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arXiv · hep-th/9912279

Self-Duality, Ramond-Ramond Fields, and K-Theory

Gregory Moore·Edward Witten
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Abstract

Just as D-brane charge of Type IIA and Type IIB superstrings is classified, respectively, by K^1(X) and K(X), Ramond-Ramond fields in these theories are classified, respectively, by K(X) and K^1(X). By analyzing a recent proposal for how to interpret quantum self-duality of RR fields, we show that the Dirac quantization formula for the RR p-forms, when properly formulated, receives corrections that reflect curvature, lower brane charges, and an anomaly of D-brane world-volume fermions. The K-theory framework is important here, because the term involving the fermion anomaly cannot be naturally expressed in terms of cohomology and differential forms.

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Gregory Moore, Edward Witten. 1999-12-30. Self-Duality, Ramond-Ramond Fields, and K-Theory. https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708%2F2000%2F05%2F032

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