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Burt A. Ovrut

Publications and source records attributed to Burt A. Ovrut.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
arXiv1997

U-Duality Symmetries from the Membrane Worldvolume

We study U-duality symmetries of toroidally compactified M theory from the membrane worldvolume point of view. This is done taking the most general set of bosonic background fields into account. Upon restriction to pure moduli backgrounds, we are able to find the correct U-duality groups and moduli coset parameterizations for dimensions D>6 as symmetries of the membrane worldvolume theory. In particular, we derive the D=8 U-duality group SL(2)xSL(3). For general background fields, we concentrate on the case D=8. Though the SL(2) part of the symmetry appears to be obstructed by certain terms in the equations of motion, we are able to read off the transformation properties for the background fields. These transformations are verified by comparison with 11-dimensional supergravity dimensionally reduced to D=8.

hep-th↗
arXiv1997

Membranes and Three-form Supergravity

We discuss membranes in four-dimensional N=1 superspace. The kappa-invariance of the Green-Schwarz action implies that there is a dual version of N=1 supergravity with a three-form potential. We formulate this new supergravity in terms of a three-form superfield in curved superspace, giving the relevant constraints on the field strength. We find the corresponding membrane soliton in the new supergravity and discuss how the extended supersymmetry algebra emerges from the symmetries of the flat superspace background.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Soft Supersymmetry Breaking Induced by Higher-Derivative Supergravitation in the Electroweak Standard Model

We show how spontaneous supersymmetry breaking in the vacuum state of higher-derivative supergravity is transmitted, as explicit soft supersymmetry-breaking terms, to the effective Lagrangian of the standard electroweak model. The general structure of the soft supersymmetry breaking terms is presented and a new scenario for understanding the gauge hierarchy problem, based on the functional form of these terms, is discussed.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Four-Dimensional Higher-Derivative Supergravity and Spontaneous Supersymmetry Breaking

We construct two classes of higher-derivative supergravity theories generalizing Einstein supergravity. We explore their dynamical content as well as their vacuum structure. The first class is found to be equivalent to Einstein supergravity coupled to a single chiral superfield. It has a unique stable vacuum solution except in a special case, when it becomes identical to a simple no-scale theory. The second class is found to be equivalent to Einstein supergravity coupled to two chiral superfields and has a richer vacuum structure. It is demonstrated that theories of the second class can possess a stable vacuum with vanishing cosmological constant that spontaneously breaks supersymmetry. We present an explicit example of this phenomenon and compare the result with the Polonyi model.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Non-Trivial Vacua in Higher-Derivative Gravitation

A discussion of an extended class of higher-derivative classical theories of gravity is presented. A procedure is given for exhibiting the new propagating degrees of freedom, at the full non-linear level, by transforming the higher-derivative action to a canonical second-order form. For general fourth-order theories, described by actions which are general functions of the scalar curvature, the Ricci tensor and the full Riemann tensor, it is shown that the higher-derivative theories may have multiple stable vacua. The vacua are shown to be, in general, non-trivial, corresponding to deSitter or anti-deSitter solutions of the original theory. It is also shown that around any vacuum the elementary excitations remain the massless graviton, a massive scalar field and a massive ghost-like spin-two field. The analysis is extended to actions which are arbitrary functions of terms of the form $\nabla^{2k}R$, and it is shown that such theories also have a non-trivial vacuum structure.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Consistent Spin-Two Coupling and Quadratic Gravitation

A discussion of the field content of quadratic higher-derivative gravitation is presented, together with a new example of a massless spin-two field consistently coupled to gravity. The full quadratic gravity theory is shown to be equivalent to a canonical second-order theory of a massive scalar field, a massive spin-two symmetric tensor field and gravity. The conditions showing that the tensor field describes only spin-two degrees of freedom are derived. A limit of the second-order theory provides a new example of massless spin-two field consistently coupled to gravity. A restricted set of vacua of the second-order theory is also discussed. It is shown that flat-space is the only stable vacuum of this type, and that the spin-two field around flat space is unfortunately always ghost-like.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

String and M-Theory Cosmological Solutions with Ramond Forms

A general framework for studying a large class of cosmological solutions of the low-energy limit of type II string theory and of M-theory, with non-trivial Ramond form fields excited, is presented. The framework is applicable to spacetimes decomposable into a set of flat or, more generally, maximally symmetric spatial subspaces, with multiple non-trivial form fields spanning one or more of the subspaces. It is shown that the corresponding low-energy equations of motion are equivalent to those describing a particle moving in a moduli space consisting of the scale factors of the subspaces together with the dilaton. The choice of which form fields are excited controls the potential term in the particle equations. Two classes of exact solutions are given, those corresponding to exciting only a single form and those with multiple forms excited which correspond to Toda theories. Although typically these solutions begin or end in a curvature singularity, there is a subclass with positive spatial curvature which appears to be singularity free. Elements of this class are directly related to certain black p-brane solutions.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Stabilizing dilaton and moduli vacua in string and M--Theory cosmology

We show how non-trivial form fields can induce an effective potential for the dilaton and metric moduli in compactifications of type II string theory and M-theory. For particular configurations, the potential can have a stable minimum. In cosmological compactifications of type II theories, we demonstrate that, if the metric moduli become fixed, this mechanism can then lead to the stabilization of the dilaton vacuum. Furthermore, we show that for certain cosmological M-theory solutions, non-trivial forms lead to the stabilization of moduli. We present a number of examples, including cosmological solutions with two solitonic forms and examples corresponding to the infinite throat of certain p-branes.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Vector-Tensor multiplet in N=2 superspace with central charge

