Related papers: What U Can Do: New Solutions and New Challenges Be…
Some relationships between string theories and eleven-dimensional supergravity are discussed and reviewed. We see how some relationships can be derived from others. The cases of N=2 supersymmetry in nine dimensions and N=4 supersymmetry in…
After reviewing briefly the classical examples of duality in four dimensional field theory we present a generalisation to arbitrary dimensions and to p-form fields. Then we explain how U-duality may become part of a larger non abelian…
This thesis is devoted to the study of black hole solutions in ungauged four-dimensional extended Supergravity. We characterize the most general spherically symmetric and static black-hole solution of ungauged Supergravity, and use the…
The duality properties of perturbative string characters associated with the transverse space-time rotations are studied. T duality is achieved by suitably integrating over the total momentum, contrary to earlier discussions. The O(8)…
We construct generating technique for 5D minimal and $U(1)^3$ supergravities based on hidden symmetries arising in dimensional reduction to three dimensions. In the three-vector case the symmetry is SO(4,4), and the minimal case corresponds…
We review the recently constructed `double field theory' which introduces in addition to the conventional coordinates associated to momentum modes coordinates associated to winding modes. Thereby, T-duality becomes a global symmetry of the…
This Ph.D. thesis investigates effective field and string theories in which supersymmetry is realized and broken in various ways. Chapter 1 addresses effective theories with nonlinearly realized supersymmetry, constructed using the…
In this lecture I review recent results on the use of Solvable Lie Algebras as an efficient description of the scalar field sector of supergravities in relation with their non perturbative structure encoded in the U-duality group. I also…
We construct supergravity plus branes solutions, which we argue to be related to 4d N=1 SQCD with a quartic superpotential. The geometries depend on the ratio Nf/Nc which can be kept of order one, present a good singularity at the origin…
The U-dualities of maximally supersymmetric non-chiral supergravity (SUGRA) theories lead to strong constraints on the non-perturbative structure of quantum gravity. In this paper we determine Spin- and Pin-lifts of these dualities, which…
In recent work Kachru, Kumar and Silverstein introduced a special class of non-supersymmetric type II string theories in which the cosmological constant vanishes at the first two orders of perturbation theory. Heuristic arguments suggest…
Exceptional field theories are the manifestly duality covariant formulations of the target space theories of string/M-theory in the low-energy limit (supergravity) or for certain truncations. These theories feature a rich system of…
This thesis investigates two main topics concerning black holes in extensions of general relativity inspired by string theory. First, the structure of the equations of motion underlying black hole solutions is considered, in theories of…
Proper symmetries act on fields while pseudo-symmetries act on both fields and coupling constants. We identify the pseudo-duality groups that act as symmetries of the equations of motion of general systems of scalar and vector fields and…
Lectures presented at the 33rd Karpacz Winter School ``Duality: Strings and Fields'' briefly introducing dualities in four-dimensional quantum field theory, and summarizing results found in supersymmetric field theories. The first lecture…
This thesis analyses gauged supergravities in various dimensions and their possible origin from compactifications of string theory. In the effective description the fluxes appear in the theory as deformation parameters generating a…
Using generalised geometry we study the action of U-duality acting in three and four dimensions on the bosonic fields of eleven dimensional supergravity. We compare the U-duality symmetry with the T-duality symmetry of double field theory…
Theories with gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking provide an interesting alternative to the scenario in which the soft terms of the low-energy fields are induced by gravity. These theories allow for a natural suppression of flavour…
We discuss some consequences of the fact that symmetry groups appearing in compactified (super-)gravity may be non-simply connected. The possibility to add fermions to a theory results in a simple criterion to decide whether a 3-dimensional…
Recent work has made clear that we have far more control over the dynamics of supersymmetric than non-supersymmetric theories. Here, I discuss some issues in dynamical supersymmetry breaking both in ordinary field theory and in string…