arXiv subjects

B. Julia

Publications and source records attributed to B. Julia.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2001

Gravitational couplings of orientifold planes

We reanalyse the gravitational couplings of the perturbative orientifold planes $Op^-$, $Op^+$ (and D-branes). We first compute their $D_{-1}$ instantonic corrections for $p=3$. Then, by using U-dualities, we obtain the Wess-Zumino terms of orientifolds with RR flux for $p \leq 5$. The expressions for the effective actions can be partially checked via M-theory. We point out a previous oversimplification and we show in fact that the difficulty still stands in the way of the full computation of 7 Brane instanton corrections.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Counterterms in Supergravity

We examine the ultraviolet behaviour of supergravity theories as a function of dimension and number of supercharges. We do so by the computation of one and two-loop physical on-shell four point amplitudes. For maximal supergravity, our computations prove the non-renomalisability of supergravity for $D \geq 6$ (including the maximal D=11 case) and give strong evidence for the existance of a five-loop counterterm in D=4. For type I supergravity our results indicate similar patterns. e shall also explore a remarkable relationship between gravity amplitudes and those of Yang-Mills theories. In many ways gravity calculations discover features which relate to the equivalent Yang-Mills features by a squaring proceedure.

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arXiv2000

Currents and Superpotentials in classical gauge theories: II. Global aspects and the example of Affine gravity

The conserved charges associated to gauge symmetries are defined at a boundary component of space-time because the corresponding Noether current can be rewritten on-shell as the divergence of a superpotential. However, the latter is afflicted by ambiguities. Regge and Teitelboim found a procedure to lift the arbitrariness in the Hamiltonian framework. An alternative covariant formula was proposed by one of us for an arbitrary variation of the superpotential, it depends only on the equations of motion and on the gauge symmetry under consideration. Here we emphasize that in order to compute the charges, it is enough to stay at a boundary of spacetime, without requiring any hypothesis about the bulk or about other boundary components, so one may speak of holographic charges. It is well known that the asymptotic symmetries that lead to conserved charges are really defined at infinity, but the choice of boundary conditions and surface terms in the action and in the charges is usually determined through integration by parts whereas each component of the boundary should be considered separately. We treat the example of gravity (for any space-time dimension, with or without cosmological constant), formulated as an Affine theory which is a natural generalization of the Palatini and Cartan-Weyl (vielbein) first order formulations. We then show that the superpotential associated to a Dirichlet boundary condition on the metric (the one needed to treat asymptotically flat or AdS spacetimes) is the one proposed by Katz, Biuc{á}k and Lynden-Bell and not that of Komar. We finally discuss the KBL superpotential at null infinity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2000

Superdualities: Below and beyond U-duality

Hidden symmetries are the backbone of Integrable two-dimensional theories. They provide classical solutions of higher dimensional models as well, they seem to survive partially quantisation and their discrete remnants in M-theory called U-dualities, would provide a way to control infinities and nonperturbative effects in Supergravities and String theories. Starting from Einstein gravity we discuss the building blocks of these large groups of internal symmetries, and embed them in superalgebras of dynamical symmetries. The classical field equations for all bosonic matter fields of all toroidally compactified supergravities are invariant under such ``superdualities''. Possible extensions are briefly discussed.

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arXiv1999

On first order formulations of supergravities

Supergravities are usually presented in a so-called 1.5 order formulation. Here we present a general scheme to derive pure 1^{st} order formulations of supergravities from the 1.5 order ones. The example of N_4=1 supergravity will be rederived and new results for N_4=2 and N_11=1 will be presented. It seems that beyond four dimensions the auxiliary fields introduced to obtain first order formulations of SUGRA theories do not admit supergeometrical transformation laws at least before a full superfield treatment. On the other hand first order formalisms simplify eventually symmetry analysis and the study of dimensional reductions.

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arXiv1999

Noether superpotentials in supergravities

Straightforward application of the standard Noether method in supergravity theories yields an incorrect superpotential for local supersymmetry transformations, which gives only half of the correct supercharge. We show how to derive the correct superpotential through Lagrangian methods, by applying a criterion proposed recently by one of us. We verify the equivalence with the Hamiltonian formalism. It is also indicated why the first-order and second-order formalisms lead to the same superpotential. We rederive in particular the central extension by the magnetic charge of the ${\cal N}_4 =2$ algebra of SUGRA asymptotic charges.

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arXiv1999

Higher-dimensional Origin of D=3 Coset Symmetries

It is well known that the toroidal dimensional reduction of supergravities gives rise in three dimensions to theories whose bosonic sectors are described purely in terms of scalar degrees of freedom, which parameterise sigma-model coset spaces. For example, the reduction of eleven-dimensional supergravity gives rise to an E_8/SO(16) coset Lagrangian. In this paper, we dispense with the restrictions of supersymmetry, and study all the three-dimensional scalar sigma models G/H where G is a maximally-non-compact simple group, with H its maximal compact subgroup, and find the highest dimensions from which they can be obtained by Kaluza-Klein reduction. A magic triangle emerges with a duality between rank and dimension. Interesting also are the cases of Hermitean symmetric spaces and quaternionic spaces.

