U-duality Research Articles

A\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{A} $$\\end{document}-theory — A brane world-volume theory with manifest U-duality

In this paper, the A\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{A} $$\\end{document}-theory, an extension of F-theory, is described as a fully U-duality covariant brane theory. This theory has some distinguishing features not known from world-sheet models. In particular, seen as a sigma model, both world-volume and target space coordinates are specific representations of the same group (the U-duality group). The U-duality group in question is an exceptional group (a split form of the Ed series). The structure of this group allows it to encompass both the T-duality group of string theory as well as the general linear symmetry group of M\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{M} $$\\end{document}-theory. A\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{A} $$\\end{document}-theory is defined by the current algebras in Hamiltonian formalism, or by world-volume actions in Lagrangian formalism. The spacetime coordinates are selfdual gauge fields on the world-volume, requiring the Gauß law constraints tying the world-volume to spacetime. Solving the Gauß law constraints/the Virasoro constraints gives the world-volume/spacetime sectioning from A\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{A} $$\\end{document}-theory to T\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{T} $$\\end{document}-theory/M\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{M} $$\\end{document}-theory respectively. The A\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{A} $$\\end{document}-theory Lagrangian admits extended symmetry which has not been observed previously in the literature, where the background fields include both the spacetime and the world-volume gravitational fields. We also constructed the four-point amplitude of A\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{A} $$\\end{document}-theory in the low energy limit. The amplitude is written in a way that the U-duality symmetry is manifest, but after solving the section condition, it reduces to the usual four-graviton amplitude.In the previous papers, we have referred to this model as F-theory, however, F-theory initiated by Vafa is now a big branch of string theory as the study of elliptic fibrations, so we refer to these constructions as generalized models of theory for all dimensions with all duality symmetries as A\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{A} $$\\end{document}-theory.

The geometry and DSZ quantization four-dimensional supergravity

We implement the Dirac-Schwinger-Zwanziger integrality condition on four-dimensional classical ungauged supergravity and use it to obtain its duality-covariant, gauge-theoretic, differential-geometric model on an oriented four-manifold $M$ of arbitrary topology. Classical bosonic supergravity is completely determined by a submersion $\pi$ over $M$ equipped with a complete Ehresmann connection, a vertical euclidean metric, and a vertically-polarized flat symplectic vector bundle $\Xi$. Building on these structures, we implement the Dirac-Schwinger-Zwanziger integrality condition through the choice of an element in the degree-two sheaf cohomology group with coefficients in a locally constant sheaf $\mathcal{L}\subset \Xi$ valued in the groupoid of integral symplectic spaces. We show that this data determines a Siegel principal bundle $P_{\mathfrak{t}}$ of fixed type $\mathfrak{t}\in \mathbb{Z}^{n_v}$ whose connections provide the global geometric description of the local electromagnetic gauge potentials of the theory. Furthermore, we prove that the Maxwell gauge equations of the theory reduce to the polarized self-duality condition determined by $\Xi$ on the connections of $P_{\mathfrak{t}}$. In addition, we investigate the continuous and discrete U-duality groups of the theory, characterizing them through short exact sequences and realizing the latter through the gauge group of $P_{\mathfrak{t}}$ acting on its adjoint bundle. This elucidates the geometric origin of U-duality, which we explore in several examples, illustrating its dependence on the topology of the fiber bundles $\pi$ and $P_{\mathfrak{t}}$ as well as on the isomorphism type of $\mathcal{L}$.

Perturbative higher-derivative terms in mathcal{N} = 6 asymmetric orbifolds

We analyse the perturbative four-point amplitudes in the simplest string theory examples of T-fold backgrounds, which enjoy mathcal{N} = 6 supersymmetries in four dimensions. There are two theories defined as asymmetric orbifolds of order 2 and 3, respectively. The perturbative spectrum and the one-loop four-point amplitudes are shown to be invariant under an arithmetic symplectic group defined over the Hurwitz (respectively Eisenstein) quaternions. The supersymmetry constraints on the low energy effective couplings are determined and we conjecture the U-duality group of the theory and the non-perturbative completion of the six-derivative coupling as a rank one theta series. We discuss the non-perturbative spectrum of BPS states in the light of our analysis.

