arXiv subjects

Franz Ciceri

Publications and source records attributed to Franz Ciceri.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Minimal Massive Gravity Coupled to Higher Spins

Among three-dimensional massive gravities, Minimal Massive Gravity (MMG) is distinguished by a parameter regime in which the AdS bulk theory and the dual conformal field theory can be simultaneously unitary. We couple MMG to a finite tower of higher-spins by promoting the fields of its first-order formulation to $\mathfrak{sl}(N)$-valued ones. We also present an extended formulation involving a group-valued Stückelberg scalar, which realizes the higher-spin translations broken by the massive deformation. We then construct AdS$_2\times$S$^1$ solutions carrying higher-spin hair specific to the massive theory. Finally, we analyse the mass spectrum of the higher-spin modes around AdS$_3$.

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arXiv2026

The matrix edge of holography

The IKKT matrix model arises at the extremal $p= -1$ limit of holographic dualities based on D$p$-brane geometries. We review the one-dimensional maximal supergravity that governs bulk fluctuations dual to the lowest BPS multiplet of gauge-invariant operators in the IKKT model. We present the Killing spinor equations and discuss their general half-supersymmetric solutions within the $\rm{SO}(3)\times \rm{SO}(7)$-invariant subsector. The explicit uplift of these solutions to Euclidean IIB supergravity in ten dimensions is provided.

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arXiv2025

Holography for the IKKT matrix model

Holographic dualities that relate type II strings on near-horizon Dp brane geometries to super Yang-Mills theories with sixteen supercharges in p+1 dimensions provide non-conformal generalizations of the famous AdS/CFT correspondence. For the extremal case p=-1, this suggests a holographic duality for the IKKT matrix model - super Yang-Mills theory reduced to zero dimensions. Despite intriguing and highly non-trivial results in the IKKT model, this duality has remained largely unexplored so far. In this letter, we consider the lowest supermultiplet of gauge invariant operators of the model and identify its states with the lowest Kaluza-Klein fluctuations of (Euclidean) IIB supergravity on the D(-1) instanton background. We construct its holographic bulk realization as a one-dimensional maximal supergravity with 32 supercharges and local SO(10) invariance, capturing the full non-linear dynamics. Analyzing the bulk Killing spinor equations, we construct a general class of half-supersymmetric solutions, which typically break SO(10). We present their uplifts to IIB supergravity, and furthermore to pp-waves in twelve dimensions. These results provide the minimal setup for conducting precision tests of holography involving Einstein gravity.

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arXiv2025

A supergravity dual for IKKT holography

The IKKT matrix model, from the holographic perspective, arises at the p=-1 endpoint of the family of dualities relating type II supergravities on near-horizon Dp-brane geometries to (p+1)-dimensional super Yang-Mills theories with sixteen supercharges. In this work, we detail and expand results reported in a recent letter by establishing the holographic dictionary between gauge-invariant operators in the lowest BPS multiplet of the matrix model and the corresponding Kaluza-Klein fluctuations of Euclidean IIB supergravity compactified on the D(-1) instanton background. The full non-linear dynamics of these fluctuations can be encoded in a one-dimensional maximal gauged supergravity, which we construct explicitly. We provide its complete Lagrangian, up to second order in fermions, together with the corresponding supersymmetry transformations. We further discuss real forms of the theory for non-compact gauge groups and their embeddings into ten-dimensional supergravities with Lorentzian signature. From the analysis of the one-dimensional Killing spinor equations, we derive different classes of half-supersymmetric solutions, and discuss their uplifts as well as their relations to known solutions.

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arXiv2025

Torus reduction of maximal conformal supergravity

We consider the dimensional reduction of N=(2,0) conformal supergravity in six dimensions on a two-torus to N=4 conformal supergravity in four dimensions. At the level of kinematics, the six-dimensional Weyl multiplet is shown to reduce to a mixture of the N=4 Weyl and vector multiplets, which can be reinterpreted as a new off-shell multiplet of N=4 conformal supergravity. Similar multiplets have been constructed in other settings and are referred to as dilaton Weyl multiplets. We derive it here for the first time in a maximally supersymmetric context in four dimensions. Furthermore, we present the non-linear relations between all the six- and four-dimensional bosonic and fermionic fields, that are obtained by comparing the off-shell supersymmetry transformation rules.

