arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Ulf Lindstrom.
We develop the superspace geometry of N-extended conformal supergravity in three space-time dimensions. General off-shell supergravity-matter couplings are constructed in the cases N=1,2,3,4.
Briefly: Using a novel $(1,1)$ superspace formulation of semichiral sigma models with $4D$ target space, we investigate if an extended supersymmetry in terms of semichirals is compatible with having a $4D$ target space with torsion. In more detail: Semichiral sigma models have $(2,2)$ supersymmetry and Generalized Kähler target space geometry by construction. They can also support $(4,4)$ supersymmetry and Generalized Hyperkähler geometry, but when the target space is four dimensional indications are that the geometry is restricted to Hyperkähler. To investigate this further, we reduce the model to $(1,1)$ superspace and construct the extra (on-shell) supersymmetries there. We then find the conditions for a lift to $(2,2)$ super space and semichiral fields to exist. Those conditions are shown to hold for Hyperkähler geometries. The $SU(2)\otimes U(1)$ WZW model, which has $(4,4)$ supersymmetry and a semichiral description, is also investigated. The additional supersymmetries are found in $(1,1)$ superspace but shown {\em not} to be liftable to a $(2,2)$ semichiral formulation.
For general off-shell N=2 supergravity-matter systems in three spacetime dimensions, a formalism is developed to reduce the corresponding actions from superspace to components. The component actions are explicitly computed in the cases of Type I and Type II minimal supergravity formulations. We describe the models for topologically massive supergravity which correspond to all the known off-shell formulations for three-dimensional N=2 supergravity. We also present a universal setting to construct supersymmetric backgrounds associated with these off-shell supergravities.
We introduce N-extended (p,q) AdS superspaces in three space-time dimensions, with p+q=N and p>=q, and analyse their geometry. We show that all (p,q) AdS superspaces with X^{IJKL}=0 are conformally flat. Nonlinear sigma-models with (p,q) AdS supersymmetry exist for p+q<=4 (for N>4 the target space geometries are highly restricted). Here we concentrate on studying off-shell N=3 supersymmetric sigma-models in AdS_3. For each of the cases (3,0) and (2,1), we give three different realisations of the supersymmetric action. We show that (3,0) AdS supersymmetry requires the sigma-model to be superconformal, and hence the corresponding target space is a hyperkahler cone. In the case of (2,1) AdS supersymmetry, the sigma-model target space must be a non-compact hyperkahler manifold endowed with a Killing vector field which generates an SO(2) group of rotations of the two-sphere of complex structures.
There exist two superspace approaches to describe N=2 supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models in four-dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS_4) space: (i) in terms of N=1 AdS chiral superfields, as developed in arXiv:1105.3111 and arXiv:1108.5290; and (ii) in terms of N=2 polar supermultiplets using the AdS projective-superspace techniques developed in arXiv:0807.3368. The virtue of the approach (i) is that it makes manifest the geometric properties of the N=2 supersymmetric sigma-models in AdS_4. The target space must be a non-compact hyperkahler manifold endowed with a Killing vector field which generates an SO(2) group of rotations on the two-sphere of complex structures. The power of the approach (ii) is that it allows us, in principle, to generate hyperkahler metrics as well as to address the problem of deformations of such metrics. Here we show how to relate the formulation (ii) to (i) by integrating out an infinite number of N=1 AdS auxiliary superfields and performing a superfield duality transformation. We also develop a novel description of the most general N=2 supersymmetric nonlinear sigma-model in AdS_4 in terms of chiral superfields on three-dimensional N=2 flat superspace without central charge. This superspace naturally originates from a conformally flat realization for the four-dimensional N=2 AdS superspace that makes use of Poincare coordinates for AdS_4. This novel formulation allows us to uncover several interesting geometric results.
We study dualities in off-shell 4D N = 2 supersymmetric sigma-models, using the projective superspace approach. These include (i) duality between the real O(2n) and polar multiplets; and (ii) polar-polar duality. We demonstrate that the dual of any superconformal sigma-model is superconformal. Since N = 2 superconformal sigma-models (for which target spaces are hyperkahler cones) formulated in terms of polar multiplets are naturally associated with Kahler cones (which are target spaces for N = 1 superconformal sigma-models), polar-polar duality generates a transformation between different Kahler cones. In the non-superconformal case, we study implications of polar-polar duality for the sigma-model formulation in terms of N = 1 chiral superfields. In particular, we find the relation between the original hyperkahler potential and its dual. As an application of polar-polar duality, we study self-dual models.
