arXiv subjects

S. Ferrara

Publications and source records attributed to S. Ferrara.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

Four curious supergravities

We consider four supergravities with 16+16, 32+32, 64+64, 128+128 degrees of freedom displaying some curious properties: (1) They exhibit minimal supersymmetry (N=1, 2, 2, 1) but maximal rank (r=7, 6, 4, 0) of the scalar coset in D=4, 5, 7, 11. (2) They couple naturally to supermembranes and admit these membranes as solutions. (3) Although the D=4, 5, 7 supergravities follow from truncating the maximally supersymmetric ones, there nevertheless exist M-theory compactifications with G2, SU(3), SU(2) holonomy having these supergravities as their massless sectors. (4) They reduce to N=1, 2, 4, 8 theories all with maximum rank 7 in D=4 which (5) correspond to 0, 1, 3, 7 lines of the Fano plane and hence admit a division algebra (R,C,H,O) interpretation consistent with the black-hole/qubit correspondence, (6) are generalized self-mirror and hence (7) have vanishing on-shell trace anomaly.

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arXiv2010

Generalized mirror symmetry and trace anomalies

We consider compactification of M-theory on X7 with betti numbers (b_0, b_1, b_2, b_3, b_3, b_2, b_1, b_0) and define a generalized mirror symmetry (b_0, b_1, b_2, b_3) goes to (b_0, b_1, b_2 -rho/2, b_3+rho/2)$ under which rho = 7b_0-5b_1+3b_2 -b_3 changes sign. Generalized self-mirror theories with rho=0 have massless sectors with vanishing trace anomaly (before dualization). Examples include pure supergravity with N \geq 4 and supergravity plus matter with N \leq 4.

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arXiv2010

Observations on Integral and Continuous U-duality Orbits in N=8 Supergravity

One would often like to know when two a priori distinct extremal black p-brane solutions are in fact U-duality related. In the classical supergravity limit the answer for a large class of theories has been known for some time. However, in the full quantum theory the U-duality group is broken to a discrete subgroup and the question of U-duality orbits in this case is a nuanced matter. In the present work we address this issue in the context of N=8 supergravity in four, five and six dimensions. The purpose of this note is to present and clarify what is currently known about these discrete orbits while at the same time filling in some of the details not yet appearing in the literature. To this end we exploit the mathematical framework of integral Jordan algebras and Freudenthal triple systems. The charge vector of the dyonic black string in D=6 is SO(5,5;Z) related to a two-charge reduced canonical form uniquely specified by a set of two arithmetic U-duality invariants. Similarly, the black hole (string) charge vectors in D=5 are E_{6(6)}(Z) equivalent to a three-charge canonical form, again uniquely fixed by a set of three arithmetic U-duality invariants. The situation in four dimensions is less clear: while black holes preserving more than 1/8 of the supersymmetries may be fully classified by known arithmetic E_{7(7)}(Z) invariants, 1/8-BPS and non-BPS black holes yield increasingly subtle orbit structures, which remain to be properly understood. However, for the very special subclass of projective black holes a complete classification is known. All projective black holes are E_{7(7)}(Z) related to a four or five charge canonical form determined uniquely by the set of known arithmetic U-duality invariants. Moreover, E_{7(7)}(Z) acts transitively on the charge vectors of black holes with a given leading-order entropy.

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arXiv2010

Fake Superpotential for Large and Small Extremal Black Holes

We consider the fist order, gradient-flow, description of the scalar fields coupled to spherically symmetric, asymptotically flat black holes in extended supergravities. Using the identification of the fake superpotential with Hamilton's characteristic function we clarify some of its general properties, showing in particular (besides reviewing the issue of its duality invariance) that W has the properties of a Liapunov's function, which implies that its extrema (associated with the horizon of extremal black holes) are asymptotically stable equilibrium points of the corresponding first order dynamical system (in the sense of Liapunov). Moreover, we show that the fake superpotential W has, along the entire radial flow, the same flat directions which exist at the attractor point. This allows to study properties of the ADM mass also for small black holes where in fact W has no critical points at finite distance in moduli space. In particular the W function for small non-BPS black holes can always be computed analytically, unlike for the large black-hole case.

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arXiv2009

Maurer-Cartan Equations and Black Hole Superpotentials in N =8 Supergravity

We retrieve the non-BPS extremal black hole superpotential of N=8, d=4 supergravity by using the Maurer-Cartan equations of the symmetric space E_7(7)/SU(8). This superpotential was recently obtained with different 3- and 4-dimensional techniques. The present derivation is independent on the reduction to d=3.