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arXiv2024

Consistent truncation of eleven-dimensional supergravity on $S^8\times S^1$

Eleven-dimensional supergravity on $S^8\times S^1$ is conjectured to be dual to the M-theory matrix model. We prove that the dynamics of a subset of fluctuations around this background is consistently described by D=2 SO(9) gauged maximal supergravity. We provide the full non-linear uplift formulae for all bosonic fields. We also present a further truncation to the SO(3)$\times$SO(6) invariant sector and discuss its relation to the BMN matrix model at finite temperature. The construction relies on the framework of generalised Scherk-Schwarz reductions, established for E$_9$ exceptional field theory in a companion paper. As a by-product, we severely constrain the most general gauge deformations in D=2 admitting an uplift to higher dimensions.

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arXiv2024

Maximal D=2 supergravities from higher dimensions

We develop in detail the general framework of consistent Kaluza-Klein truncations from D=11 and type II supergravities to gauged maximal supergravities in two dimensions. In particular, we unveil the complete bosonic dynamics of all gauged maximal supergravities that admit a geometric uplift. Our construction relies on generalised Scherk-Schwarz reductions of E$_9$ exceptional field theory. The application to the reduction of D=11 supergravity on $S^8\times S^1$ to SO(9) gauged supergravity is presented in a companion paper.

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arXiv2023

Consistent sphere reductions of gravity to two dimensions

Consistent reductions of higher-dimensional (matter-coupled) gravity theories on spheres have been constructed and classified in an important paper by Cvetič, Lü and Pope. We close a gap in the classification and study the case when the resulting lower-dimensional theory is two-dimensional. We construct the consistent reduction of Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton gravity on a $d$-sphere $S^d$ to two-dimensional dilaton-gravity coupled to a gauged sigma model with target space ${\rm SL}(d+1)/{\rm SO}(d+1)$. The truncation contains solutions of type AdS$_2\times Σ_d$ where the internal space $Σ_d$ is a deformed sphere. In particular, the construction includes the consistent truncation around the near-horizon geometry of the boosted Kerr string. In turn, we find that an AdS$_2\times S^d$ background with the round $S^d$ within a consistent truncation requires $d>3$ and an additional cosmological term in the higher-dimensional theory.

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arXiv2022

Consistent Kaluza-Klein truncations and two-dimensional gauged supergravity

We consider generalized Scherk-Schwarz reductions of E$_9$ exceptional field theory to D=2 space-time dimensions and in particular construct the resulting scalar potential of all gauged supergravities that can be obtained in this way. This provides the first general expression for a multitude of theories with an interesting structure of vacua, covering potentially many new AdS$_2$ cases. As an application, we prove the consistency of the truncation of eleven-dimensional supergravity on $S^8\times S^1$ to SO(9) gauged maximal supergravity. Fluctuations around its supersymmetric SO(9)-invariant vacuum describe holographically the dynamics of interacting D0-branes.

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arXiv2021

E$_9$ exceptional field theory II. The complete dynamics

We construct the first complete exceptional field theory that is based on an infinite-dimensional symmetry group. E$_9$ exceptional field theory provides a unified description of eleven-dimensional and type IIB supergravity covariant under the affine Kac-Moody symmetry of two-dimensional maximal supergravity. We present two equivalent formulations of the dynamics, which both rely on a pseudo-Lagrangian supplemented by a twisted self-duality equation. One formulation involves a minimal set of fields and gauge symmetries, which uniquely determine the entire dynamics. The other formulation extends $\mathfrak{e}_9$ by half of the Virasoro algebra and makes direct contact with the integrable structure of two-dimensional supergravity. Our results apply directly to other affine Kac-Moody groups, such as the Geroch group of general relativity.