E6(6) exceptional Drinfel\u2019d algebras

The exceptional Drinfel’d algebra (EDA) is a Leibniz algebra introduced to provide an algebraic underpinning with which to explore generalised notions of U-duality in M-theory. In essence, it provides an M-theoretic analogue of the way a Drinfel’d double encodes generalised T-dualities of strings. In this note we detail the construction of the EDA in the case where the regular U-duality group is E6(6). We show how the EDA can be realised geometrically as a generalised Leibniz parallelisation of the exceptional generalised tangent bundle for a six-dimensional group manifold G, endowed with a Nambu-Lie structure. When the EDA is of coboundary type, we show how a natural generalisation of the classical Yang-Baxter equation arises. The construction is illustrated with a selection of examples including some which embed Drinfel’d doubles and others that are not of this type.

Branes and polytopes

We investigate the hierarchies of half-supersymmetric branes in maximal supergravity theories. By studying the action of the Weyl group of the U-duality group of maximal supergravities we discover a set of universal algebraic rules describing the number of independent 1/2-BPS p-branes, rank by rank, in any dimension. We show that these relations describe the symmetries of certain families of uniform polytopes. This induces a correspondence between half-supersymmetric branes and vertices of opportune uniform polytopes. We show that half-supersymmetric 0-, 1- and 2-branes are in correspondence with the vertices of the k21, 2k1 and 1k2 families of uniform polytopes, respectively, while 3-branes correspond to the vertices of the rectified version of the 2k1 family. For 4-branes and higher rank solutions we find a general behavior. The interpretation of half-supersymmetric solutions as vertices of uniform polytopes reveals some intriguing aspects. One of the most relevant is a triality relation between 0-, 1- and 2-branes.

Fluxes in exceptional field theory and threebrane sigma-models

Starting from a higher Courant bracket associated to exceptional generalized geometry, we provide a systematic derivation of all types of fluxes and their Bianchi identities for four-dimensional compactifications of M-theory. We show that these fluxes may be understood as generalized Wess-Zumino terms in certain topological threebrane sigma-models of AKSZ-type, which relates them to the higher structure of a Lie algebroid up to homotopy. This includes geometric compactifications of M-theory with G-flux and on twisted tori, and also its compactifications with non-geometric Q- and R-fluxes in specific representations of the U-duality group SL(5) in exceptional field theory.

Geometric U-folds in four dimensions

We describe a general construction of geometric U-folds compatible with a non-trivial extension of the global formulation of four-dimensional extended supergravity on a differentiable spin manifold. The topology of geometric U-folds depends on certain flat fiber bundles which encode how supergravity fields are globally glued together. We show that smooth non-trivial U-folds of this type can exist only in theories where both the scalar and space-time manifolds have non-trivial fundamental group and in addition the scalar map of the solution is homotopically non-trivial. Consistency with string theory requires smooth geometric U-folds to be glued using subgroups of the effective discrete U-duality group, implying that the fundamental group of the scalar manifold of such solutions must be a subgroup of the latter. We construct simple examples of geometric U-folds in a generalization of the axion–dilaton model of supergravity coupled to a single vector multiplet, whose scalar manifold is a generally non-compact Riemann surface of genus at least two endowed with its uniformizing metric. We also discuss the relation between geometric U-folds and a moduli space of flat connections defined on the scalar manifold, which involves certain character varieties not studied in the literature.

U-duality in three and four dimensions

Using generalised geometry we study the action of U-duality acting in three and four dimensions on the bosonic fields of 11-dimensional supergravity. We compare the U-duality symmetry with the T-duality symmetry of double field theory and see how the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] U-duality groups reduce to the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] T-duality symmetry groups of the type IIA theory. As examples we dualise M2-branes, both black and extreme. We find that uncharged black M2-branes become charged under U-duality, generalising the Harrison transformation, while extreme M2-branes will become new extreme M2-branes. The resulting tension and charges are quantised appropriately if we use the discrete U-duality group [Formula: see text].

Four-derivative couplings and BPS dyons in heterotic CHL orbifolds

Three-dimensional string models with half-maximal supersymmetry are believed to be invariant under a large U-duality group which unifies the S and T dualities in four dimensions. We propose an exact, U-duality invariant formula for four-derivative scalar couplings of the form F(\Phi) (\nabla\Phi)^4F(Φ)(∇Φ)4 in a class of string vacua known as CHL \IZ_N heterotic orbifolds with NN prime, generalizing our previous work which dealt with the case of heterotic string on T^6T6. We derive the Ward identities that F(\Phi)F(Φ) must satisfy, and check that our formula obeys them. We analyze the weak coupling expansion of F(\Phi)F(Φ), and show that it reproduces the correct tree-level and one-loop contributions, plus an infinite series of non-perturbative contributions. Similarly, the large radius expansion reproduces the exact F^4F4 coupling in four dimensions, including both supersymmetric invariants, plus infinite series of instanton corrections from half-BPS dyons winding around the large circle, and from Taub-NUT instantons. The summation measure for dyonic instantons agrees with the helicity supertrace for half-BPS dyons in 4 dimensions in all charge sectors. In the process we clarify several subtleties about CHL models in D=4D=4 and D=3D=3, in particular we obtain the exact helicity supertraces for 1/2-BPS dyonic states in all duality orbits.

