Magnetic Deformation of Super-Maxwell Theory in Supergravity

TL;DR

This paper explores magnetic deformations in super-Maxwell theory within supergravity, revealing their role in describing R-symmetry gauging and the emergence of a positive cosmological constant.

Contribution

It introduces a magnetic deformation of the Maxwell field in supergravity, linking it to the gauging of R-symmetry and cosmological constant generation, extending previous models.

Findings

Deformation describes the magnetic dual of Fayet-Iliopoulos term.

Deformation induces a positive cosmological constant.

Gauging of R-symmetry is realized through the deformed Maxwell theory.

Abstract

A necessary condition for partial breaking of N=2 global supersymmetry is the presence of nonlinear deformations of the field transformations which cannot be generated by background values of auxiliary fields. This work studies the simplest of these deformations which already occurs in N=1 global supersymmetry, and its coupling to supergravity. It can be viewed as an imaginary constant shift of the D-auxiliary real field of an abelian gauge multiplet. We show how this deformation describes the magnetic dual of a Fayet-Iliopoulos term, a result that remains valid in supergravity, using its new-minimal formulation. Local supersymmetry and the deformation induce a positive cosmological constant. Moreover, the deformed U(1) Maxwell theory coupled to supergravity describes upon elimination of the auxiliary fields the gauging of R-symmetry, realised by the Freedman model of 1976. To this end, we construct the chiral spinor multiplet in superconformal tensor calculus by working out explicitly its transformation rules and use it for an alternative description of the new-minimal supergravity coupled to a U(1) multiplet. We also discuss the deformed Maxwell theory in curved superspace.