arXiv subjects

Eric A. Bergshoeff

Publications and source records attributed to Eric A. Bergshoeff.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

On Topologically Massive Spin-2 Gauge Theories beyond Three Dimensions

We investigate in which sense, at the linearized level, one can extend the 3D topologically massive gravity theory beyond three dimensions. We show that, for each k=1,2,3... a free topologically massive gauge theory in 4k-1 dimensions can be defined describing a massive "spin-2" particle provided one uses a non-standard representation of the massive "spin-2" state which makes use of a two-column Young tableau where each column is of height 2k-1. We work out the case of k=2, i.e. 7D, and show, by canonical analysis, that the model describes, unitarily, 35 massive "spin-2" degrees of freedom. The issue of interactions is discussed and compared with the three-dimensional situation.

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arXiv2012

Three-Dimensional Tricritical Gravity

We consider a class of parity even, six-derivative gravity theories in three dimensions. After linearizing around anti-de Sitter space, the theories have one massless and two massive graviton solutions for generic values of the parameters. At a special, so-called tricritical, point in parameter space the two massive graviton solutions become massless and they are replaced by two solutions with logarithmic and logarithmic-squared boundary behavior. The theory at this point is conjectured to be dual to a rank-3 Logarithmic Conformal Field Theory (LCFT) whose boundary stress tensor, central charges and new anomaly we calculate. We also calculate the conserved Abbott-Deser-Tekin charges. At the tricritical point, these vanish for excitations that obey Brown-Henneaux and logarithmic boundary conditions, while they are generically non-zero for excitations that show logarithmic-squared boundary behavior. This suggests that a truncation of the tricritical gravity theory and its corresponding dual LCFT can be realized either via boundary conditions on the allowed gravitational excitations, or via restriction to a zero charge sub-sector. We comment on the structure of the truncated theory.

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arXiv2012

Supersymmetric Domain Walls

We classify the half-supersymmetric "domain walls", i.e. branes of codimension one, in toroidally compactified IIA/IIB string theory and show to which gauged supergravity theory each of these domain walls belong. We use as input the requirement of supersymmetric Wess-Zumino terms, the properties of the E11 Kac-Moody algebra and the embedding tensor formalism. We show that the number of half-supersymmetric domain walls is a multiple of the number of corresponding central charges in the supersymmetry algebra, where the multiplicity is related to the degeneracy of the BPS conditions.

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arXiv2012

On "New Massive" 4D Gravity

We construct a four-dimensional (4D) gauge theory that propagates, unitarily, the five polarization modes of a massive spin-2 particle. These modes are described by a "dual" graviton gauge potential and the Lagrangian is 4th-order in derivatives. As the construction mimics that of 3D "new massive gravity", we call this 4D model (linearized) "new massive dual gravity". We analyse its massless limit, and discuss similarities to the Eddington-Schroedinger model.

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arXiv2012

Unitary Truncations and Critical Gravity: a Toy Model

We investigate a higher-derivative scalar field model in a fixed d+1 dimensional AdS background as a toy model for a gravitational dual to a higher-rank logarithmic CFT. The holographic two-point correlation functions on the boundary agree with higher-rank LCFT correlation functions. For odd rank, the theory allows for a truncation to a nontrivial subspace with non-negative scalar product. We discuss possible implications for higher-derivative critical gravity theories.

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arXiv2012

Brane orbits

We complete the classification of half-supersymmetric branes in toroidally compactified IIA/IIB string theory in terms of representations of the T-duality group. As a by-product we derive a last wrapping rule for the space-filling branes. We find examples of T-duality representations of branes in lower dimensions, suggested by supergravity, of which none of the component branes follow from the reduction of any brane in ten-dimensional IIA/IIB string theory. We discuss the constraints on the charges of half-supersymmetric branes, determining the corresponding T-duality and U-duality orbits.

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arXiv2011

A spin-4 analog of 3D massive gravity

A 6th-order, but ghost-free, gauge-invariant action is found for a 4th-rank symmetric tensor potential in a three-dimensional (3D) Minkowski spacetime. It propagates two massive modes of spin 4 that are interchanged by parity, and is thus a spin-4 analog of linearized "new massive gravity". Also found are ghost-free spin-4 analogs of linearized "topologically massive gravity" and "new topologically massive gravity", of 5th- and 8th-order respectively.

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arXiv2011

The D-brane U-scan

We consider the D-branes that occur in IIA/IIB string theory compactified on a torus. We review how a general expression for the Wess-Zumino term of such branes is derived. We also review the method to determine the D-brane Wess-Zumino term in a U-duality covariant way, and we apply it to derive all the branes obtained by transforming the D-branes under U-duality in any dimension above five. We finally determine all the supersymmetric branes supporting worldvolume tensor multiplets that occur in these theories in any dimension.

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arXiv2011

Branes and wrapping rules

We show that the branes of ten-dimensional IIA/IIB string theory must satisfy, upon toroidal compactification, specific wrapping rules in order to reproduce the number of supersymmetric branes that follows from a supergravity analysis. The realization of these wrapping rules suggests that IIA/IIB string theory contains a whole class of generalized Kaluza-Klein monopoles.

