Form‐field gauge symmetry in M‐theory

DOI10.1002/PROP.200310108zbMATH Open1034.81040arXivhep-th/0302164OpenAlexW3105907772MaRDI QIDQ4418244

Publication date: 7 August 2003

Published in: Fortschritte der Physik (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We show how to cast an interacting system of M--branes into manifestly gauge-invariant form using an arrangement of higher-dimensional Dirac surfaces. Classical M--theory has a cohomologically nontrivial and noncommutative set of gauge symmetries when written using a ``doubled formalism containing 3-form and 6-form gauge fields. We show how the arrangement of Dirac surfaces allows an integral subgroup of these symmetries to be preserved at the quantum level. The proper context for discussing these large gauge transformations is relative cohomology, in which the 3-form transformation parameters become exact when restricted to the five-brane worldvolume. This structure yields the correct lattice of M-theory brane charges.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0302164

zbMATH Keywords

higher-dimensional Dirac surfaces interacting system of M-branes manifestly gauge-invariant form

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

String and superstring theories in gravitational theory (83E30) Supergravity (83E50) String and superstring theories; other extended objects (e.g., branes) in quantum field theory (81T30) Kaluza-Klein and other higher-dimensional theories (83E15)