I stress how the form of sigma models with (2, 2) supersymmetry differs depending on the number of manifest supersymmetries. The differences correspond to different aspects/formulations of Generalized Kähler Geometry.
We discuss the conditions for additional supersymmetry and twisted supersymmetry in N = (2, 2) supersymmetric non-linear sigma models described by one left and one right semi-chiral superfield and carrying a pair of non-commuting complex structures. Focus is on linear non-manifest transformations of these fields that have an algebra that closes off-shell. We find that additional linear supersymmetry has no interesting solution, whereas additional linear twisted supersymmetry has solutions with interesting geometrical properties. We solve the conditions for invariance of the action and show that these solutions correspond to a bi-hermitian metric of signature (2, 2) and a pseudo-hyperkaehler geometry of the target space.
In the neighborhood of a regular point, generalized Kahler geometry admits a description in terms of a single real function, the generalized Kahler potential. We study the local conditions for a generalized Kahler manifold to be a generalized Calabi-Yau manifold and we derive a non-linear PDE that the generalized Kahler potential has to satisfy for this to be true. This non-linear PDE can be understood as a generalization of the complex Monge-Ampere equation and its solutions give supergravity solutions with metric, dilaton and H-field.
We describe the relation between supersymmetric sigma-models on hyperkahler manifolds, projective superspace, and twistor space. We review the essential aspects and present a coherent picture with a number of new results.
Quaternion Kahler manifolds are known to be the target spaces for matter hypermultiplets coupled to N=2 supergravity. It is also known that there is a one-to-one correspondence between 4n-dimensional quaternion Kahler manifolds and those 4(n+1)-dimensional hyperkahler spaces which are the target spaces for rigid superconformal hypermultiplets (such spaces are called hyperkahler cones). In this paper we present a projective-superspace construction to generate a hyperkahler cone M^{4(n+1)}_H of dimension 4(n+1) from a 2n-dimensional real analytic Kahler-Hodge manifold M^{2n}_K. The latter emerges as a maximal Kahler submanifold of the 4n-dimensional quaternion Kahler space M^{4n}_Q such that its Swann bundle coincides with M^{4(n+1)}_H. Our approach should be useful for the explicit construction of new quaternion Kahler metrics. The results obtained are also of interest, e.g., in the context of supergravity reduction N=2 --> N=1, or alternatively from the point of view of embedding N=1 matter-coupled supergravity into an N=2 theory.
We give the nonabelian extension of the newly discovered N = (2, 2) two-dimensional vector multiplets. These can be used to gauge symmetries of sigma models on generalized Kahler geometries. Starting from the transformation rule for the nonabelian case we find covariant derivatives and gauge covariant field-strengths and write their actions in N = (2, 2) and N = (1, 1) superspace.
We use newly discovered N = (2, 2) vector multiplets to clarify T-dualities for generalized Kahler geometries. Following the usual procedure, we gauge isometries of nonlinear sigma-models and introduce Lagrange multipliers that constrain the field-strengths of the gauge fields to vanish. Integrating out the Lagrange multipliers leads to the original action, whereas integrating out the vector multiplets gives the dual action. The description is given both in N = (2, 2) and N = (1, 1) superspace.
We address the construction of four-dimensional N=2 supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models on tangent bundles of arbitrary Hermitian symmetric spaces starting from projective superspace. Using a systematic way of solving the (infinite number of) auxiliary field equations along with the requirement of supersymmetry, we are able to derive a closed form for the Lagrangian on the tangent bundle and to dualize it to give the hyperkahler potential on the cotangent bundle. As an application, the case of the exceptional symmetric space E_6/SO(10) \times U(1) is explicitly worked out for the first time.
We review the projective-superspace construction of four-dimensional N=2 supersymmetric sigma models on (co)tangent bundles of the classical Hermitian symmetric spaces.
We introduce two new N = (2, 2) vector multiplets that couple naturally to generalized Kahler geometries. We describe their kinetic actions as well as their matter couplings both in N = (2, 2) and N = (1, 1) superspace.
We show that, locally, all geometric objects of Generalized Kahler Geometry can be derived from a function K, the "generalized Kahler potential''. The metric g and two-form B are determined as nonlinear functions of second derivatives of K. These nonlinearities are shown to arise via a quotient construction from an auxiliary local product (ALP) space.
Kahler manifolds have a natural hyperkahler structure associated with (part of) their cotangent bundles. Using projective superspace, we construct four-dimensional N = 2 models on the tangent bundles of some classical Hermitian symmetric spaces (specifically, the four regular series of irreducible compact symmetric Kahler manifolds, and their non-compact versions). A further dualization yields the Kahler potential for the hyperkahler metric on the cotangent bundle.