact manifolds. This is given by the derivative at zero of a well-chosen combination of zeta functions of a fourth-order modified Rumin Laplacian. The regular value at zero (before differentiation) of this well-chosen combination of zeta functions is shown to be a contact invariant. The variation of our analytic torsion is given as the integral of local terms, together with a global term coming from the null-space of the Laplacian.
For an almost contact metric manifold $N$, we find conditions for which either the total space of an $S^1$-bundle over $N$ or the Riemannian cone over $N$ admits a strong Kähler with torsion (SKT) structure. In this way we construct new 6-dimensional SKT manifolds. Moreover, we study the geometric structure induced on a hypersurface of an SKT manifold, and use such structures to construct new SKT manifolds via appropriate evolution equations. Hyper-Kähler with torsion (HKT) structures on the total space of an $S^1$-bundle over manifolds with three almost contact structures are also studied.
We propose a definition for analytic torsion of the contact complex on contact manifolds. We show it coincides with Ray-Singer torsion on any 3-dimensional CR Seifert manifold equipped with a unitary representation. In this particular case we compute it and relate it to dynamical properties of the Reeb flow. In fact the whole spectral torsion function we consider may be interpreted on CR Seifert manifolds as a purely dynamical function through Selberg-type trace formulae.
On a main class of the almost contact manifolds with B-metric, it is described the family of the linear connections preserving the manifold's structures by 4 parameters. In this family there are determined the canonical-type connection and the connection with zero parameters.
It is considered a differentiable manifold equipped with a pseudo-Riemannian metric and an almost contact 3-struc\-ture so that an almost contact metric structure and two almost contact B-metric structures are generated. There are introduced the so-called associated Nijenhuis tensors for the studied structures. It is given a geometric interpretation of the vanishing of these tensors as a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of linear connections with totally skew-symmetric torsions preserving the structure. An example of a 7-dimensional manifold with connections of the consider…
Institute of Mathematics “Simion Stoilow” of the Romanian Academy（罗马尼亚科学院西奥多·斯托伊洛瓦数学研究所）；Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati（国际高等研究院）；Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad UNED - Madrid（马德里国立远程教育大学数学系）
We study the geometric properties of a $(2m+1)$-dimensional complex manifold $\mathcal{M}$ admitting a holomorphic reduction of the frame bundle to the structure group $P \subset \mathrm{Spin}(2m+1,\mathbb{C})$, the stabiliser of the line spanned by a pure spinor at a point. Geometrically, $\mathcal{M}$ is endowed with a holomorphic metric $g$, a holomorphic volume form, a spin structure compatible with $g$, and a holomorphic pure spinor field $ξ$ up to scale. The defining property of $ξ$ is that it determines an almost null structure, i.e.\ an $m$-plane distribution $\mathcal{N}_ξ$ along whic…
We investigate quaternionic contact (qc) manifolds from the point of view of intrinsic torsion. We argue that the natural structure group for this geometry is a non-compact Lie group K containing Sp(n)H^*, and show that any qc structure gives rise to a canonical K-structure with constant intrinsic torsion, except in seven dimensions, when this condition is equivalent to integrability in the sense of Duchemin. We prove that the choice of a reduction to Sp(n)H^* (or equivalently, a complement of the qc distribution) yields a unique K-connection satisfying natural conditions on torsion and curvat…
We present a complete classification and the construction of $\mathrm{Mp}(2n+2,\mathbb{R})$-equivariant differential operators acting on the principal series representations, associated to the contact projective geometry on $\mathbb{RP}^{2n+1}$ and induced from the irreducible $\mathrm{Mp}(2n,\mathbb{R})$-submodules of the Segal-Shale-Weil representation twisted by a one-parameter family of characters. The proof is based on the classification of homomorphisms of generalized Verma modules for the Segal-Shale-Weil representation twisted by a one-parameter family of characters, together with a ge…
Contact path geometries are curved geometric structures on a contact manifold comprising smooth families of paths modeled on the family of all isotropic lines in the projectivization of a symplectic vector space. Locally such a structure is equivalent to the graphs in the space of independent and depedent variables of the family of solutions of a system of an odd number of second order ODE's subject to a single maximally non-integrable constraint. A subclass of contact path geometries is distinguished by the vanishing of an invariant contact torsion. For this subclass the equivalence problem i…
In this paper, we describe the space of adapted connections on a metric contact manifold through the space of their torsion tensors. The torsion tensor is an element of the space of TM-valued two-forms, which splits into various subspaces. We study the parts of the torsion tensor according to this splitting to completely describe the space of adapted connections. We use this description to obtain characterizations of the generalized Tanaka-Webster connection and to describe the Dirac operators of adapted connections.
