N = 4 supergravity coupled to N = 4 matter and hidden symmetries

We present the N = 1 supergravity in 10 dimensions obtained by truncating the reduced N = 1 supergravity from 11 dimensions. This is further reduced to 4 dimensions to give SU(4) supergravity coupled to six SO(4) vector multiplets. As the reduction is from 10 dimensions, the theory is expected to have the symmetry SL(6R)_global×SO(6)_local, but we give a theoretical argument that this can be extended to SO(6,6)×SU(1,1)_global and SO(6)×SO(6)×U(1)_local.     

A nontrivial vacuum state in D = 10, N = 1 supergravity

We find a ground state of D = 10, N = 1 supergravity of the form (AdS(3) × R¹) × S³ × T³ which preserves all supersymmetries and should provide a gauged D = 4, N = 4 supergravity coupled to supermatter after dimensional reduction.     

Linearized N = 2 superfield supergravity

We present the formulation of linearized SU(2) supergravity and U(2) conformal supergravity in terms of unconstrained N = 2 superfields: the gauge superfield, compensating superfields, gauge transformations, supertensors, actions and covariant derivatives.     

Noncompact N=2 supergravity

A massive spin-one multiplet with central charge is coupled to N=2 supergravity. Compared to conventional gauge fields the anomalous magnetic moment of the spin-one particles is of the opposite sign. The construction of this theory is based on an N=2 supersymmetric gauge theory associated with the noncompact group SO(2,1). As a byproduct we present a convenient expression for the N=2 Einstein-Yang-Mills lagrangian.     

N = 2, D = 10 non-chiral supergravity and its spontaneous compactification

The non-chiral N = 2, D = 10 supergravity theory is constructed using dimensional reduction from N = 1, D = 11 supergravity. It is shown that this theory may spontaneously compactify, yielding S⁴ × S², CP² × S² and S² × S² × S² spaces for the extra dimensions.     

Black holes in N=8 supergravity

Solutions of the bosonic field equations of the ungauged, N=8 supergravity which describe black holes with no scalar hairs are obtained. It is found that, in contrast to the Einstein-Maxwell theory where a uniqueness theorem exists, there are two distinct families of black holes in N=8 supergravity. There are also two distinct generalizations of Majumdar-Papapertrou solutions which describe the static equilibrium of many black holes.     

The complete N =2, d = 10 supergravity

The alternative N = 2, d = 10 supergravity, which is not derivable by dimensional reduction from the N = 1, d = 11 theory, is constructed at the full non-linear level. The transformation laws of the component fields and the equations of motion are derived and shown to be consistent. The derivation makes use of superspace techniques and exploits the fact that the scalars belong to the coset space SU(1,1)/U(1).     

The improved tensor multiplet in N = 2 supergravity

We construct a scale-invariant action for the N = 2 tensor multiplet which can be coupled to conformal supergravity. In spite of its non-polynomial form the action describes a free massless hypermultiplet. When used as a compensating multiplet it leads to a new minimal formulation of N = 2 Poincaré or de Sitter supergravity. We discuss its consequences and present a comparison with previous off-shell formulations.     

N=3 supersymmetry multiplets with vanishing trace anomaly: Building blocks of the N>3 supergravities

N?3 supergravity theories with vanishing one-loop trace anomaly may be constructed fron three basic N=3 multiplets, one of which contains an antisymmetric tensor gauge field. As an example we construct the N=4 theory and discuss its relationship to ten-dimensional supergravity.     

Bound states in N = 8 supergravity and N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories

We present a study of possible bound states in N = 8 supergravity. We find evidence for the existence of multiplets of two-body bound states and expect that many-body bound states may exist as well. Our study is based on a calculation of Regge trajectories in the two-body scattering amplitudes of the lagrangian field theory. We also study Regge trajectories in N = 4 Yang-Mills theory and find evidence for a possible spin zero, SU(4) and gauge singlet, massless bound state. If such a state actually exists and supersymmetry is not broken, it may be a member of a supersymmetric multiplet which includes the graviton.     

A monopole in N = 8 supergravity

An explicit ansatz for a monopole in N = 8 supergravity is constructed. The monopole mass is estimated by extremizing an energy functional, whose positive definite character is guaranteed by a positive energy theorem.     

N = 8 supergravity

The complete structure of N = 8 supergravity is presented with an optional local SO(8) invariance. The SO(8) gauge interactions break E₇ invariance, but leave the local SU(8) unaffected. Exploiting E₇ × SU(8) invariance and using explicit lowest order results, we first derive the complete action and transformation laws. Subsequently, we introduce local SO(8) invariance and prove the consistency of the theory. Possible implications of our results are discussed.     

An attractor universe in six-dimensional N = 2 supergravity Kaluza-Klein theory

Cosmological solutions are investigated in six-dimensional, N = 2 supergravity Kaluza-Klein theory. It is shown that the solution of (the four-dimensional Friedmann universe)×(a constant S²) is the attractor, i.e. all the cosmological solutions starting from arbitrary initial conditions (apart from the time reversal ones) approach the above space-time asymptotically without any fine-tuning. The Friedmann solution is asymptotically “unique” in the later stage of the universe in six-dimensional N = 2 supergravity.     

Dynamical calculation of bound-state supermultiplets in N = 8 supergravity

We have studied the existence of bound states in N = 8 supergravity using S-matrix methods. We find evidence for several supermultiplets.     

The vanishing volume of N = 1 superspace

We show that the supergeometry of the new minimal formulation of N = 1 supergravity is a limiting case of the non-minimal supergeometry for which the volume of superspace vanishes. The action for supergravity in this case is then no longer the superdeterminant of the vielbein but is analogous to a special form of the Fayet-Iliopoulos term allowed only for the new minimal supergeometry. We discuss the restrictions on matter couplings imposed by the new and non-minimal supergeometries.     

Superfields,auxilliary fields and tensor calculus for N=2 extended supergravity

Starting from the geometry of superspace, we find constraints for torsion and curvatures, which lead to off-shell realizations of N=2 supergravity. We give the action formula, and construct the supergravity lagrangian from it.     

On the non-minimal versions of linearized N=1 supergravity

We present the only two other irreducible sets of auxiliary fields (without high spin auxiliary fields) for N=1 supergravity. Each contains 20 + 20 degrees of freedom.     

N = 4 Yang-Mills theory on the light cone

The 10-dimensional supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory is constructed in the light-cone gauge. When the theory is dimensionally reduced to four dimensions it is shown that the corresponding N = 4 theory is conveniently described in terms of a scalar superfield. This formalism avoids the problem of auxiliary fields but is Lorentz invariant only on the mass shell. Similar formalisms in terms of scalar superfields are also sketched for the other supersymmetric Yang-Mills as well as for N = 8 supergravity.     

Off-shell N = 8 supersymmetry with central charges

Using a new technique of dimensional reduction by Legendre transformation we derive an off-shell formulation of the N = 8 extended supersymmetry algebra, which is realised in the maximally extended supergravity theory. The theory has an Sp(8) manifest global invariance and some of the fields satisfy differential constraints.