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arXiv2011

Off-shell D=5, N=2 Riemann Squared Supergravity

We construct a new off-shell invariant in N=2, D=5 supergravity whose leading term is the square of the Riemann tensor. It contains a gravitational Chern-Simons term involving the vector field that belongs to the supergravity multiplet. The action is obtained by mapping the transformation rules of a spin connection with bosonic torsion and a set of curvatures to the fields of the Yang-Mills multiplet with gauge group SO(4,1). We also employ the circle reduction of an action that describes locally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in six dimensions.

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arXiv2011

A Non-relativistic Logarithmic Conformal Field Theory from a Holographic Point of View

We study a fourth-order derivative scalar field configuration in a fixed Lifshitz background. Using an auxiliary field we rewrite the equations of motion as two coupled second order equations. We specialize to the limit that the mass of the scalar field degenerates with that of the auxiliary field and show that logarithmic modes appear. Using non-relativistic holographic methods we calculate the two-point correlation functions of the boundary operators in this limit and find evidence for a non-relativistic logarithmic conformal field theory at the boundary.

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arXiv2011

String Solitons and T-duality

We construct for arbitrary dimensions a universal T-duality covariant expression for the Wess-Zumino terms of supersymmetric String Solitons in toroidally compactified string theories with 32 supercharges. The worldvolume fields occurring in the effective action of these String Solitons form either a vector or a tensor multiplet with 16 supercharges. We determine the dimensions of the conjugacy classes under T-duality to which these String Solitons belong. We do this in two steps. First, we determine the T-duality representations of the $p$-forms of maximal supergravities that contain the potentials that couple to these String Solitons. We find that these are p-forms, with D-4\le p\le 6 if D \ge 6 and with D-4\le p\le D if D < 6, transforming in the antisymmetric representation of rank m=p+4-D\le 4 of the T-duality symmetry SO(10-D,10-D). All branes support vector multiplets except when m=10-D. In that case the T-duality representation splits, for D<10, into a selfdual and anti-selfdual part, corresponding to 5-branes supporting either a vector or a tensor multiplet. In a second step we show that only certain well-defined lightlike directions in the anti-symmetric tensor representations of the T-duality group correspond to supersymmetric String Solitons. These lightlike directions define the conjugacy classes. As a by-product we show how by a straightforward procedure all solitonic fields of maximal supergravity are derived using the Kac-Moody algebra E(11).

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arXiv2011

Dual doubled geometry

We probe doubled geometry with dual fundamental branes, i.e. solitons. Restricting ourselves first to solitonic branes with more than two transverse directions we find that the doubled geometry requires an effective wrapping rule for the solitonic branes which is dual to the wrapping rule for fundamental branes. This dual wrapping rule can be understood by the presence of Kaluza-Klein monopoles. Extending our analysis to supersymmetric solitonic branes with less than or equal to two transverse directions we show that such solitons are precisely obtained by applying the same dual wrapping rule to these cases as well. This extended wrapping rule can not be explained by the standard Kaluza-Klein monopole alone. Instead, it suggests the existence of a class of generalized Kaluza-Klein monopoles in ten-dimensional string theory.

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arXiv2011

Modes of Log Gravity

The physical modes of a recently proposed D-dimensional "critical gravity", linearized about its anti-de Sitter vacuum, are investigated. All "log mode" solutions, which we categorize as `spin 2' or `Proca', arise as limits of the massive spin 2 modes of the non-critical theory. The linearized Einstein tensor of a spin 2 log mode is itself a 'non-gauge' solution of the linearized Einstein equations whereas the linearized Einstein tensor of a Proca mode takes the form of a linearized general coordinate transformation. Our results suggest the existence of a holographically dual logarithmic conformal field theory.

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arXiv2010

More on Massive 3D Supergravity

Completing earlier work on three dimensional (3D) N=1 supergravity with curvature-squared terms, we construct the general supergravity extension of cosmological massive gravity theories. We expand about supersymmetric anti-de Sitter vacua, finding the conditions for bulk unitarity and the critical points in parameter space at which the spectrum changes. We discuss implications for the dual conformal field theory.

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arXiv2010

On Critical Massive (Super)Gravity in adS3

We review the status of three-dimensional "general massive gravity" (GMG) in its linearization about an anti-de Sitter (adS) vacuum, focusing on critical points in parameter space that yield generalizations of "chiral gravity". We then show how these results extend to N=1 super-GMG, expanded about a supersymmetric adS vacuum, and also to the most general `curvature-squared' N=1 supergravity model.

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arXiv2010

D-Brane Wess-Zumino Terms and U-Duality

We construct gauge-invariant and U-duality covariant expressions for Wess-Zumino terms corresponding to general Dp-branes (for any p<D) in arbitrary 2<D<11 dimensions. A distinguishing feature of these Wess-Zumino terms is that they contain twice as many scalars as the 10-D compactified dimensions, in line with doubled geometry. We find that for D<10 the charges of the higher-dimensional branes can all be expressed as products of the 0-brane charges, which include the D0-brane and the NS-NS 0-brane charges. We give the general expressions for these charges and show how they determine the non-trivial conjugacy class to which some of the higher-dimensional D-branes belong.

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arXiv2010

Gravitons in Flatland

We review some features of three-dimensional (3D) massive gravity theories. In particular, we stress the role of the Schouten tensor, explore an analogy with Lovelock gravity and discuss renormalizabilty.

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