Fundamental Extended Objects for Chern-Simons Supergravity

TL;DR

This paper introduces models where extended objects like branes are integrated into Chern-Simons supergravity, treating them on equal footing with the target space, and explores their implications for superstring theory and M-theory.

Contribution

It presents a novel formalism that incorporates branes directly into Chern-Simons supergravity, unifying their treatment with the target space.

Findings

Models describe interacting branes as gauge systems for supergroups

Analysis of boundary cases links to superstring and M-theory

Discussion of fermionic kappa-symmetry in the models

Abstract

We propose a class of models in which extended objects are introduced in Chern-Simons supergravity in such a way that those objects appear on the same footing as the target space. This is motivated by the idea that branes are already first quantized object, so that it is desirable to have a formalism that treats branes and their target space in a similar fashion. Accordingly, our models describe interacting branes, as gauge systems for supergroups. We also consider the case in which those objects have boundaries, and discuss possible links to superstring theory and/or M-theory, by studying the fermionic kappa-symmetry of the action.