Massive Type IIA Theory on K3

TL;DR

This paper explores the compactification of massive type IIA string theory on K3, resulting in a new six-dimensional supergravity theory with duality symmetry, and proposes an 11-dimensional interpretation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel six-dimensional supergravity from K3 compactification of massive IIA and reveals its duality invariance and interpolating vacua, suggesting a new 11D perspective.

Findings

Derived a new massive supergravity with O(4,20) symmetry

Showed the theory interpolates between massive and massless IIA vacua

Proposed an 11-dimensional interpretation for massive IIA

Abstract

In this paper we study K3 compactification of ten-dimensional massive type IIA theory with all possible Ramond-Ramond background fluxes turned on. The resulting six-dimensional theory is a new massive (gauged) supergravity with an action that is manifestly invariant under an O(4,20) / (O(4) times O(20)) duality symmetry. We discover that this six-dimensional theory interpolates between vacua of ten-dimensional massive IIA supergravity and vacua of massless IIA supergravity with appropriate background fluxes turned on. This in turn suggests a new 11-dimensional interpretation for the massive type IIA theory.