Fermionic T-duality in the pp-wave limit

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that certain pp-wave backgrounds in string theory exhibit self-duality under fermionic T-duality, revealing a potential universal symmetry of all pp-wave geometries related to supersymmetry properties.

Contribution

It shows that the type IIA pp-wave limit of AdS4 X CP3 is self-dual under eight fermionic T-dualities, extending the understanding of fermionic T-duality symmetry beyond known cases.

Findings

The pp-wave is self-dual under eight fermionic T-dualities.

Self-duality observed in superpositions of different pp-waves.

Suggests fermionic T-duality may be a universal symmetry of all pp-waves.

Abstract

AdS5 X S5 and its pp-wave limit are self-dual under transformations involving eight fermionic T-dualities, a property which accounts for symmetries seen in scattering amplitudes in N=4 super-Yang-Mills. Despite strong evidence for similar symmetries in the amplitudes of three-dimensional N=6 ABJM theory, a corresponding self-duality in the dual geometry AdS4 X CP3 currently eludes us. Here, working with the type IIA pp-wave limit of AdS4 X CP3 preserving twenty four supercharges, we show that the pp-wave is self-dual with respect to eight commuting fermionic T-dualities and not the six expected. In addition, we show the same symmetry can be found in a superposition pp-wave and a generic pp-wave with twenty and sixteen unbroken supersymmetries respectively, strongly suggesting that self-duality under fermionic T-duality may be a symmetry of all pp-waves.