SELF-DUAL SUPERGRAVITY AND SUPERSYMMETRIC YANG-MILLS THEORY COUPLED TO GREEN-SCHWARZ SUPERSTRING

Abstract

We present the canonical set of superspace constraints for self-dual supergravity, a “self-dual” tensor multiplet and a self-dual Yang-Mills multiplet with N=1 supersymmetry in the space-time with signature (+,+, −, −). For this set of constraints, the consistency of the self-duality conditions on these multiplets with supersymmetry is manifest. The energy-momentum tensors of all the self-dual “matter” multiplets vanish, to be consistent with the self-duality of the Riemann tensor. In particular, the special significance of the “self-dual” tensor multiplet is noted. This result fills the gap left over in our previous series of papers, with respect to the consistent couplings among the self-dual matter multiplets. We also couple these nontrivial backgrounds to a Green-Schwarz superstring σ model, under the requirement of invariance under fermionic (kappa) symmetry. The finiteness of the self-dual supergravity is discussed, based on its “off-shell” structure. A set of exact solutions for the “self-dual” tensor and self-dual Yang-Mills multiplets for the gauge group SL(2) on a self-dual gravitational instanton background is given, and its consistency with the Green-Schwarz string σ model is demonstrated.