arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Eric A. Bergshoeff.
We construct, at the linearized level, the three-dimensional (3D) N = 4 supersymmetric "general massive supergravity" and the maximally supersymmetric N = 8 "new massive supergravity". We also construct the maximally supersymmetric linearized N = 7 topologically massive supergravity, although we expect N = 6 to be maximal at the non-linear level.
The general second-order massive field equations for arbitrary positive integer spin in three spacetime dimensions, and their "self-dual" limit to first-order equations, are shown to be equivalent to gauge-invariant higher-derivative field equations. We recover most known equivalences for spins 1 and 2, and find some new ones. In particular, we find a non-unitary massive 3D gravity theory with a 5th order term obtained by contraction of the Ricci and Cotton tensors; this term is part of an N=2 super-invariant that includes the "extended Chern-Simons" term of 3D electrodynamics. We also find a new unitary 6th order gauge theory for "self-dual" spin 3.
We construct the N=1 three-dimensional supergravity theory with cosmological, Einstein-Hilbert, Lorentz Chern-Simons, and general curvature squared terms. We determine the general supersymmetric configuration, and find a family of supersymmetric adS vacua with the supersymmetric Minkowski vacuum as a limiting case. Linearizing about the Minkowski vacuum, we find three classes of unitary theories; one is the supersymmetric extension of the recently discovered `massive 3D gravity'. Another is a `new topologically massive supergravity' (with no Einstein-Hilbert term) that propagates a single (2,3/2) helicity supermultiplet.
We improve on a recently constructed graphical representation of the supergravity 7-brane solution and apply this refined representation to re-study the open string description of the A-D-E-singularities in F-theory on K3. A noteworthy feature of the graphical representation is that it provides the complete global branch cut structure of the 7-brane solution which plays an important role in our analysis. We first identify those groups of branes which when made to coincide lead to the A-D-E-gauge groups. We next show that there is always a sufficient number of open BPS strings to account for all the generators of the gauge group. However, as we will show, there is in general no one-to-one relation between BPS strings and gauge group generators. For the D_{n+4}- and E-singularities, in order to relate BPS strings with gauge group generators, we make an SU(n+4), respectively SU(5) subgroup of the D_{n+4}- and E-gauge groups manifest. We find that only for the D-series (and for the standard A-series) this is sufficient to identify, in a one-to-one manner, which BPS strings correspond to which gauge group generators.
We explore the space of static solutions of the recently discovered three-dimensional `New Massive Gravity' (NMG), allowing for either sign of the Einstein-Hilbert term and a cosmological term parametrized by a dimensionless constant $λ$. For $λ=-1$ we find black hole solutions asymptotic (but not isometric) to the unique (anti) de Sitter vacuum, including extremal black holes that interpolate between this vacuum and (a)dS$_2 \times S^1$. We also investigate unitarity of linearized NMG in (a)dS vacua. We find unitary theories for some dS vacua, but (bulk) unitarity in adS implies negative central charge of the dual CFT, except for $λ=3$ where the central charge vanishes and the bulk gravitons are replaced by `massive photons'. A similar phenomenon is found in the massless limit of NMG, for which the linearized equations become equivalent to Maxwell's equations.
A particular higher-derivative extension of the Einstein-Hilbert action in three spacetime dimensions is shown to be equivalent at the linearized level to the (unitary) Pauli-Fierz action for a massive spin-2 field. A more general model, which also includes `topologically-massive' gravity as a special case, propagates the two spin 2 helicity states with different masses. We discuss the extension to massive ${\cal N}$-extended supergravity, and we present a `cosmological' extension that admits an anti-de Sitter vacuum.
We compute the complete 3- and 4-dimensional tensor hierarchies, i.e. sets of p-form fields, with $1\le p\le D$, which realize an off-shell algebra of bosonic gauge transformations. We show how these tensor hierarchies can be put on-shell by introducing a set of duality relations, thereby introducing additional scalars and a metric tensor. These so-called duality hierarchies encode the equations of motion of the bosonic part of the most general gauged supergravity theories in those dimensions, including the (projected) scalar equations of motion. We construct gauge-invariant actions that include all the fields in the tensor hierarchies. We elucidate the relation between the gauge transformations of the p-form fields in the action and those of the same fields in the tensor hierarchy.
We extend a recently proposed formulation of dual gravity to the case of eleven-dimensional supergravity. The supersymmetric action corresponding to this alternative formulation is given, and it is shown that it leads to a set of first-order duality relations from which all second-order equations of motion follow as integrability conditions. On top of the fields corresponding to the conjectured E11 symmetry the action features Stuckelberg gauge fields that facilitate the realization of arbitrary symmetries on the dual graviton. However, there is no gauge-fixing that allows to eliminate the Stuckelberg fields. Therefore, E11 by itself is not a symmetry of eleven-dimensional supergravity but has to be extended at least by the Stuckelberg symmetries.