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arXiv2009

More on N=8 Attractors

We examine few simple extremal black hole configurations of N=8, d=4 supergravity. We first elucidate the relation between the BPS Reissner-Nordstrom black hole and the non-BPS Kaluza-Klein dyonic black hole. Their classical entropy, given by the Bekenstein-Hawking formula, can be reproduced via the attractor mechanism by suitable choices of symplectic frame. Then, we display the embedding of the axion-dilaton black hole into N=8 supergravity.

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arXiv2009

Black hole entropy, flat directions and higher derivatives

Higher order derivative corrections to the Einstein--Maxwell action are considered and an explicit form is found for the corrections to the entropy of extremal black holes. We speculate on the properties of these corrections from the point of view of small black holes and in the case when the classical black hole potential exhibits flat directions. A particular attention is paid to the issue of stability of several solutions, including large and small black holes by using properties of the Hessian matrix of the effective black hole potential. This is done by using a model independent expression for such matrix derived within the entropy function formalism.

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arXiv2009

SAM Lectures on Extremal Black Holes in d=4 Extended Supergravity

We report on recent results in the study of extremal black hole attractors in N=2, d=4 ungauged Maxwell-Einstein supergravities. For homogeneous symmetric scalar manifolds, the three general classes of attractor solutions with non-vanishing Bekenstein-Hawking entropy are discussed. They correspond to three (inequivalent) classes of orbits of the charge vector, which sits in the relevant symplectic representation R_{V} of the U-duality group. Other than the 1/2-BPS one, there are two other distinct non-BPS classes of charge orbits, one of which has vanishing central charge. The complete classification of the U-duality orbits, as well as of the moduli spaces of non-BPS attractors (spanned by the scalars which are not stabilized at the black hole event horizon), is also reviewed. Finally, we consider the analogous classification for N>2-extended, d=4 ungauged supergravities, in which also the 1/N-BPS attractors yield a related moduli space.

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arXiv2009

Erice Lectures on Black Holes and Attractors

These lectures give an elementary introduction to the subject of four dimensional black holes (BHs) in supergravity and the Attractor Mechanism in the extremal case. Some thermodynamical properties are discussed and some relevant formulae for the critical points of the BH effective potential are given. The case of Maxwell-Einstein-axion-dilaton (super)gravity is discussed in detail. Analogies among BH entropy and multipartite entanglement of qubits in quantum information theory, as well moduli spaces of extremal BH attractors, are also discussed.

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arXiv2008

Intersecting Attractors

We apply the entropy formalism to the study of the near-horizon geometry of extremal black p-brane intersections in D>5 dimensional supergravities. The scalar flow towards the horizon is described in terms an effective potential given by the superposition of the kinetic energies of all the forms under which the brane is charged. At the horizon active scalars get fixed to the minima of the effective potential and the entropy function is given in terms of U-duality invariants built entirely out of the black p-brane charges. The resulting entropy function reproduces the central charges of the dual boundary CFT and gives rise to a Bekenstein-Hawking like area law. The results are illustrated in the case of black holes and black string intersections in D=6, 7, 8 supergravities where the effective potentials, attractor equations, moduli spaces and entropy/central charges are worked out in full detail.

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arXiv2008

Quantum Lift of Non-BPS Flat Directions

We study N=2, d=4 attractor equations for the quantum corrected two-moduli prepotential $\mathcal{F}=st^2+iλ$, with $λ$ real, which is the only correction which preserves the axion shift symmetry and modifies the geometry. In the classical case the black hole effective potential is known to have a flat direction. We found that in the presence of D0-D6 branes the black hole potential exhibits a flat direction in the quantum case as well. It corresponds to non-BPS $Z\neq 0$ solutions to the attractor equations. Unlike the classical case, the solutions acquire non-zero values of the axion field. For the cases of D0-D4 and D2-D6 branes the classical flat direction reduces to separate critical points which turn out to have a vanishing axion field.

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arXiv2008

stu Black Holes Unveiled

The general solutions of the radial attractor flow equations for extremal black holes, both for non-BPS with non-vanishing central charge Z and for Z=0, are obtained for the so-called stu model, the minimal rank-3 N=2 symmetric supergravity in d=4 space-time dimensions. Comparisons with previous results, as well as the fake supergravity (first order) formalism and an analysis of the BPS bound all along the non-BPS attractor flows and of the marginal stability of corresponding D-brane configurations, are given.

