N=1 and N=2 pure supergravities on a manifold with boundary

Abstract

Working in the geometric approach, we construct the lagrangians of N = 1 and N = 2 pure supergravity in four dimensions with negative cosmological constant, in the presence of a non trivial boundary of space-time. We find that the supersymmetry invariance of the action requires the addition of topological terms which generalize at the supersymmetric level the Gauss-Bonnet term. Supersymmetry invariance is achieved without requiring Dirichlet boundary conditions on the fields at the boundary, rather we find that the boundary values of the fieldstrengths are dynamically fixed to constant values in terms of the cosmological constant Λ. From a group-theoretical point of view this means in particular the vanishing of the OSp(N|4)-supercurvatures at the boundary.