Peccei–Quinn Transformations and Black Holes: Orbit Transmutations and Entanglement Generation

In a recent paper (Mod. Phys. Lett. A 2015, 30, 1550104), the black-hole/qubit correspondence (BHQC) was exploited to define “black hole quantum circuits” allowing for a change of the supersymmetry-preserving features of electromagnetic charge configurations supporting the black hole solution. This resulted in switching from one U-duality orbit to another, or equivalently, from an element of the corresponding Freudenthal triple system with a definite rank to another one. On the supergravity side of BHQC, such quantum gates are related to particular symplectic transformations acting on the black hole charges; namely, such transformations cannot belong to the U-duality group, otherwise switching among orbits would be impossible. In this paper, we consider a particular class of such symplectic transformations, namely the ones belonging to the so-called Peccei–Quinn symplectic group, introduced some time ago within the study of very special Kähler geometries of the vector multiplets’ scalar manifolds in N = 2 supergravity in D =4 spacetime dimensions.

Exact \u22074\u211b4 couplings and helicity supertraces

In type II string theory compactified on a d-dimensional torus Td down to D = 10−ddimensions,the ℛ4 and ∇4ℛ4 four-gravitoncouplingsareknownexactly,forall values of the moduli, in terms of certain Eisenstein series of the U-duality group Ed(ℤ). In the limit where one circle in the torus becomes large, these couplings are expected to reduce to their counterpart in dimension D +1, plus threshold effects and exponentially suppressed corrections corresponding to BPS black holes in dimension D + 1 whose worldline winds around the circle. By combining the weak coupling and large radius limits, we determine these exponentially suppressed corrections exactly, and demonstrate that the contributions of 1/4-BPS black holes to the ∇4ℛ4 coupling are proportional to the appropriate helicity supertrace. Mathematically, our results provide the complete Fourier expansion of the next-to-minimal theta series of Ed + 1(ℤ) with respect to the maximal parabolic subgroup with Levi component Ed for d ≤ 6, and the complete Abelian part of the Fourier expansion of the same for d = 7.

Duality group actions on fermions

In this short paper we look at the action of T-duality and string duality groups on fermions, in maximally-supersymmetric theories and related theories. Briefly, we argue that typical duality groups such as SL(2,Z) have sign ambiguities in their actions on fermions, and propose that pertinent duality groups be extended by Z_2, to groups such as the metaplectic group. Specifically, we look at duality groups arising from mapping class groups of tori in M theory compactifications, T-duality, ten-dimensional type IIB S-duality, and (briefly) four-dimensional N=4 super Yang-Mills, and in each case, propose that the full duality group is a nontrivial Z_2 extension of the duality group acting on bosonic degrees of freedom, to more accurately describe possible actions on fermions. We also walk through U-duality groups for toroidal compactifications to nine, eight, and seven dimensions, which enables us to perform cross-consistency tests of these proposals.

Exceptional field theory: SL(5)

In this work the exceptional field theory formulation of supergravity with SL(5) gauge group is considered. This group appears as a U-duality group of $D=7$ maximal supergravity. In the formalism presented the hidden global duality group is promoted into a gauge group of a theory in dimensions 7+number of extended directions. This work is a continuation of the series of works for $E_{8,7,6}, SO(5,5)$ and $SL(3)\times SL(2)$ duality groups.

Loops in exceptional field theory

We study certain four-graviton amplitudes in exceptional field theory in dimensions $D\geq 4$ up to two loops. As the formulation is manifestly invariant under the U-duality group $E_{11-D}(\mathbb{Z})$, our resulting expressions can be expressed in terms of automorphic forms. In the low energy expansion, we find terms in the M-theory effective action of type $R^4$, $\nabla^4R^4$ and $\nabla^6 R^4$ with automorphic coefficient functions in agreement with independent derivations from string theory. This provides in particular an explicit integral formula for the exact string theory $\nabla^6 R^4$ threshold function. We exhibit moreover that the usual supergravity logarithmic divergences cancel out in the full exceptional field theory amplitude, within an appropriately defined dimensional regularisation scheme. We also comment on terms of higher derivative order and the role of the section constraint for possible counterterms.

