Variant vector-tensor multiplets in supergravity: Classification and component reduction

TL;DR

This paper classifies different vector-tensor multiplets in supergravity, providing a general framework, and derives their component actions, extending previous work to include fermionic terms and new variants.

Contribution

It introduces a general setup for vector-tensor multiplets, classifies known and new variants, and derives complete component actions including fermionic contributions.

Findings

Two distinct variants of vector-tensor multiplets identified

Complete component actions derived for non-linear multiplets

Extended previous bosonic results to include fermionic terms

Abstract

The recent paper arXiv:1205.6881 has developed superform formulations for two versions of the vector-tensor multiplet and their Chern-Simons couplings in four-dimensional N = 2 conformal supergravity. One of them is the standard vector-tensor multiplet with the central charge gauged by a vector multiplet. The other is the variant vector-tensor multiplet with the property that its own one-form gauges the central charge. Here a more general setup is presented in which the known versions reside as special cases. Analysis of the setup demonstrates that under certain assumptions there are two distinct variants, corresponding to the two formulations in arXiv:1205.6881. This provides a classification scheme for vector-tensor multiplets. We then show that our superspace description leads to an efficient means of deriving component actions in supergravity. The entire action including all fermionic terms is derived for the non-linear vector-tensor multiplet. This extends the results of de Wit et al. in hep-th/9710212, where only the bosonic sector appeared. Finally, the bosonic sector of the action for the variant vector-tensor multiplet is given.