BV formulation of higher form gauge theories in a superspace

TL;DR

This paper develops a superspace formulation of the BV approach for higher form gauge theories, demonstrating covariant actions with extended BRST and anti-BRST symmetries using one or two Grassmann coordinates.

Contribution

It introduces a superspace framework for BV actions in higher form gauge theories, incorporating extended BRST and anti-BRST symmetries in a covariant manner.

Findings

BV actions are expressed covariantly in superspace.

One Grassmann coordinate suffices for BRST symmetry.

Two Grassmann coordinates are needed for both BRST and anti-BRST symmetries.

Abstract

We discuss the extended BRST and anti-BRST symmetry (including shift symmetry) in the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formulation for two and three form gauge theories. Further we develop the superspace formulation for the BV actions for these theories. We show that the extended BRST invariant BV action for these theories can be written manifestly covariant manner in a superspace with one Grassmann coordinate. On the hand a superspace with two Grassmann coordinates are required for a manifestly covariant formulation of the extended BRST and extended anti-BRST invariant BV actions for higher form gauge theories.