Twisted loop transgression and higher Jandl gerbes over finite groupoids

Abstract

Given a double cover $\pi: \mathcal{G} \rightarrow \hat{\mathcal{G}}$ of finite groupoids, we explicitly construct twisted loop transgression maps, $\tau_{\pi}$ and $\tau_{\pi}^{ref}$, thereby associating to a Jandl $n$-gerbe $\hat{\lambda}$ on $\hat{\mathcal{G}}$ a Jandl $(n-1)$-gerbe $\tau_{\pi}(\hat{\lambda})$ on the quotient loop groupoid of $\mathcal{G}$ and an ordinary $(n-1)$-gerbe $\tau^{ref}_{\pi}(\hat{\lambda})$ on the unoriented quotient loop groupoid of $\mathcal{G}$. For $n =1,2$, we interpret the character theory (resp. centre) of the category of Real $\hat{\lambda}$-twisted $n$-vector bundles over $\hat{\mathcal{G}}$ in terms of flat sections of the $(n-1)$-vector bundle associated to $\tau_{\pi}^{ref}(\hat{\lambda})$ (resp. the Real $(n-1)$-vector bundle associated to $\tau_{\pi}(\hat{\lambda})$). We relate our results to Real versions of twisted Drinfeld doubles and pointed fusion categories and to discrete torsion in orientifold string and M-theory.