Fermion spectra from superstrings

Some compactifications of the ten-dimensional anomaly-free E₈ × E₈ and SO(32) theories that correspond to superstrings are studied. Compactification is achieved by setting the classical gauge field equal to the spin connection. The resulting chiral fermion spectra are obtained for any six-dimensional manifold, under the condition Tr F² = 30 Tr R², plus a quantization condition for U(1) charges. For E₈ × E₈ these conditions lead to potentially realistic models for any irreducible six-dimensional manifold and any embedding of the holonomy group. Apart from a few more exotic examples, the four-dimensional models we obtain are more or less standard SU(5), SO(10), SU(4) × SU(2) × SU(2) or E₆ models.     

Gauged N = 8 supergravity in five dimensions

We construct gauged N = 8 supergravity theories in five dimensions. Instead of the twenty-seven vector fields of the ungauged theory, the gauged theories contain fifteen vector fields and twelve second-rank antisymmetric tensor fields satisfying self-dual field equations. The fifteen vector fields can be used to gauge any of the fifteen-dimensional semisimple subgroups of SL(6,R), specially SO(p, 6?p) for p = 0, 1, 2, 3. The gauged theories also have a physical global SU(1,1) symmetry which survives from the E₆₍₆₎ symmetry of the ungauged theory. This SU(1,1) for the SO(6) gauging is presumably related to that of the chiral N = 2 theory in ten dimensions. In our formalism we maintain a composite local USp(8) symmetry analogous to SU(8) in four dimensions.     

Bosonic construction of the Lie algebras of some non-compact groups appearing in supergravity theories and their oscillator-like unitary representations

We give a construction of the Lie algebras of the non-compact groups appearing in four dimensional supergravity theories in terms of boson operators. Our construction parallels very closely their emergence in supergravity and is an extension of the well-known construction of the Lie algebras of the non-compact groups $\text{SP}\text{(2n,}\text{R}$ and $\text{SO}\text{(2n)}{}^1$ from boson operators transforming like a fundamental representation of their maximal compact subgroup U(n). However this extension is non-trivial only for n?4 and stops at n = 8 leading to the Lei algebras of SU(4) × SU(1, 1), SU(1, 1), SU(5, 1), SO(12)¹ and E₇(7). We then give a general construction of an infinite class of unitary irreducible representations of the respective non-compact groups (except for E₇₍₇₎ and SO(12)¹ obtained from the extended construction). We illustrate our construction with the examples of SU(5, 1) and SO(12)¹.     

Negative dimensions and E7 symmetry

The invariant length and volume which characterize the Lorentz group are extended to a quadratic and a quartic supersymmetric invariant. The symmetry group of the Grassmann sector can be SO(2), SU(2), SU(2) × SU(2) × SU(2), Sp(6), SU(6), SO(12) or E₇, which are also possible global symmetries of extended supergravities. Diophantine conditions which yield this classification follow from the corresponding conditions in d bosonic dimensions by the replacement d → ?d.     

Supergravity,the seven-sphere,and spontaneous symmetry breaking

N = 1 supergravity in d = 11 dimensions spontaneously compactifies on S⁷ to an N = 8 supergravity in d = 4 with a local SO(8) × SO(8) invariance, probably enlargeable to SO(8) × SU(8). Apart from group manifolds, S⁷ is the only compact manifold to admit an absolute parallelism. This permits (a) a “squashing” of S⁷ which gives expectation values to the scalar fields and (b) a parallelizing “torsion” which gives expectation values to the pseudoscalars. This correspondence between extrema of the d = 4 effective potential and solutions of the d = 11 field equations provides a Kaluza-Klein origin for the spontaneous breakdown of gauge symmetries, discrete symmetries, and supersymmetries. It also puts a new perspective on the puzzle of the cosmological constant.     

Oscillator-like unitary representations of non-compact groups with a jordan structure and the non-compact groups of supergravity

We give a general bosonic construction of oscillator-like unitary irreducible representations (UIR) of non-compact groups whose coset spaces with respect to their maximal compact subgroups are Hermitian symmetric. With the exception of E₇₍₇₎, they include all the non-compact invariance groups of extended supergravity theories in four dimensions. These representations have the remarkable property that each UIR is uniquely determined by an irreducible representation of the maximal compact subgroup. We study the connection between our construction, the Hermitian symmetric spaces and the Tits-Koecher construction of the Lie algebras of corresponding groups. We then give the bosonic construction of the Lie algebra ofE ₇₍₇₎ in SU(8), SO(8) and U(7) bases and study its properties. Application of our method toE ₇₍₇₎ leads to reducible unitary representations.Dedicated to Feza Gürsey on the occasion of his 60th birthdayAlexander von Humboldt Fellow, on leave from Physics Dept., Bogaziçi University, Istanbul/Turkey: work supported in part by TBTAK, The National Science and Technology Council of Turkey     

Properties of SO(8) extended supergravity

The conjectured SU(8) invariance of the field equations of SO(8) extended supergravity is used to elucidate the general structure of the extended theories. Due to the representation content of the spinless fields this does not lead to a complete determination of the theory, as was the case for N = 4. The non-polynomial modifications by spinless fields are given in terms of a number of SU(8) covariant tensors, for which various identities are derived and discussed.     

