Gravitational topological quantum field theory versus N = 2 D = 8 supergravity and its lift to N = 1 D = 11 supergravity

Author

Laurent Baulieu 1,2

Affiliations

1 Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Energies, Université de Paris VI and Paris VII, France
2 Department of Physics, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 60637, U.S.A.

E-mail

baulieu@lpthe.jussieu.fr

Journal

Journal of High Energy Physics Create an alert RSS this journal

Issue

Volume 2004, JHEP04(2004)

Citation

Laurent Baulieu JHEP04(2004)044

doi: 10.1088/1126-6708/2004/04/044


 
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Abstract

In a previous work, it was shown that the 8-dimensional topological quantum field theory for a metric and a Kalb-Ramond 2-form gauge field determines N = 1 D = 8 supergravity, at least in the fermion quadratic aproximation. It is shown here that, the combination of this TQFT with that of a 3-form determines N = 2 D = 8 supergravity, that is, an untruncated dimensional reduction of N = 1 D = 11 supergravity. Our construction holds for 8-dimensional manifolds with Spin(7)⊂SO(8) holonomy. The relationship between the supergravity and topological actions is shown up to quartic fermionic terms, around a Spin(7) vacuum. This suggests that the origin of local Poincaré supersymmetry might be the geometrically well-defined gravitational topological symmetry. We also indicate a mechanism for the lift of the TQFT in higher dimensions, which generates Chern–Simons couplings.

 
Keywords

Space-Time Symmetries

Topological Field Theories

Supergravity Models

BRST Symmetry

 

E-print Number: hep-th/0304221

Cited: by |

Refers: to

PACS

04.65.+e Supergravity

11.15.-q Gauge field theories

11.10.Kk Field theories in dimensions other than four

04.62.+v Quantum fields in curved spacetime

11.30.Pb Supersymmetry

Subjects

Gravitation and cosmology

Particle physics and field theory

Dates

Issue 04 (April 2004)

Received 31 July 2003 , accepted for publication 20 April 2004

Published 12 May 2004



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