We introduce W-spin structures on a Riemann surface and give a precise definition to the corresponding W-spin equations for any quasi-homogeneous polynomial W. Then, we construct examples of nonzero solutions of spin equations in the presence of Ramond marked points. The main result of the paper is a compactness theorem for the moduli space of the solutions of W-spin equations when W is a non-degenerate, quasi-homogeneous polynomial whose variables all have weight (or fractional degree) wt(x_i) < 1/2. In particular, the compactness theorem holds for the A,D, and E superpotentials.
We utilize Spin(7) identities to prove that the Cayley four-form associated to a torsion-free Spin(7)-Structure is non-degenerate in the sense of multisymplectic geometry. Therefore, Spin(7) geometry may be treated as a special case of multisymplectic geometry. We then capitalize on this relationship to make statements about Hamiltonian multivector fields and differential forms associated to torsion-free Spin(7)-Structures.
In this paper we discuss the twistor equation in Lorentzian spin geometry. In particular, we explain the local conformal structure of Lorentzian manifolds, which admit twistor spinors inducing lightlike Dirac currents. Furthermore, we derive all local geometries with singularity free twistor spinors that occur up to dimension 7.
This text is dedicated to the real Killing equation on 3-dimensional Weyl manifolds. Any manifold admitting a real Killing spinor of weight 0 satisfies the conditions of a Gauduchon-Tod geometry. Conversely, any simply connected Gauduchon-Tod geometry has a 2-dimensional space of solutions of the real Killing equation on the spinor bundle of weight 0.
We prove that there exist global solutions of the twistor equation on the Fefferman spaces of strictly pseudoconvex spin manifolds of arbitrary dimension and we study their properties.
For a symplectic manifold admitting a metaplectic structure (a symplectic analogue of the Riemannian spin structure), we construct a sequence consisting of differential operators using a symplectic torsion-free affine connection. All but one of these operators are of first order. The first order ones are symplectic analogues of the twistor operators known from Riemannian spin geometry. We prove that under the condition the symplectic Weyl curvature tensor field of the symplectic connection vanishes, the mentioned sequence forms a complex. This gives rise to a new complex for the so called Ricc…
We outline the solution of the Killing spinor equations of the heterotic supergravity. In addition, we describe the classification of all half supersymmetric solutions.
Starting from the 2001 Thomas Friedrich's work on Spin(9), we review some interactions between Spin(9) and geometries related to octonions. Several topics are discussed in this respect: explicit descriptions of the Spin(9) canonical 8-form and its analogies with quaternionic geometry as well as the role of Spin(9) both in the classical problems of vector fields on spheres and in the geometry of the octonionic Hopf fibration. Next, we deal with locally conformally parallel Spin(9) manifolds in the framework of intrinsic torsion. Finally, we discuss applications of Clifford systems and Clifford …
We consider a spinorial Yamabe-type problem on open manifolds of bounded geometry. The aim is to study the existence of solutions to the associated Euler-Lagrange-equation. We show that under suitable assumptions such a solution exists. As an application, we prove that existence of a solution implies the conformal Hijazi inequality for the underlying spin manifold.
We study the geometric structure of Lorentzian spin manifolds, which admit imaginary Killing spinors. The discussion is based on the cone construction and a normal form classification of skew-adjoint operators in signature $(2,n-2)$. Derived geometries include Brinkmann spaces, Lorentzian Einstein-Sasaki spaces and certain warped product structures. Exceptional cases with decomposable holonomy of the cone are possible.
A Hadwiger-type theorem for the exceptional Lie groups $G_2$ and $Spin(7)$ is proved. The algebras of $G_2$ or $Spin(7)$ invariant, translation invariant continuous valuations are both of dimension 10. Geometrically meaningful bases are constructed and the algebra structures are computed. Finally, the kinematic formulas for these groups are determined.
Notation for spin coefficients for metrics of neutral signature in four dimensions is introduced. The utility and interpretation of spin coefficients is explored through themes in null geometry familiar from (complex) general relativity. Four-dimensional Walker geometry is exploited to provide examples and the generalization of the real neutral version of Plebañski's (1975) second heavenly equation to certain Walker geometries given in Law and Matsushita [16] is extended further.
We introduce various versions of spin structures on free loop spaces of smooth manifolds, based on a classical notion due to Killingback, and additionally coupled to two relations between loops: thin homotopies and loop fusion. The central result of this article is an equivalence between these enhanced versions of spin structures on the loop space and string structures on the manifold itself. The equivalence exists in two settings: in a purely topological one and a in geometrical one that includes spin connections and string connections. Our results provide a consistent, functorial, one-to-one…
We collect together various facts about G_2 and Spin(7) geometry which are likely well known but which do not seem to have appeared explicitly in the literature before. These notes should be useful to graduate students and new researchers in G_2 and Spin(7) geometry.
We demonstrate that it is conceptually and computationally favorable to regard spin-weighted spherical harmonics as vector valued functions on the total space $SO(3)$ of the Hopf bundle, satisfying a covariance condition with respect to the gauge group $U(1)$ of this bundle. A key role is played by the invariant connection form of the principle Hopf bundle, known to physicists from the geometry behind magnetic monopoles.