Realizations of the exceptional modular invariant A(1)1 partition functions

We show that the E₆ and E₈ modular invariant combinations of A⁽¹⁾₁ characters in the classification of Cappelli, Itzykson and Zuber can be realized as partition functions of k=1 conformally invariant WZW models on the group manifolds of Sp(4) and G₂, respectively. Together with the D₄ combination, which is known to be realized by the WZW model on SU(3), these are the only such cases where the SU(2) local symmetry extends to a larger one. The E₇ combination is briefly discussed.     

Grand unified model with a stable proton and no axion problem

We present a grand unified model of the strong, electromagnetic and weak interactions based on a local SU(8)_L×SU(8)_R gauge theory which possesses a global U(8)_L × U(8)_R invariance. We break the symmetry down to the standard SU(3)_C × SU(2)_L × U(1) model, with the proton remaining stable and the left-handed neutrinos obliged to remain massless. A novel feature of our model is the simultaneous absence of both strong CP violations and of axions.     

Gauge boson/Higgs boson unification: The Higgs bosons as superpartners of massive gauge bosons

The N = 4 supergravity theories with local SO(4) invariance are formulated in superspace. The gauged SO(4) theory with two coupling constants (g₁, g₂) is shown to reduce to three inequivalent models: g₁ = g₂ with negative cosmological constant, g₁ = ?g₂ with positive cosmological constant, and g₁ = 0, g₂ ≠ 0 which is a particular case of the Freedman-Schwarz gauged SU(2) ? SU(2) model. The Higgs effect in the vector-scalar sector of the gauged N = 5 supergravity is analyzed.     

Chiral anomalies and constraints on the gauge group in higher-dimensional supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories

Chiral anomalies for gauge theories in any even dimension are computed and the results applied to supersymmetric theories in D = 6, 8 and 10. For D = 8 there is an anomalous chiral U(1) invariance, just as in D = 4, except for certain special groups. For D = 6 and D = 10 there is no anomalous chiral U(1) symmetry, but the gauge current is anomalous except for certain “anomaly-free” groups. For D = 6 the group is thereby constrained to be one of {SU(2), SU(3), exceptional}, while for D = 10 it is constrained to be one of {SU(n) n ≤ 5, USp(4), E₈}.     

Unification of families based on a coset space E7/SU(5) × SU(3) × U(1)

We show that the usual three families of quarks and leptons are identifiable with quasi Nambu-Goldstone fermions in a supersymmetric non-linear realization of E₇ corresponding to the Kähler manifold E₇/SU(5) × SU(3) × U(1). So the triplication of families suggests the underlying preon theory realizing the global E₇ linearly. Possible connections with N = 8 supergravity are also discussed.     

SU(3) ⊗ SU(2) ⊗ U(1) from D = 11 supergravity

In this paper we show that D = 11 supergravity admits an infinite discrete class of solutions having the phenomenological group SU(3) ? SU(2) ? U(1) as a symmetry of the internal space M₇. These solutions lead, in dimensional reduction, to SU(3) ? SU(2) ? U(1) gauge fields.In general all these spaces produce a complete breaking of supersymmetry except in one case where N = 2 supersymmetry survives. The parameter which classifies the solutions is a rational number q/p which describes the embedding of the stability subgroup SU(2) ? U(1) ? U(1) of M₇ in SU(3) ? SU(2) ? U(1). For all q/p ≠ 1 the holonomy group is SO(7) and all supersymmetries are broken. For q/p = 1 the holonomy group is SU(3) and two supersymmetries survive. In this last case we can also find a solution with internal photon curl $\text{F}{}_{\mathrm{\alpha \beta \gamma \delta }}\text{≠ 0}$. It breaks all sypersymmetries.     

