Actions for non-abelian twisted self-duality

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• 作者：Henning Samtleben^a ; ^b ; ^{henning.samtleben@ens-lyon.fr"" rel=""nofollow}
• 刊名：Nuclear Physics B
• 出版年：2011
• 出版时间：11 October 2011
• 年：2011
• 卷：851
• 期：2
• 页码：298-313
• 全文大小：205 K

文摘

The dynamics of abelian vector and antisymmetric tensor gauge fields can be described in terms of twisted self-duality equations. These first-order equations relate the p-form fields to their dual forms by demanding that their respective field strengths are dual to each other. It is well known that such equations can be integrated to a local action that carries on equal footing the p-forms together with their duals and is manifestly duality invariant. Space–time covariance is no longer manifest but still present with a non-standard realization of space–time diffeomorphisms on the gauge fields. In this paper, we give a non-abelian generalization of this first-order action by gauging part of its global symmetries. The resulting field equations are non-abelian versions of the twisted self-duality equations. A key element in the construction is the introduction of proper couplings to higher-rank tensor fields. We discuss possible applications (to Yang–Mills and supergravity theories) and comment on the relation to previous no-go theorems.