arXiv subjects

Eric Bergshoeff

Publications and source records attributed to Eric Bergshoeff.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

An Action for Extended String Newton-Cartan Gravity

We construct an action for four-dimensional extended string Newton-Cartan gravity which is an extension of the string Newton-Cartan gravity that underlies nonrelativistic string theory. The action can be obtained as a nonrelativistic limit of the Einstein-Hilbert action in General Relativity augmented with a term that contains an auxiliary two-form and one-form gauge field that both have zero flux on-shell. The four-dimensional extended string Newton-Cartan gravity is based on a central extension of the algebra that underlies string Newton-Cartan gravity. The construction is similar to the earlier construction of a three-dimensional Chern-Simons action for extended Newton-Cartan gravity, which is based on a central extension of the algebra that underlies Newton-Cartan gravity. We show that this three-dimensional action is naturally obtained from the four-dimensional action by a reduction over the spatial isometry direction longitudinal to the string followed by a truncation of the extended string Newton-Cartan gravity fields. Our construction can be seen as a special case of the construction of an action for extended p-brane Newton-Cartan gravity in p+3 dimensions.

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arXiv2018

Nonrelativistic String Theory and T-Duality

Nonrelativistic string theory in flat spacetime is described by a two-dimensional quantum field theory with a nonrelativistic global symmetry acting on the worldsheet fields. Nonrelativistic string theory is unitary, ultraviolet complete and has a string spectrum and spacetime S-matrix enjoying nonrelativistic symmetry. The worldsheet theory of nonrelativistic string theory is coupled to a curved spacetime background and to a Kalb-Ramond two-form and dilaton field. The appropriate spacetime geometry for nonrelativistic string theory is dubbed string Newton-Cartan geometry, which is distinct from Riemannian geometry. This defines the sigma model of nonrelativistic string theory describing strings propagating and interacting in curved background fields. We also implement T-duality transformations in the path integral of this sigma model and uncover the spacetime interpretation of T-duality. We show that T-duality along the longitudinal direction of the string Newton-Cartan geometry describes relativistic string theory on a Lorentzian geometry with a compact lightlike isometry, which is otherwise only defined by a subtle infinite boost limit. This relation provides a first principles definition of string theory in the discrete light cone quantization (DLCQ) in an arbitrary background, a quantization that appears in nonperturbative approaches to quantum field theory and string/M-theory, such as in Matrix theory. T-duality along a transverse direction of the string Newton-Cartan geometry equates nonrelativistic string theory in two distinct, T-dual backgrounds.

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arXiv2017

Newton-Cartan Gravity and Torsion

We compare the gauging of the Bargmann algebra, for the case of arbitrary torsion, with the result that one obtains from a null-reduction of General Relativity. Whereas the two procedures lead to the same result for Newton-Cartan geometry with arbitrary torsion, the null-reduction of the Einstein equations necessarily leads to Newton-Cartan gravity with zero torsion. We show, for three space-time dimensions, how Newton-Cartan gravity with arbitrary torsion can be obtained by starting from a Schroedinger field theory with dynamical exponent z=2 for a complex compensating scalar and next coupling this field theory to a z=2 Schroedinger geometry with arbitrary torsion. The latter theory can be obtained from either a gauging of the Schroedinger algebra, for arbitrary torsion, or from a null-reduction of conformal gravity.

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arXiv2017

Carroll versus Galilei Gravity

We consider two distinct limits of General Relativity that in contrast to the standard non-relativistic limit can be taken at the level of the Einstein-Hilbert action instead of the equations of motion. One is a non-relativistic limit and leads to a so-called Galilei gravity theory, the other is an ultra-relativistic limit yielding a so-called Carroll gravity theory. We present both gravity theories in a first-order formalism and show that in both cases the equations of motion (i) lead to constraints on the geometry and (ii) are not sufficient to solve for all of the components of the connection fields in terms of the other fields. Using a second-order formalism we show that these independent components serve as Lagrange multipliers for the geometric constraints we found earlier. We point out a few noteworthy differences between Carroll and Galilei gravity and give some examples of matter couplings.

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arXiv2017

Three-dimensional Spin-3 Theories Based on General Kinematical Algebras

We initiate the study of non- and ultra-relativistic higher spin theories. For sake of simplicity we focus on the spin-3 case in three dimensions. We classify all kinematical algebras that can be obtained by all possible Inönü--Wigner contraction procedures of the kinematical algebra of spin-3 theory in three dimensional (anti-) de Sitter space-time. We demonstrate how to construct associated actions of Chern--Simons type, directly in the ultra-relativistic case and by suitable algebraic extensions in the non-relativistic case. We show how to give these kinematical algebras an infinite-dimensional lift by imposing suitable boundary conditions in a theory we call "Carroll Gravity", whose asymptotic symmetry algebra turns out to be an infinite-dimensional extension of the Carroll algebra.

