Antisymmetric tensor Z p gauge symmetries in field theory and string theory

Abstract

Abstract:We consider discrete gauge symmetries in D dimensions arising as remnants of broken continuous gauge symmetries carried by general antisymmetric tensor fields, rather than by standard 1-forms. The lagrangian for such a general Z p gauge theory can be described in terms of a r-form gauge field made massive by a (r − 1)-form, or other dual realizations, that we also discuss. The theory contains charged topological defects of different dimensionalities, generalizing the familiar charged particles and strings in D = 4. We describe realizations in string theory compactifications with torsion cycles, or with background field strength fluxes. We also provide examples of non-abelian discrete groups, for which the group elements are associated with charged objects of different dimensionality.

Fluxes in F-theory compactifications on genus-one fibrations

“…Apart from being interesting by itself, this mechanism is behind the realization of discrete gauge symmetries in particle physics applications [14,15] of F-theory, the easiest being an R-parity [10,11]. Such discrete symmetries have been studied extensively in the weakly coupled Type II regime recently both from a general point of view [16][17][18][19][20][21] and with an eye to phenomenological applications [22][23][24][25]. The geometric structure underlying discrete gauge groups in F-theory is in fact even richer.…”

Three-form multiplet and inflation

“…In the action (2.12) the three-form absorbed the two form B 2 and its axion in a generalization of the Stueckelberg mechanism (see for ex. [45,46]), which is transparent writing the action in the more compact form…”

Aligned natural inflation: Monodromies of two axions

“…Within the framework of string theory we expect f to be at most as large as the string scale 1 Discrete symmetries in string constructions have been discussed for example in Refs. [15,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. M String ≤ M Pl [29][30][31].…”