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arXiv1998

Dualisation of Dualities, I

We analyse the global (rigid) symmetries that are realised on the bosonic fields of the various supergravity actions obtained from eleven-dimensional supergravity by toroidal compactification followed by the dualisation of some subset of fields. In particular, we show how the global symmetries of the action can be affected by the choice of this subset. This phenomenon occurs even with the global symmetries of the equations of motion. A striking regularity is exhibited by the series of theories obtained respectively without any dualisation, with the dualisation of only the Ramond-Ramond fields of the type IIA theory, with full dualisation to lowest degree forms, and finally for certain inverse dualisations (increasing the degrees of some forms) to give the type IIB series. These theories may be called the GL_A, D, E and GL_B series respectively. It turns out that the scalar Lagrangians of the E series are sigma models on the symmetric spaces K(E_{11-D})\backslash E_{11-D} (where K(G) is the maximal compact subgroup of G) and the other three series lead to models on homogeneous spaces K(G) \backslash G\semi \R^s. These can be understood from the E series in terms of the deletion of positive roots associated with the dualised scalars, which implies a group contraction. We also propose a constrained Lagrangian version of the even dimensional theories exhibiting the full duality symmetry and begin a systematic analysis of abelian duality subalgebras.

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arXiv1998

Dualisation of Dualities, II: Twisted self-duality of doubled fields and superdualities

We introduce a doubled formalism for the bosonic sector of the maximal supergravities, in which a Hodge dual potential is introduced for each bosonic field (except for the metric). The equations of motion can then be formulated as a twisted self-duality condition on the total field strength \G, which takes its values in a Lie superalgebra. This doubling is invariant under dualisations; it allows a unification of the gauge symmetries of all degrees, including the usual U-dualities that have degree zero. These ``superdualities'' encompass the dualities for all choices of polarisation (i.e. the choices between fields and their duals). All gauge symmetries appear as subgroups of finite-dimensional supergroups, with Grassmann coefficients in the differential algebra of the spacetime manifold.

hep-th↗

arXiv1998

Currents and Superpotentials in classical gauge invariant theories I. Local results with applications to Perfect Fluids and General Relativity

E. Noether's general analysis of conservation laws has to be completed in a Lagrangian theory with local gauge invariance. Bulk charges are replaced by fluxes of superpotentials. Gauge invariant bulk charges may subsist when distinguished one-dimensional subgroups are present. As a first illustration we propose a new {\it Affine action} that reduces to General Relativity upon gauge fixing the dilatation (Weyl 1918 like) part of the connection and elimination of auxiliary fields. It allows a comparison of most gravity superpotentials and we discuss their selection by the choice of boundary conditions. A second and independent application is a geometrical reinterpretation of the convection of vorticity in barotropic nonviscous fluids. We identify the one-dimensional subgroups responsible for the bulk charges and thus propose an impulsive forcing for creating or destroying selectively helicity. This is an example of a new and general Forcing Rule.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1998

Duality and Moduli Spaces for Time-Like Reductions

We consider the dimensional reduction/compactification of supergravity, string and M-theories on tori with one time-like circle. We find the coset spaces in which the massless scalars take their values, and identify the discrete duality groups.

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arXiv1997

Twisted Self-Duality of Dimensionally Reduced Gravity and Vertex Operators

The Geroch group, isomorphic to the SL(2,R) affine Kac-Moody group, is an infinite dimensional solution generating group of Einstein's equations with two surface orthogonal commuting Killing vectors. We introduce another solution generating group for these equations, the dressing group, and discuss its connection with the Geroch group. We show that it acts transitively on a dense subset of moduli space. We use a new Lax pair expressing a twisted self-duality of this system and we study the dressing problem associated to it. We also describe how to use vertex operators to solve the reduced Einstein's equations. In particular this allows to find solutions by purely algebraic computations.

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arXiv1996

Conformal internal symmetry of $2d$ $σ$-models coupled to gravity and a dilaton

General Relativity reduced to two dimensions possesses a large group of symmetries that exchange classical solutions. The associated Lie algebra is known to contain the affine Kac-Moody algebra $A_1^{(1)}$ and half of a real Witt algebra. In this paper we exhibit the full symmetry under the semi-direct product of $\Lie{A_1^{(1)}}$ by the Witt algebra $\Lie{\Wir}$. Furthermore we exhibit the corresponding hidden gauge symmetries. We show that the theory can be understood in terms of an infinite dimensional potential space involving all degrees of freedom: the dilaton as well as matter and gravitation. In the dilaton sector the linear system that extends the previously known Lax pair has the form of a twisted self-duality constraint that is the analog of the self-duality constraint arising in extended supergravities in higher spacetime dimensions. Our results furnish a group theoretical explanation for the simultaneous occurrence of two spectral parameters, a constant one ($=y$) and a variable one ($=t$). They hold for all $2d$ non-linear $σ$-models that are obtained by dimensional reduction of $G/H$ models in three dimensions coupled to pure gravity. In that case the Lie algebra is $\Lie{\Wir \semi G^{(1)}}$; this symmetry acts on a set of off shell fields (in a fixed gauge) and preserves the equations of motion.

hep-th↗

arXiv1994

Null Killing Vector Dimensional Reduction and Galilean Geometrodynamics

The solutions of Einstein's equations admitting one non-null Killing vector field are best studied with the projection formalism of Geroch. When the Killing vector is lightlike, the projection onto the orbit space still exists and one expects a covariant theory with degenerate contravariant metric to appear, its geometry is presented here. Despite the complications of indecomposable representations of the local Euclidean subgroup, one obtains an absolute time and a canonical, Galilean and so-called Newtonian, torsionless connection. The quasi-Maxwell field (Kaluza Klein one-form) that appears in the dimensional reduction is a non-separable part of this affine connection, in contrast to the reduction with a non-null Killing vector. One may define the Kaluza Klein scalar (dilaton) together with the absolute time coordinate after having imposed one of the equations of motion in order to prevent the emergence of torsion. We present a detailed analysis of the dimensional reduction using moving frames, we derive the complete equations of motion and propose an action whose variation gives rise to all but one of them. Hidden symmetries are shown to act on the space of solutions.

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