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arXiv2016

Construction of the de Sitter supergravity

Recently, the complete action for an N=1 pure supergravity action in 4 dimensions that allows a positive, negative or zero cosmological constant has been constructed. The action is the generalization of a Volkov-Akulov action for the Goldstino coupled to supergravity. The construction uses a nilpotent multiplet. This paper is written in honour of Philippe Spindel. AVP enjoyed collaborations and many interactions with Philippe, who has always appreciated very precise derivations. We use this occasion to give a very detailed account of the calculations that lead to the published results. We review aspects of supersymmetry with de Sitter backgrounds, the treatment of auxiliary fields, and other ingredients in the construction.

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arXiv2015

Non-relativistic fields from arbitrary contracting backgrounds

We discuss a non-relativistic contraction of massive and massless field theories minimally coupled to gravity. Using the non-relativistic limiting procedure introduced in our previous work, we (re-)derive non-relativistic field theories of massive and massless spins 0 to 3/2 coupled to torsionless Newton-Cartan backgrounds. We elucidate the relativistic origin of the Newton-Cartan central charge gauge field $m_μ$ and explain its relation to particle number conservation.

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arXiv2015

Newton-Cartan supergravity with torsion and Schrödinger supergravity

We derive a torsionfull version of three-dimensional N=2 Newton-Cartan supergravity using a non-relativistic notion of the superconformal tensor calculus. The "superconformal" theory that we start with is Schrödinger supergravity which we obtain by gauging the Schrödinger superalgebra. We present two non-relativistic N=2 matter multiplets that can be used as compensators in the superconformal calculus. They lead to two different off-shell formulations which, in analogy with the relativistic case, we call "old minimal" and "new minimal" Newton-Cartan supergravity. We find similarities but also point out some differences with respect to the relativistic case.

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arXiv2015

Newton-Cartan (super)gravity as a non-relativistic limit

We define a procedure that, starting from a relativistic theory of supergravity, leads to a consistent, non-relativistic version thereof. As a first application we use this limiting procedure to show how the Newton-Cartan formulation of non-relativistic gravity can be obtained from general relativity. Then we apply it in a supersymmetric case and derive a novel, non-relativistic, off-shell formulation of three-dimensional Newton-Cartan supergravity.

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arXiv2015

The Third Way to 3D Gravity

Consistency of Einstein's gravitational field equation $G_{μν} \propto T_{μν}$ imposes a "conservation condition" on the $T$-tensor that is satisfied by (i) matter stress tensors, as a consequence of the matter equations of motion, and (ii) identically by certain other tensors, such as the metric tensor. However, there is a third way, overlooked until now because it implies a "non-geometrical" action: one {\it not} constructed from the metric and its derivatives alone. The new possibility is exemplified by the 3D "minimal massive gravity" model, which resolves the "bulk vs. boundary" unitarity problem of topologically massive gravity with anti-de Sitter asymptotics. Although all known examples of the third way are in three spacetime dimensions, the idea is general and could, in principle, apply to higher-dimensional theories.

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arXiv2015

The Symmetries of the Carroll Superparticle

Motivated by recent applications of Carroll symmetries we investigate the geometry of flat and curved (AdS) Carroll space and the symmetries of a particle moving in such a space both in the bosonic as well as in the supersymmetric case. In the bosonic case we find that the Carroll particle possesses an infinite-dimensional symmetry which only in the flat case includes dilatations. The duality between the Bargmann and Carroll algebra, relevant for the flat case, does not extend to the curved case. In the supersymmetric case we study the dynamics of the N=1 AdS Carroll superparticle. Only in the flat limit we find that the action is invariant under an infinite-dimensional symmetry that includes a supersymmetric extension of the Lifshitz Carroll algebra with dynamical exponent z=0. We also discuss in the flat case the extension to N=2 supersymmetry and show that the flat N=2 superparticle is equivalent to the (non-moving) N=1 superparticle and that therefore it is not BPS unlike its Galilei counterpart. This is due to the fact that in this case kappa-symmetry eliminates the linearized supersymmetry. In an appendix we discuss the N=2 curved case in three dimensions only and show that there are two N=2 theories that are physically different.

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arXiv2014

The Non-Relativistic Superparticle in a Curved Background

Using a component formulation, we construct the supersymmetric action for a superparticle in a three-dimensional Newton-Cartan supergravity background and clarify its symmetries. Our construction proceeds by first constructing the superparticle in a flat background. Next, by boosting up the background symmetries, we replace in a first step the flat background by a Galilean supergravity background. In a second step the Galilean supergravity background is replaced by a Newton-Cartan supergravity background. We extend our results by adding a supersymmetric cosmological constant and compare the non-relativistic superparticle with the relativistic kappa-symmetric three-dimensional superparticle.

