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Paolo Pasti

Publications and source records attributed to Paolo Pasti.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Wilson Loops on Riemann Surfaces, Liouville Theory and Covariantization of the Conformal Group

The covariantization procedure is usually referred to the translation operator, that is the derivative. Here we introduce a general method to covariantize arbitrary differential operators, such as the ones defining the fundamental group of a given manifold. We focus on the differential operators representing the sl(2,R) generators, which in turn, generate, by exponentiation, the two-dimensional conformal transformations. A key point of our construction is the recent result on the closed forms of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula. In particular, our covariantization receipt is quite general. This has a deep consequence since it means that the covariantization of the conformal group is {\it always definite}. Our covariantization receipt is quite general and apply in general situations, including AdS/CFT. Here we focus on the projective unitary representations of the fundamental group of a Riemann surface, which may include elliptic points and punctures, introduced in the framework of noncommutative Riemann surfaces. It turns out that the covariantized conformal operators are built in terms of Wilson loops around Poincaré geodesics, implying a deep relationship between gauge theories on Riemann surfaces and Liouville theory.

hep-th

Covariant actions for models with non-linear twisted self-duality

We describe a systematic way of the generalization, to models with non-linear duality, of the space-time covariant and duality-invariant formulation of duality-symmetric theories in which the covariance of the action is ensured by the presence of a single auxiliary scalar field. It is shown that the duality-symmetric action should be invariant under the two local symmetries characteristic of this approach, which impose constraints on the form of the action similar to those of Gaillard and Zumino and in the non-covariant formalism. We show that the (twisted) self-duality condition obtained from this action upon integrating its equations of motion can always be recast in a manifestly covariant form which is independent of the auxiliary scalar and thus corresponds to the conventional on-shell duality-symmetric covariant description of the same model. Supersymmetrization of this construction is briefly discussed.

hep-th

BLG-motivated Lagrangian formulation for the chiral two-form gauge field in D=6 and M5-branes

We reveal non-manifest gauge and SO(1,5) Lorentz symmetries in the Lagrangian description of a six-dimensional free chiral field derived from the Bagger-Lambert-Gustavsson model in arXiv:0804.3629 and make this formulation covariant with the use of a triplet of auxiliary scalar fields. We consider the coupling of this self-dual construction to gravity and its supersymmetrization. In the case of the non-linear model of arXiv:0805.2898 we solve the equations of motion of the gauge field, prove that its non-linear field strength is self-dual and find a gauge-covariant form of the non-linear action. Issues of the relation of this model to the known formulations of the M5-brane worldvolume theory are discussed.

hep-th

Compactified Strings as Quantum Statistical Partition Function on the Jacobian Torus

We show that the solitonic contribution of compactified strings corresponds to the quantum statistical partition function of a free particle living on higher dimensional spaces. In the simplest case of a compactification in a circle, the Hamiltonian corresponds to the Laplacian on the 2g-dimensional Jacobian torus associated to the genus g Riemann surface corresponding to the string worldsheet. T-duality leads to a symmetry of the partition function mixing time and temperature. Such a classical/quantum correspondence and T-duality shed some light on the well-known interplay between time and temperature in QFT and classical statistical mechanics.

hep-th

Superfield Theories in Tensorial Superspaces and the Dynamics of Higher Spin Fields

We present the superfield generalization of free higher spin equations in tensorial superspaces and analyze tensorial supergravities with GL(n) and SL(n) holonomy as a possible framework for the construction of a non-linear higher spin field theory. Surprisingly enough, we find that the most general solution of the supergravity constraints is given by a class of superconformally flat and OSp(1|n)-related geometries. Because of the conformal symmetry of the supergravity constraints and of the higher spin field equations such geometries turn out to be trivial in the sense that they cannot generate a `minimal' coupling of higher spin fields to their potentials even in curved backgrounds with a non-zero cosmological constant. This suggests that the construction of interacting higher spin theories in this framework might require an extension of the tensorial superspace with additional coordinates such as twistor-like spinor variables which are used to construct the OSp(1|2n) invariant (`preonic') superparticle action in tensorial superspace.

hep-th

Geometrical aspects of superbrane dynamics

The geometrical (superembedding) approach is used as a tool for deriving from the worldvolume dynamics of superbranes field theoretical models exhibiting partial supersymmetry breaking. In this way we obtain nonlinear actions for Goldstone superfields associated with physical degrees of freedom of the superbranes.

hep-th

Superembeddings, Partial Supersymmetry Breaking and Superbranes

It is advocated that the superembedding approach is a generic covariant method for the description of superbranes as models of (partial) spontaneous supersymmetry breaking. As an illustration we construct (in the framework of superembeddings) an n=1, d=3 worldvolume superfield action for a supermembrane propagating in N=1, D=4,5,7 and 11-dimensional supergravity backgrounds. We then show how in the case of an N=1, D=4 target superspace gauge fixing local worldvolume superdiffeomorphisms in the covariant supermembrane action results in an effective N=2, d=3 supersymmetric field theory with N=2 supersymmetry being spontaneously broken down to N=1. The broken part of N=2, d=3 supersymmetry is nonlinearly realized when acting on Goldstone N=1, d=3 superfields, which describe physical degrees of freedom of the model. As an introduction to the formalism, the procedure of getting effective field theories with partially broken supersymmetry by gauge fixing covariant superbrane actions is also demonstrated with a simpler example of a massive N=2, D=2 superparticle.