We use the four-dimensional N=2 central charge superspace to give a geometrical construction of the Abelian vector-tensor multiplet consisting, under N=1 supersymmetry, of one vector and one linear multiplet. We derive the component field supersymmetry and central charge transformations, and show that there is a super-Lagrangian, the higher components of which are all total derivatives, allowing us to construct superfield and component actions.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Cosmological Solutions of Type II String Theory

We study cosmological solutions of type II string theory with a metric of the Kaluza--Klein type and nontrivial Ramond--Ramond forms. It is shown that models with only one form excited can be integrated in general. Moreover, some interesting cases with two nontrivial forms can be solved completely since they correspond to Toda models. We find two types of solutions corresponding to a negative time superinflating phase and a positive time subluminal expanding phase. The two branches are separated by a curvature singularity. Within each branch the effect of the forms is to interpolate between different solutions of pure Kaluza--Klein theory.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Higher-Derivative Gravity in String Theory

We explicitly extract the structure of higher-derivative curvature-squared terms at genus 0 and 1 in the d=4 heterotic string effective action compactified on symmetric orbifolds by computing on-shell S-matrix superstring amplitudes. In particular, this is done within the context of calculating the graviton 4-point amplitude. We also discuss the moduli-dependent gravitational threshold corrections to the coupling associated with the CP even quadratic curvature terms.

hep-th↗
arXiv1995

Higher-Derivative Gravitation and a New Mechanism for Supersymmetry Breaking in Four-Dimensions

A discussion of the number of degrees of freedom, and their dynamical properties, in higher derivative gravitational theories is presented. The complete non-linear sigma model for these degrees of freedom is exhibited using the method of auxiliary fields. As a by-product we present a consistent non-linear coupling of a spin-2 tensor to gravitation. It is shown that non-vanishing $(C_{μναβ})^2$ terms arise in $N=1$, $D=4$ superstring Lagrangians due to one-loop radiative corrections with light field internal lines. We discuss the general form of quadratic $(1,1)$ supergravity in two dimensions, and show that this theory is equivalent to two scalar supermultiplets coupled to the usual Einstein supergravity. It is demonstrated that the theory possesses stable vacua with vanishing cosmological constant which spontaneously break supersymmetry. We then generalize this result to $N=1$ supergravity in four dimensions. Specifically, we demonstrate that a class of higher derivative supergravity theories is equivalent to two chiral supermultiplets coupled in a specific way to Einstein supergravity. These theories are shown to possess stable vacuum states with vanishing cosmological constant which spontaneously break the $N=1$ supersymmetry.

hep-th↗
arXiv1995

Higher-Derivative Gravitation in Bosonic and Superstring Theories

A discussion of the number of degrees of freedom, and their dynamical properties, in higher-derivative gravitational theories is presented. The complete non-linear sigma model for these degrees of freedom is exhibited using the method of auxiliary fields. As a by-product we present a consistent non-linear coupling of a spin-2 tensor to gravitation. It is shown that non-vanishing $(C_{μναβ})^{2}$ terms arise in $N=1$, $D=4$ superstring Lagrangians due to one-loop radiative corrections with light field internal lines.

hep-th↗
arXiv1995

Higher-Derivative Gravitation in Bosonic and Superstring Theories and a New Mechanism for Supersymmetry Breaking

A discussion of the number of degrees of freedom, and their dynamical properties, in higher derivative gravitational theories is presented. The complete non-linear sigma model for these degrees of freedom is exhibited using the method of auxiliary fields. As a by-product we present a consistent non-linear coupling of a spin-2 tensor to gravitation. It is shown that non-vanishing $(C_{μναβ})^{2}$ terms arise in $N=1$, $D=4$ superstring Lagrangians due to one-loop radiative corrections with light field internal lines. We discuss the general form of quadratic $(1,1)$ supergravity in two dimensions, and show that this theory is equivalent to two scalar supermultiplets coupled to the usual Einstein supergravity. It is demonstrated that the theory possesses stable vacua with vanishing cosmological constant which spontaneously break supersymmetry.

hep-th↗
arXiv1995

Higher Derivative Gravitation in Superstrings

A discussion of the number of degrees of freedom, and their dynamical properties, in higher derivative gravitational theories is presented. It is shown that non-vanishing $(C_{mnpq})^{2}$ terms arise in N=1, D=4 superstring Lagrangians due to one-loop radiative corrections with light field internal lines.

hep-th↗
arXiv1994

Moduli Dependent Non-Holomorphic Contributions of Massive States to Gravitational Couplings and $C^2$-Terms in $Z_N$-Orbifold Compactifications

It is pointed out that massive states in D=4, N=1 supergravity-matter theories can, in general, at the 1-loop level contribute non-holomorphic terms to quadratic gravitational couplings. It is then shown in the context of $(2,2)$-symmetric $Z_N$-orbifold theories that, for constant moduli backgrounds, the inclusion of such contributions can result in the cancellation of naked $C^2$-terms. ${\cal R}^2$-terms can also arise but, being ghost free, need not cancel.

hep-th↗
arXiv1993

Supersymmetric Calculation of Mixed KäHLER-Gauge and Mixed KäHLER-Lorentz Anomalies

We present a manifestly supersymmetric procedure for calculating the contributions from matter loops to the mixed Kähler-gauge and to the mixed Kähler- Lorentz anomalies in $N=1, D=4$ supergravity-matter systems. We show how this procedure leads to the well-known result for the mixed Kähler-gauge anomaly. For general supergravity-matter systems the mixed Kähler-Lorentz anomaly is found to contain a term proportional to ${\cal R}^2$ with a background field dependent coefficient as well as terms proportional to $(C_{mnpq})^2$ and to the Gauss-Bonnet topological density. We briefly comment on the relationship between the mixed Kähler-Lorentz anomaly and the moduli dependent threshold corrections to gravitational couplings in $Z_N$ orbifolds.

hep-th↗