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arXiv2014

3D Born-Infeld Gravity and Supersymmetry

We construct the most general parity-even higher-derivative N=1 off-shell supergravity model in three dimensions with a maximum of six derivatives. Excluding terms quadratic in the curvature tensor with two explicit derivatives and requiring the absence of ghosts in a linearized approximation around an AdS_3 background, we find that there is a unique supersymmetric invariant which we call supersymmetric `cubic extended' New Massive Gravity. The purely gravitational part of this invariant is in agreement with an earlier analysis based upon the holographic c-theorem and coincides with an expansion of Born-Infeld gravity to the required order. Our results lead us to propose an expression for the bosonic part of off-shell N=1 Born-Infeld supergravity in three dimensions that is free of ghosts. We show that different truncations of a perturbative expansion of this expression gives rise to the bosonic part of (i) Einstein supergravity; (ii) supersymmetric New Massive Gravity and (iii) supersymmetric `cubic extended' New Massive Gravity.

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arXiv2014

Minimal Massive 3D Gravity

We present an alternative to Topologically Massive Gravity (TMG) with the same "minimal" bulk properties; i.e. a single local degree of freedom that is realized as a massive graviton in linearization about an anti-de Sitter (AdS) vacuum. However, in contrast to TMG, the new "minimal massive gravity" has both a positive energy graviton and positive central charges for the asymptotic AdS-boundary conformal algebra.

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arXiv2014

Dynamics of Carroll Particles

We investigate particles whose dynamics is invariant under the Carroll group. Although a single free such Carroll particle has no non-trivial dynamics (`the Carroll particle does not move') we show that there exists non-trivial dynamics for a set of interacting Carroll particles. Furthermore, we gauge the Carroll algebra and couple the Carroll particle to these gauge fields. It turns out that for such a coupled system even a single Carroll particle can have non-trivial dynamics.

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arXiv2013

Weyl multiplets of N=2 conformal supergravity in five Dimensions

We construct the Weyl multiplets of N=2 conformal supergravity in five dimensions. We show that there exist two different versions of the Weyl multiplet, which contain the same gauge fields but differ in the matter field content: the Standard Weyl multiplet and the Dilaton Weyl multiplet. At the linearized level we obtain the transformation rules for the Dilaton Weyl multiplet by coupling it to the multiplet of currents corresponding to an on-shell vector multiplet. We construct the full non-linear transformation rules for both multiplets by gauging the D=5 superconformal algebra F^2(4). We show that the Dilaton Weyl multiplet can also be obtained by solving the equations of motion for an improved vector multiplet coupled to the Standard Weyl multiplet.

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arXiv2013

Dirac-Born-Infeld-Volkov-Akulov and Deformation of Supersymmetry

We deform the action and the supersymmetry transformations of the d=10 and d=4 Maxwell supermultiplets so that at each order of the deformation the theory has 16 Maxwell multiplet deformed supersymmetries as well as 16 Volkov-Akulov type non-linear supersymmetries. The result agrees with the expansion in the string tension of the explicit action of the Dirac-Born-Infeld model and its supersymmetries, extracted from D9 and D3 superbranes, respectively. The half-maximal Dirac-Born-Infeld models with 8 Maxwell supermultiplet deformed supersymmetries and 8 Volkov-Akulov type supersymmetries are described by a new class of d=6 vector branes related to chiral (2,0) supergravity, which we denote as `Vp-branes'. We use a space-filling V5 superbrane for the d=6 model and a V3 superbrane for the d=4 half-maximal Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) models. In this way we present a completion to all orders of the deformation of the Maxwell supermultiplets with maximal 16+16 supersymmetries in d=10 and 4, and half-maximal 8+8 supersymmetries in d=6 and 4.

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arXiv2012

Higher Derivative Extension of 6D Chiral Gauged Supergravity

Six-dimensional (1,0) supersymmetric gauged Einstein-Maxwell supergravity is extended by the inclusion of a supersymmetric Riemann tensor squared invariant. Both the original model as well as the Riemann tensor squared invariant are formulated off-shell and consequently the total action is off-shell invariant without modification of the supersymmetry transformation rules. In this formulation, superconformal techniques, in which the dilaton Weyl multiplet plays a crucial role, are used. It is found that the gauging of the U(1) R-symmetry in the presence of the higher-order derivative terms does not modify the positive exponential in the dilaton potential. Moreover, the supersymmetric Minkowski(4) x S^2 compactification of the original model, without the higher-order derivatives, is remarkably left intact. It is shown that the model also admits non-supersymmetric vacuum solutions that are direct product spaces involving de Sitter spacetimes and negative curvature internal spaces.

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