hep-th

Branes in Super-AdS Backgrounds and Superconformal Theories

We demonstrate how actions for interacting superconformal field theories in (p+1)-dimensions arise as a result of gauge fixing worldvolume diffeomorphisms and fermionic kappa-symmetry in actions for super-p-branes propagating in superbackgrounds of AdS(p+2)xS(D-p-2) geometry. The method of nonlinear realizations and coset spaces is used for getting an explicit form of supervielbeins and superconnections of the AdSxS superbackgrounds, which are required for the construction of the superconformal theories. Subtleties of consistent gauge fixing worldvolume symmetries of the branes are discussed.

hep-th

On gauge-fixed superbrane actions in AdS superbackgrounds

To construct actions for describing superbranes propagating in AdS x S superbackgrounds we propose a coset space realization of these superbackgrounds which results in a short polynomial fermionic dependence (up to the sixth power in Grassmann coordinates) of target superspace supervielbeins and superconnections. Gauge fixing kappa-symmetry in a way compatible with a static brane solution further reduces the fermionic dependence down to the fourth power. Subtleties of consistent gauge fixing worldvolume diffeomorphisms and kappa-symmetry of the superbrane actions are discussed.

hep-th

Superbrane Actions and Geometrical Approach

We review a generic structure of conventional (Nambu-Goto and Dirac-Born-Infeld-like) worldvolume actions for the superbranes and show how it is connected through a generalized action construction with a doubly supersymmetric geometrical approach to the description of super-p-brane dynamics as embedding world supersurfaces into target superspaces.

hep-th

Covariant Action for a D=11 Five-Brane with the Chiral Field

We propose a complete Born-Infeld-like action for a bosonic 5-brane with the worldvolume chiral field in a background of gravitational and antisymmetric gauge fields of D=11 supergravity. When the five-brane couples to a three-rank antisymmetric gauge field local worldvolume symmetries of the five-brane require the addition to the action of an appropriate Wess-Zumino term. To preserve general coordinate and Lorentz invariance of the model we introduce a single auxiliary scalar field. The auxiliary field can be eliminated by gauge fixing a corresponding local symmetry at the price of the loss of manifest d=6 worldvolume covariance. The double dimensional reduction of the five-brane model results in the Born-Infeld action with the Wess-Zumino term for a D=10 four-D-brane.

hep-th

On the equivalence of different formulations of the M Theory five--brane

We show that the field equations for the supercoordinates and the self--dual antisymmetric tensor field derived from the recently constructed kappa-invariant action for the M theory five-brane are equivalent to the equations of motion obtained in the doubly supersymmetric geometrical approach at the worldvolume component level.

hep-th

On Lorentz Invariant Actions for Chiral P-Forms

We demonstrate how a Lorentz covariant formulation of the chiral p-form model in D=2(p+1) containing infinitely many auxiliary fields is related to a Lorentz covariant formulation with only one auxiliary scalar field entering a chiral p-form action in a nonpolynomial way. The latter can be regarded as a consistent Lorentz-covariant truncation of the former. We make the Hamiltonian analysis of the model based on the nonpolynomial action and show that the Dirac constraints have a simple form and are all of the first class. In contrast to the Siegel model the constraints are not the square of second-class constraints. The canonical Hamiltonian is quadratic and determines energy of a single chiral p-form. In the case of d=2 chiral scalars the constraint can be improved by use of `twisting' procedure (without the loss of the property to be of the first class) in such a way that the central charge of the quantum constraint algebra is zero. This points to possible absence of anomaly in an appropriate quantum version of the model.

hep-th

Comment on covariant duality symmetric actions

We demonstrate that an action proposed by A. Khoudeir and N. R. Pantoja in {\sl Phys. Rev.} {\bf D53}, 5974 (1996) for endowing Maxwell theory with manifest electric--magnetic duality symmetry contains, besides the Maxwell field, additional propagating vector degrees of freedom. Hence it cannot be considered as a duality symmetric action for a {\it single} abelian gauge field.

hep-th

Space-Time Symmetries in Duality Symmetric Models

A way of covariantizing duality symmetric actions is proposed. As examples considered are a manifestly space-time invariant duality--symmetric action for abelian gauge fields coupled to axion-dilaton fields and gravity in D=4, and a Lorentz-invariant action for chiral bosons in D=2. The latter is shown to admit a manifestly supersymmetric generalization for describing chiral superfields in n=(1,0) D=2 superspace.

hep-th