We present a novel approach to the classification of conformally equivariant differential operators on spinors in the case of homogeneous conformal geometry. It is based on the classification of solutions for a vector-valued system of partial differential equations, associated to $\mathcal{D}$-modules for the homogeneous conformal structure and controlled by the spin Howe duality for the orthogonal Lie algebras.
We summarize the main results of our recent investigation of bundles of real Clifford modules and briefly touch on some applications to string theory and supergravity.
We deal with Riemannian properties of the octonionic Hopf fibration S^{15}-->S^8, in terms of the structure given by its symmetry group Spin(9). In particular, we show that any vertical vector field has at least one zero, thus reproving the non-existence of S^1 subfibrations. We then discuss Spin(9)-structures from a conformal viewpoint and determine the structure of compact locally conformally parallel Spin(9)-manifolds. Eventually, we give a list of examples of locally conformally parallel Spin(9)-manifolds.
BGG-equations are geometric overdetermined systems of PDEs on parabolic geometries. Normal solutions of BGG-equations are particularly interesting and we give a simple formula for the necessary and sufficient additional integrability conditions on a solution. We then discuss a procedure for coupling known solutions of BGG-equations to produce new ones. Employing a suitable calculus for conformal spin structures this yields explicit coupling formulas and conditions between almost Einstein scales, conformal Killing forms and twistor spinors. Finally we discuss a class of generic twistor spinors …
We study Kohn-Dirac operators $D_θ$ on strictly pseudoconvex CR manifolds with ${\rm spin}^{\mathbb C}$ structure of weight $\ell\in{\mathbb Z}$. Certain components of $D_θ$ are CR invariants. We also derive CR invariant twistor operators of weight $\ell$. Harmonic spinors correspond to cohomology classes of some twisted Kohn-Rossi complex. Applying a Schrödinger-Lichnerowicz-type formula, we prove vanishing theorems for harmonic spinors and (twisted) Kohn-Rossi groups. We also derive obstructions to positive Webster curvature.
In this paper, the Dirac, twistor and Killing equations on Weyl manifolds with CSpin structures are investigated. A conformal Schr"odinger-Lichnerowicz formula is presented and used to show integrability conditions for these equations. By introducing the Killing equation for spinors of arbitrary weight, the result of Andrei Moroianu in [9] is generalized in the following sense. The only non-closed Weyl manifolds of dimension greater than 3 that admit solutions of the real Killing equation are 4-dimensional and non-compact. Any Weyl manifold of these dimensions admitting a real Killing spinor h…
In this paper connections between different gauge-theoretical problems in high and low dimensions are established. In particular it is shown that higher dimensional asd equations on total spaces of spinor bundles over low dimensional manifolds can be interpreted as Taubes-Pidstrygach's generalization of the Seiberg-Witten equations. By collapsing each fibre of the spinor bundle to a point, solutions of the Taubes-Pidstrygach equations are related to generalized harmonic spinors. This approach is also generalized for arbitrary fibrations (without singular fibres) compatible with an appropriate …
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 …
We study $\mathrm{Spin}(7)$-manifolds with an effective multi-Hamiltonian action of a four-torus. On an open dense set, we provide a Gibbons-Hawking type ansatz that describes such geometries in terms of a symmetric $4\times4$-matrix of functions. This description leads to the first known $\mathrm{Spin}(7)$-manifolds with a rank $4$ symmetry group and full holonomy. We also show that the multi-moment map exhibits the full orbit space topologically as a smooth four-manifold, containing a trivalent graph in $\mathbb{R}^4$ as the image of the set of the special orbits.
We provide a new characterisation of the Standard Model gauge group GSM as a subgroup of Spin(10). The new description of GSM relies on the geometry of pure spinors. We show that GSM is the subgroup that stabilises a pure spinor Psi_1 and projectively stabilises another pure spinor Psi_2, with Psi_1, Psi_2 orthogonal and such that their arbitrary linear combination is still a pure spinor. Our characterisation of GSM relies on the facts that projective pure spinors describe complex structures on R^{10}, and the product of two commuting complex structures is a what is known as a product structur…
In this review, basic definitions of spin geometry are given and some of its applications to supersymmetry, supergravity and condensed matter physics are summarized. Clifford algebras and spinors are defined and the first-order differential operators on spinors which lead to the definitions of twistor and Killing spinors are discussed. Holonomy classification for manifolds admitting parallel and Killing spinors are given. Killing-Yano and conformal Killing-Yano forms resulting from the spinor bilinears of Killing and twistor spinors are introduced and the symmetry operators of special spinor e…
We use a construction which we call generalized cylinders to give a new proof of the fundamental theorem of hypersurface theory. It has the advantage of being very simple and the result directly extends to semi-Riemannian manifolds and to embeddings into spaces of constant curvature. We also give a new way to identify spinors for different metrics and to derive the variation formula for the Dirac operator. Moreover, we show that generalized Killing spinors for Codazzi tensors are restrictions of parallel spinors. Finally, we study the space of Lorentzian metrics and give a criterion when two L…
