Three-forms, dualities and membranes in four-dimensional supergravity

Abstract

We consider four-dimensional N = 1 supergravity models of a kind appearing in string flux compactifications. It has been recently shown that, by using double three-form multiplets instead of ordinary chiral multiplets, one can promote to dynamical variables (part of) the quantized numbers appearing in the flux-induced superpotential. We show that double three-form multiplets naturally transform under symplectic dualities associated with the special Kähler structure that characterizes their scalar sector. Furthermore, we discuss how to couple membranes which carry arbitrary 'electric-magnetic' charges. The complete action is supersymmetric, kappa-symmetric and duality covariant. As an application, we derive the flow equations for BPS domain walls sourced by membranes and give simple analytic examples of their solution.

Higher Forms and Membranes in 4D Supergravities

“…In what follows, we will briefly review the results of [34,42,56] on the description of these effective theories within a generic 4D N = 1 supergravity containing multiple three-form gauge fields coupled to membranes.…”

“…Supersymmetric models of variant threeform multiplets have been studied in a series of publications [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] and couplings with supersymmetric membranes have been also investigated. [37][38][39][40][41][42] These fields generically will arise from type-II string compactifications on Calabi-Yau manifolds with fluxes [8,13,43,44] and can thus provide the realization of the aforementioned physical scenarios in effective four-dimensional supergravity models. Interestingly, for variant matter three-form chiral multiplets, the non-zero expectation values of * F 4 fluxes may induce spontaneous supersymmetry breaking and generate a positive contribution to the cosmological constant.…”

“…This construction provided a manifestly supersymmetric effective description of type II RR-flux compactifications with 4D three-forms that have been considered in [13,43,44]. The kappasymmetric world-volume action for the supermembrane coupled to these systems has been constructed in [42]. Furthermore, in [42], a general structure of BPS domain wall configurations sourced from the membranes was considered in detail.…”

“…Such domain walls significantly enlarge the class of solutions previously described within standard matter-coupled supergravity [47][48][49][50][51][52] and in the three-form supergravity. [37,38] Finally, the general models constructed in [34,42] may serve as a ground for the realization of the Brown-Teitelboim [4,5] and the Bousso-Polchinski [8] mechanisms for the dynamical neutralization of the cosmological constant within 4D supergravity theories.In this contribution, upon a brief discussion of the basic features of the Brown-Teitelboim and Bousso-Polchinski mechanisms, we will review the main results of [34,42].…”

“…In this contribution, upon a brief discussion of the basic features of the Brown-Teitelboim and Bousso-Polchinski mechanisms, we will review the main results of [34,42].…”