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arXiv2008

Exceptional N=6 and N=2 AdS_4 Supergravity, and Zero-Center Modules

We study the gauging of the orthosymplectic algebras OSp(6|4)xSO(2) and its "dual" OSp(2|4)x SO(6), both based on supergravities with the same exceptional coset SO*(12)/U(6), and gauge group SO(6)xSO(2). The two dual theories are obtained by two different truncations of gauged N=8 AdS_4 supergravity. We explicitly study the gauge sector of the two dual theories with the most general group allowed by supersymmetry. In the ungauged (super-Poincaré) case they exhibit the same (large) black-hole attractor solutions with dual relations between the 1/N-BPS and non-BPS configurations. The N=6 gravity multiplet has also the exceptional property to be a {\em zero-center module} of OSp(6|4), as it is the case for superconformal Yang--Mills theory in four dimensions based on SU(2,2|n) (PSU(2,2|4) for n=4) or OSp(n|4).

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arXiv2008

d=4 Attractors, Effective Horizon Radius and Fake Supergravity

We consider extremal black hole attractors (both BPS and non-BPS) for N=3 and N=5 supergravity in d=4 space-time dimensions. Attractors for matter-coupled N=3 theory are similar to attractors in N=2 supergravity minimally coupled to Abelian vector multiplets. On the other hand, N=5 attractors are similar to attractors in N=4 pure supergravity, and in such theories only 1\N-BPS non-degenerate solutions exist. All the above mentioned theories have a simple interpretation in the first order (fake supergravity) formalism. Furthermore, such theories do not have a d=5 uplift. Finally we comment on the "duality" relations among the attractor solutions of N\geq2 supergravities sharing the same full bosonic sector.

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arXiv2008

Symmetric Spaces in Supergravity

We exploit the relation among irreducible Riemannian globally symmetric spaces (IRGS) and supergravity theories in 3, 4 and 5 space-time dimensions. IRGS appear as scalar manifolds of the theories, as well as moduli spaces of the various classes of solutions to the classical extremal black hole Attractor Equations. Relations with Jordan algebras of degree three and four are also outlined.

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arXiv2008

Attractors in Black

We review recent results in the study of attractor horizon geometries (with non-vanishing Bekenstein-Hawking entropy) of dyonic extremal d=4 black holes in supergravity. We focus on N=2, d=4 ungauged supergravity coupled to a number n_{V} of Abelian vector multiplets, outlining the fundamentals of the special Kaehler geometry of the vector multiplets' scalar manifold (of complex dimension n_{V}), and studying the 1/2-BPS attractors, as well as the non-BPS (non-supersymmetric) ones with non-vanishing central charge. For symmetric special Kaehler geometries, we present the complete classification of the orbits in the symplectic representation of the classical U-duality group (spanned by the black hole charge configuration supporting the attractors), as well as of the moduli spaces of non-BPS attractors (spanned by the scalars which are not stabilized at the black hole event horizon). Finally, we report on an analogous classification for N>2-extended, d=4 ungauged supergravities, in which also the 1/N-BPS attractors yield a related moduli space.

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arXiv2008

d=4 Black Hole Attractors in N=2 Supergravity with Fayet-Iliopoulos Terms

We generalize the description of the d=4 Attractor Mechanism based on an effective black hole (BH) potential to the presence of a gauging which does not modify the derivatives of the scalars and does not involve hypermultiplets. The obtained results do not rely necessarily on supersymmetry, and they can be extended to d>4, as well. Thence, we work out the example of the stu model of N=2 supergravity in the presence of Fayet-Iliopoulos terms, for the supergravity analogues of the magnetic and D0-D6 BH charge configurations, and in three different symplectic frames: the SO(1,1)^{2}, SO(2,2) covariant and SO(8)-truncated ones. The attractive nature of the critical points, related to the semi-positive definiteness of the Hessian matrix, is also studied.

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arXiv2008

Separation of Attractors in 1-modulus Quantum Corrected Special Geometry

We study the attractor equations for a quantum corrected prepotential F=t^3+iλ, with λ\in R,which is the only correction which preserves the axion shift symmetry and modifies the geometry. By performing computations in the ``magnetic'' charge configuration, we find evidence for interesting phenomena (absent in the classical limit of vanishing λ). For a certain range of the quantum parameter λwe find a ``separation'' of attractors, i.e. the existence of multiple solutions to the Attractor Equations for fixed supporting charge configuration. Furthermore, we find that, away from the classical limit, a ``transmutation'' of the supersymmetry-preserving features of the attractors takes place when λreaches a particular critical value.

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