English

Interactions of chiral two-forms

High Energy Physics - Theory 2007-05-23 v2

Abstract

Two issues regarding the interactions of the chiral two-forms are reviewed. First, the problem of constructing Lorentz-invariant self-couplings of a single chiral two-form is investigated in the light of the Dirac-Schwinger condition on the energy-momentum tensor commutation relations. We show how the Perry-Schwarz condition follows from the Dirac-Schwinger criterion and point out that consistency of the gravitational coupling is automatic. Secondly, we study the possible local deformations of chiral two-forms. This problem reduces to the study of the local BRST cohomological group at ghost number zero. We proof that the only consistent deformations of a system of free chiral two-forms are (up to redefinitions) deformations that do not modify the abelian gauge symmetries of the free theory. The consequence of this result for a system consisting of a number of parallel M5-branes is explained.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-th/9911109,
  title  = {Interactions of chiral two-forms},
  author = {Xavier Bekaert},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-th/9911109},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

6 pages. References added. Modified presentation. Talk given at the TMR-meeting `Quantum aspects of gauge theories, supersymmetry and unification', ENS (Paris), September 1-7, 1999 and at the `9th Midwest Geometry Conference', Univ. of Missouri (Columbia), November 5-7, 1999. From joint work with M. Henneaux and A. Sevrin