A partial solution of the quaternionic contact Yamabe problem on the quaternionic sphere is given. It is shown that the torsion of the Biquard connection vanishes exactly when the trace-free part of the horizontal Ricci tensor of the Biquard connection is zero and this occurs precisely on 3-Sasakian manifolods. All conformal deformations sending the standard flat torsion-free quaternionic contact structure on the quaternionic Heisenberg group to a quaternionic contact structure with vanishing torsion of the Biquard connection are explicitly described. A '3-Hamiltonian form' of infinitesimal co…
We investigate instantons on manifolds with Killing spinors and their cones. Examples of manifolds with Killing spinors include nearly Kaehler 6-manifolds, nearly parallel G_2-manifolds in dimension 7, Sasaki-Einstein manifolds, and 3-Sasakian manifolds. We construct a connection on the tangent bundle over these manifolds which solves the instanton equation, and also show that the instanton equation implies the Yang-Mills equation, despite the presence of torsion. We then construct instantons on the cones over these manifolds, and lift them to solutions of heterotic supergravity. Amongst our s…
We construct exact solutions of the Einstein-Dirac equation, which couples the gravitational field with an eigenspinor of the Dirac operator via the energy-momentum tensor. For this purpose we introduce a new field equation generalizing the notion of Killing spinors. The solutions of this spinorial field equation are called weak Killing spinors (WK-spinors). They are special solutions of the Einstein-Dirac equation and in dimension n=3 the two equations essentially coincide. It turns out that any Sasakian manifold with Ricci tensor related in some special way to the metric tensor as well as to…
Any Spin(7)-manifold admits a metric connection \nabla^c with totally skew-symmetric torsion T^c preserving the underlying structure. We classify those with \nabla^c-parallel T^c\neq0 and non-Abelian isotropy algebra iso(T^c)<spin(7). These are isometric to either Riemannian products or homogeneous naturally reductive spaces, each admitting two \nabla^c-parallel spinor fields.
We develop an invariant approach to $SU(2)$--structures on spin $5$--manifolds. We characterize (via spinor approach) the subspaces in the spinor bundle which induce the same group isomorphic to $SU(2)$. Moreover, we show how to induce quaternionic structure on the contact distribution of considered $SU(2)$--structure. We conclude with the invariance of certain components of the covariant derivative $\nablaφ$, where $φ$ is any spinor field defining considered $SU(2)$--structure. This shows, what expected, that (at least some of) the intrinsic torsion modules, can be derived invariantly with th…
The canonical-type connection on the almost contact manifolds with B-metric is constructed. It is proved that its torsion is invariant with respect to a subgroup of the general conformal transformations of the almost contact B-metric structure. The basic classes of the considered manifolds are characterized in terms of the torsion of the canonical-type connection.
We develop a spinorial description of CR structures of arbitrary codimension. More precisely, we characterize almost CR structures of arbitrary codimension on (Riemannian) manifolds by the existence of a Spin$^{c, r}$ structure carrying a partially pure spinor field. We study various integrability conditions of the almost CR structure in our spinorial setup, including the classical integrability of a CR structure as well as those implied by Killing-type conditions on the partially pure spinor field. In the codimension one case, we develop a spinorial description of strictly pseudoconvex CR man…
We propose the study of some kind of monopole equations directly associated with a contact structure. Through a rudimentary analysis about the solutions, we show that a closed contact 3-manifold with positive Tanaka-Webster curvature and vanishing torsion must be either not symplectically semifillable or having torsion Euler class of the contact structure.
We introduce a global Cauchy-Riemann($CR$)-invariant and discuss its behavior on the moduli space of $CR$-structures. We argue that this study is related to the Smale conjecture in 3-topology and the problem of counting complex structures. Furthermore, we propose a contact-analogue of Ray-Singer's analytic torsion. This ``contact torsion'' is expected to be able to distinguish among ``contact lens'' spaces. We also propose the study of a certain kind of monopole equation associated with a contact structure.