We compare the dynamics of maximal three-dimensional gauged supergravity in appropriate truncations with the equations of motion that follow from a one-dimensional E10/K(E10) coset model at the first few levels. The constant embedding tensor, which describes gauge deformations and also constitutes an M-theoretic degree of freedom beyond eleven-dimensional supergravity, arises naturally as an integration constant of the geodesic model. In a detailed analysis, we find complete agreement at the lowest levels. At higher levels there appear mismatches, as in previous studies. We discuss the origin of these mismatches.
We construct a novel topologically massive abelian Chern-Simons gauge theory with 32 global supersymmetries in three spacetime dimensions. In spite of the 32 supercharges, the theory exhibits massive excitations only up to spin 1. The possibility of such a multiplet shortening is due to the presence of non-central R-symmetry generators in the Poincare superalgebra, whose supermultiplets are determined.
We show how three-dimensional superconformal theories for any number N <= 8 of supersymmetries can be obtained by taking a conformal limit of the corresponding three-dimensional gauged supergravity models. The superconformal theories are characterized by an embedding tensor that satisfies a linear and quadratic constraint. We analyze these constraints and give the general solutions for all cases. We find new N = 4,5 superconformal theories based on the exceptional Lie superalgebras F(4), G(3) and D(2|1;α). Using the supergravity connection we discuss which massive deformations to expect. As an example we work out the details for the case of N = 6 supersymmetry.
Starting from gauged N=8 supergravity in three dimensions we construct actions for multiple membranes by taking the limit to global supersymmetry for different choices of the embedding tensor. This provides a general framework that reproduces many recent results on multiple membrane actions as well as generalisations thereof. As examples we discuss conformal (non-conformal) gaugings leading to multiple M2-branes (D2-branes) and massive deformations of these systems.
We determine the gauge symmetries of all p-forms in maximal three-dimensional gauged supergravity by requiring invariance of the Lagrangian. It is shown that in a particular ungauged limit these symmetries are in precise correspondence to those predicted by the very-extended Kac-Moody algebra E11. We demonstrate that whereas in the ungauged limit the bosonic gauge algebra closes off-shell, the closure is only on-shell in the full gauged theory. This underlines the importance of dynamics for understanding the Kac-Moody origin of the symmetries of gauged supergravity.
We show that the Bagger-Lambert theory of multiple M2-branes fits into the general construction of maximally supersymmetric gauge theories using the embedding tensor technique. We apply the embedding tensor technique in order to systematically obtain the consistent gaugings of N=8 superconformal theories in 2+1 dimensions. This leads to the Bagger-Lambert theory, with the embedding tensor playing the role of the four-index antisymmetric tensor defining a ``3-algebra''. We present an alternative formulation of the theory in which the embedding tensor is replaced by a set of unrestricted scalar fields. By taking these scalar fields to be parity-odd, the Chern-Simons term can be made parity-invariant.
We consider the problem of finding a dual formulation of gravity in the presence of non-trivial matter couplings. In the absence of matter a dual graviton can be introduced only for linearised gravitational interactions. We show that the coupling of linearised gravity to matter poses obstructions to the usual construction and comment on possible resolutions of this difficulty.
We extend the system of ungauged N=2, d=4 supergravity coupled to vector multiplets and hypermultiplets with 2-form potentials. The maximal number of 2-form potentials that one may introduce is equal to the number of isometries of either the special Kaehler or quaternionic Kaehler sigma model. We show that the local supersymmetry algebra can be realized on the 2-form potentials. These 2-forms couple electrically to strings which we refer to as stringy cosmic strings. The 1/2 BPS bosonic world-sheet actions for these strings are constructed and we discuss the properties of the 1/2 BPS stringy cosmic string solutions.
We give a universal SL(2,R)-invariant expression for all IIB p-brane actions with p=-1,1,3,5,7,9. The Wess-Zumino terms in the brane actions are determined by requiring (i) target space gauge invariance and (ii) the presence of a single Born-Infeld vector. We find that for p=7 (p=9) brane actions with these properties only exist for orbits that contain the standard D7-brane (D9-brane). We comment about the actions for the other orbits.
We re-investigate the construction of half-supersymmetric 7-brane solutions of IIB supergravity. Our method is based on the requirement of having globally well-defined Killing spinors and the inclusion of SL(2,Z)-invariant source terms. In addition to the well-known solutions going back to Greene, Shapere, Vafa and Yau we find new supersymmetric configurations, containing objects whose monodromies are not related to the monodromy of a D7-brane by an SL(2,Z) transformation.