Spontaneous CP violation in left-right symmetric gauge theories

Motivated by arguments in favour of spontaneous CP violation, we investigate the general conditions imposed by P and CP invariance on the Yukawa couplings in SU(2)_L × SU(2)_R × U(1) gauge theories. A complete discussion of these constraints is presented for two minimal Higgs sectors. In addition to the standard case of manifest CP invariance, we find two phenomenologically interesting models where the P and CP transformations are non-aligned in flavour and Higgs spaces. To a certain extent, P and CP invariance may be responsible for the existence of horizontal symmetries. An intimate connection between CP violation and the general flavour problem emerges.     

Extended supergravity with local SO(5) invariance

We present a version of N = 5 supergravity with local SO(5) invariance and a lowest order calculation for N = 8 supergravity with local SO(8). The implications of these results and related aspects are discussed.     

Superunification from eleven dimensions

We show how N = 8 supersymmetry can break spontaneously to N = 1 at the Planck scale via a Kaluza-Klein compactification of d = 11 supergravity on the squashed seven-sphere. Features unique to Kaluza-Klein supergravity are (i) the massless gravitino of the N = 1 phase comes from a massiveN = 8 supermultiplet, (ii) the scalars developing nonzero VEVs also belong to massive N = 8 supermultiplets, (iii) parity remains unbroken when N = 8 breaks to N = 1.Next we ask whether the resulting N = 1 theory can provide a realistic SU(3) × SU(2) × U(1) unification and speculate that it might if some of the gauge bosons and fermions are composite as in the EGMZ model. In contrast to their model, however, we avoid unwanted helicities and problems with their non-compact E₇. Moreover, we suggest a scheme in which the electroweak SU(2) × U(1) is a subgroup of the d = 11 general coordinate group but that the strong SU(3) is a subgroup of the d = 11 local Lorentz group and are not, therefore, to be combined into a GUT. The special properties of the seven-sphere also suggest a possible solution of the cosmological constant problem involving fermion condensates.     

The fate of primordial magnetic monopoles

Unified gauge theories, in which the SU (2)_L and U (1)_Y subgroups do not have non-trivial intersections, possess an in-built mechanism for a complete extinction of the primordial magnetic monopoles. The potential conflict with the standard hot big bang cosmology is therefore avoided in such theories. The usual gauge theories, based on SU (5), SO (10) and E₆ do not have this property.     

Formulation of 11-dimensional supergravity in superspace

We formulate on-shell 11-dimensional supergravity in superspace and express its equations of motion in terms of purely geometrical quantities. All torsion and curvature components are solved in terms of a single superfield W_rstu, totally antisymmetric in its (flat vector) indices. The dimensional reduction of this formulation is expected to be related to the superspace formulation of N=8 extended supergravity and might explain the origin of the hidden (local) SU(8) and (global) E₇ symmetries present in this theory.     

Cosmological constant in a model with superstring-inspired E 6 unification and shadow θ-particles

We have developed the concept of parallel existence of the ordinary (O-) and mirror (M-), or shadow (Sh-) worlds. In the first part of the paper we consider a mirror world with broken mirror parity and the breaking E ₆→SU(3)³ in both worlds. We show that in this case the evolutions of coupling constants in the O- and M-worlds are not identical, having different parameters for similar evolutions. E ₆ unification, inspired by superstring theory, restores the broken mirror parity at the scale ～10¹⁸ GeV. With the aim to explain the tiny cosmological constant, in the second part we consider the breakings: E ₆→SO(10)×U(1) _Z in the O-world, and E′₆→SU(6)′×SU(2)′ _θ in the Sh-world. We assume the existence of shadow θ-particles and the low-energy symmetry group SU(3)′ _C ×SU(2)′ _L ×SU(2)′ _θ ×U(1)′ _Y in the shadow world, instead of the Standard Model. The additional non-Abelian SU(2)′ _θ group with massless gauge fields, “thetons”, has a macroscopic confinement radius 1/Λ′ _θ . The assumption that Λ′ _θ ≈2.3?10^?3 eV explains the tiny cosmological constant given by recent astrophysical measurements. In this way the present work opens the possibility to specify a grand unification group, such as E ₆, from cosmology.     

The parallelizing S7 torsion in gauged N=8 supergravity

Using the parallelizing S⁷ torsion as an ansatz we investigate two solutions of gauged N=8 supergravity with SO(7) invariance. Supersymmetry is uniformly broken. We calculate the masses for these solutions which are both unstable. Certain apparent discrepancies with the results obtained by spontaneous compactification of d=11 supergravity are discussed. We establish that the compactification on the parallelized S⁷ has an SO(7) invariance and clarify the issue of supersymmetry breaking. The lack of stability in d=4 indicates that this d=11 solution is unstable.