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arXiv2019

N=4 conformal supergravity: the complete actions

The most general class of 4D N=4 conformal supergravity actions depends on a holomorphic function of the scalar fields that parametrize an SU(1,1)/U(1) coset space. The bosonic sector of these actions was presented in a letter [arXiv:1609.09083]. Here we provide the complete actions to all orders in the fermion fields. They rely upon a new N=4 density formula, which permits a direct but involved construction. This density formula also recovers the on-shell action for vector multiplets coupled to conformal supergravity. Applications of these results in the context of Poincaré supergravity are briefly discussed.

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arXiv2018

E$_9$ exceptional field theory I. The potential

We construct the scalar potential for the exceptional field theory based on the affine symmetry group E$_9$. The fields appearing in this potential live formally on an infinite-dimensional extended spacetime and transform under E$_9$ generalised diffeomorphisms. In addition to the scalar fields expected from D=2 maximal supergravity, the invariance of the potential requires the introduction of new constrained scalar fields. Other essential ingredients in the construction include the Virasoro algebra and indecomposable representations of E$_9$. Upon solving the section constraint, the potential reproduces the dynamics of either eleven-dimensional or type IIB supergravity in the presence of two isometries.

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arXiv2017

Construction of all N=4 conformal supergravities

All N=4 conformal supergravities in four space-time dimensions are constructed. These are the only N=4 supergravity theories whose actions are invariant under off-shell supersymmetry. They are encoded in terms of a holomorphic function that is homogeneous of zeroth degree in scalar fields that parametrize an SU(1,1)/U(1) coset space. When this function equals a constant the Lagrangian is invariant under continuous SU(1,1) transformations. The construction of these higher-derivative invariants also opens the door to various applications for non-conformal theories.

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arXiv2016

Double Field Theory at SL(2) angles

An extended field theory is presented that captures the full SL(2) x O(6,6+n) duality group of four-dimensional half-maximal supergravities. The theory has section constraints whose two inequivalent solutions correspond to minimal D=10 supergravity and chiral half-maximal D=6 supergravity, respectively coupled to vector and tensor multiplets. The relation with O(6,6+n) (heterotic) double field theory is thoroughly discussed. Non-Abelian interactions as well as background fluxes are captured by a deformation of the generalised diffeomorphisms. Finally, making use of the SL(2) duality structure, it is shown how to generate gaugings with non-trivial de Roo-Wagemans angles via generalised Scherk-Schwarz ansaetze. Such gaugings allow for moduli stabilisation including the SL(2) dilaton.

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arXiv2016

The exceptional story of massive IIA supergravity

The framework of exceptional field theory is extended by introducing consistent deformations of its generalised Lie derivative. For the first time, massive type IIA supergravity is reproduced geometrically as a solution of the section constraint. This provides a unified description of all ten- and eleven-dimensional maximal supergravities. The action of the E7 deformed theory is constructed, and reduces to those of exceptional field theory and gauged maximal supergravity in respective limits. The relation of this new framework to other approaches for generating the Romans mass non-geometrically is discussed.

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arXiv2015

Towards the full N=4 conformal supergravity action

Based on the known non-linear transformation rules of the Weyl multiplet fields, the action of $N=4$ conformal supergravity is constructed up to terms quadratic in the fermion fields. The bosonic sector corrects a recent result in the literature.

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arXiv2015

IIB Supergravity and the E6(6) covariant vector-tensor hierarchy

IIB supergravity is reformulated with a manifest local USp(8) invariance that makes the embedding of five-dimensional maximal supergravities transparent. In this formulation the ten-dimensional theory exhibits all the 27 one-form fields and 22 of the 27 two-form fields that are required by the vector-tensor hierarchy of the five-dimensional theory. The missing 5 two-form fields must transform in the same representation as a descendant of the ten-dimensional `dual graviton'. The invariant E6(6) symmetric tensor that appears in the vector-tensor hierarchy is reproduced. Generalized vielbeine are derived from the supersymmetry transformations of the vector fields, as well as consistent expressions for the USp(8) covariant fermion fields. Implications are discussed for the consistency of the truncation of IIB supergravity compactified on the five-sphere to maximal gauged supergravity in five space-time dimensions with an SO(6) gauge group.

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