Deliberations on 11D Superspace for the M-Theory Effective Action

TL;DR

This paper analyzes infinitesimal supergravity fluctuations in 11D superspace to understand M-theory's effective action, confirming some previous interpretations while challenging others, and discusses implications for supergravity auxiliary fields.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of 11D supergravity fluctuations and questions the applicability of Howe's 1997 theorem to M-theory.

Findings

Confirmed Howe's interpretation of Bianchi identities.

Showed that off-shell supergravity rules imply additional superfields.

Challenged the validity of Howe's 1997 theorem for 11D supergravity.

Abstract

In relation to the superspace modifications of 11D supergeometry required to describe the M-theory low-energy effective action, we present an analysis of infinitesimal supergravity fluctuations about the flat superspace limit. Our investigation confirms Howe's interpretation of our previous Bianchi identity analysis. However, the analysis also shows that should 11D supergravity obey the rules of other off-shell supergravity theories, the complete M-theory corrections will necessarily excite our previously anticipated spin-1/2 engineering dimension-1/2 spinor auxiliary multiplet superfield. The analysis of fluctuations yields more evidence that Howe's 1997 theorem is specious when applied to Poincar\' e supergravity or 11D supergravity/M-theory. We end by commenting upon recent advances in this area.