IIA/IIB Supergravity and Ten-forms

TL;DR

This paper investigates which ten-form fields can be consistently incorporated into IIA and IIB supergravity, revealing new potentials compatible with the full non-linear supersymmetry algebra and aligning with E(11) predictions.

Contribution

It identifies and constructs new ten-form potentials in IIA/IIB supergravity that are consistent with non-linear supersymmetry, correcting previous assumptions.

Findings

Some previously proposed ten-forms are discarded due to inconsistency.

New ten-form potentials compatible with full supersymmetry are introduced.

Results align with E(11) algebra predictions.

Abstract

We perform a careful investigation of which p-form fields can be introduced consistently with the supersymmetry algebra of IIA and/or IIB ten-dimensional supergravity. In particular the ten-forms, also known as "top-forms", require a careful analysis since in this case, as we will show, closure of the supersymmetry algebra at the linear level does not imply closure at the non-linear level. Consequently, some of the (IIA and IIB) ten-form potentials introduced in earlier work of some of us are discarded. At the same time we show that new ten-form potentials, consistent with the full non-linear supersymmetry algebra can be introduced. We give a superspace explanation of our work. All of our results are precisely in line with the predictions of the E(11) algebra.