Global symmetries of Yang-Mills squared in various dimensions

Tensoring two on-shell super Yang-Mills multiplets in dimensions $D\leq 10$ yields an on-shell supergravity multiplet, possibly with additional matter multiplets. Associating a (direct sum of) division algebra(s) $\mathbb{D}$ with each dimension $3\leq D\leq 10$ we obtain formulae for the algebras $\mathfrak{g}$ and $\mathfrak{h}$ of the U-duality group $G$ and its maximal compact subgroup $H$, respectively, in terms of the internal global symmetry algebras of each super Yang-Mills theory. We extend our analysis to include supergravities coupled to an arbitrary number of matter multiplets by allowing for non-supersymmetric multiplets in the tensor product.

E 7(7) invariant non-extremal entropy

The entropy of generic non-extremal dyonic black holes in the STU model has been shown to admit a remarkably universal form. The missing invariant in the formula was recently identified by S\'arosi using the formalism of quantum entanglement as well as a higher dimensional embedding of the U-duality group. Here, we express the non-extremal black hole entropy in the STU model in terms of U-duality covariant tensors. We then provide the extension to the most general non-extremal black hole of ungauged $\mathcal N= 8$ supergravity using $E_{7(7)}$ invariants. We also conjecture a generalization for ungauged $\mathcal N = 2$ supergravity coupled to vector multiplets with arbitrary cubic prepotential. The most general rotating dyonic black hole solution of the STU model with all scalar moduli turned on is provided in an appendix.

Exceptional geometry and Borcherds superalgebras

We study generalized diffeomorphisms in exceptional geometry with U-duality group E_{n(n)} from an algebraic point of view. By extending the Lie algebra e_n to an infinite-dimensional Borcherds superalgebra, involving also the extension to e_{n+1}, the generalized Lie derivatives can be expressed in a simple way, and the expressions take the same form for any n less than 8. The closure of the transformations then follows from the Jacobi identity and the grading of e_{n+1} with respect to e_n.

Integral group actions on symmetric spaces and discrete duality symmetries of supergravity theories

For G = G(ℝ), a split, simply connected, semisimple Lie group of rank n and K the maximal compact subgroup of G, we give a method for computing Iwasawa coordinates of K∖G using the Chevalley generators and the Steinberg presentation. When K∖G is a scalar coset for a supergravity theory in dimensions ≥3, we determine the action of the integral form G(ℤ) on K∖G. We give explicit results for the action of the discrete U-duality groups SL2(ℤ) and E7(ℤ) on the scalar cosets SO(2)∖SL2(ℝ) and [SU(8)/{ ± Id}]∖E7(+7)(ℝ) for type IIB supergravity in ten dimensions and 11-dimensional supergravity reduced to D = 4 dimensions, respectively. For the former, we use this to determine the discrete U-duality transformations on the scalar sector in the Borel gauge and we describe the discrete symmetries of the dyonic charge lattice. We determine the spectrum-generating symmetry group for fundamental BPS solitons of type IIB supergravity in D = 10 dimensions at the classical level and we propose an analog of this symmetry at the quantum level. We indicate how our methods can be used to study the orbits of discrete U-duality groups in general.

Exceptional field theory: SO(5,5)

We construct Exceptional Field Theory for the group $SO(5,5)$ based on the extended (6+16)-dimensional spacetime, which after reduction gives the maximal $D=6$ supergravity. We present both a true action and a duality-invariant pseudo-action formulations. All the fields of the theory depend on the complete extended spacetime. The U-duality group $SO(5,5)$ is made a geometric symmetry of the theory by virtue of introducing the generalised Lie derivative that incorporates a local duality transformation. Tensor hierarchy appears as a natural consequence of the algebra of generalised Lie derivatives that are viewed as gauge transformations. Upon truncating different subsets of the extra coordinates, maximal supergravities in $D=11$ and $D=10$ (type IIB) can be recovered from this theory.

Tensor gauge fields ofN=8supergravity

We study the tensor gauge fields ("notophs") of ungauged N=8 D=4 supergravity in superspace. These are described by 2-form potentials in the adjoint representation of G=E(7(+7)). The consistency of the natural candidates for the superspace constraints for their field strengths fixes the form of the generalized Bianchi identities and also requires the potentials with indices of G/H=E(7(+7))/SU(8) generators to be dual to the scalars of the N=8,D=4 supergravity multiplet. In contrast, the field strengths of the 2-form potentials corresponding to the SU(8) generators are dual to fermionic bilinears, so that these potentials are auxiliary rather than physical fields. Their presence, however, is essential to formulate a tensor hierarchy of N=8,D=4 supergravity consistent with its U-duality group E(7(+7)).