arXiv subjects

Paul K. Townsend

Publications and source records attributed to Paul K. Townsend.

110 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv1997

M-theory superalgebra from the M-5-brane

The algebra of Noether supercharges of the M-5-brane effective action is shown to include both 2-form and 5-form central charges. Surprisingly, only the 5-form charge is entirely due to the Wess-Zumino term because the `naive' algebra is the M-2-brane supertranslation algebra. The full structure of central charges is shown to be directly related to the projector arising in the proof of $κ$-symmetry of the M-5-brane action. It is also shown to allow `mixed' M-brane configurations preserving 1/2 supersymmetry that include the (non-marginal) M-2-brane/M-5-brane `bound state' as a special case.

hep-th↗

arXiv1996

D-brane Wess--Zumino actions, T-duality and the cosmological constant

A geometrical formulation of the T-duality rules for type II superstring Ramond--Ramond fields is presented. This is used to derive the Wess-Zumino terms in superstring D-brane actions, including terms proportional to the mass parameter of the IIA theory, thereby completing partial results in the literature. For non-abelian world-volume gauge groups the massive type IIA D-brane actions contain non-abelian Chern--Simons terms for the Born--Infeld gauge potential, implying a quantization of the IIA cosmological constant.

hep-th↗