Supersymmetry reduction of N-extended supergravities in four dimensions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the consistent truncation of N-extended supergravities in four dimensions, focusing on reductions from higher to lower N, especially from N=2 to N=1, with implications for string and M-theory.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of supergravity truncations, highlighting the non-trivial nature of reducing from higher to lower N and the restrictions on matter sectors involved.

Findings

Truncation from N=8 to N'≥2 involves matter sector restrictions.

Detailed analysis of N=2 to N=1 reduction.

Applications to superstring and M-theory dynamics.

Abstract

We consider the possible consistent truncation of N-extended supergravities to lower N' theories. The truncation, unlike the case of N-extended rigid theories, is non trivial and only in some cases it is sufficient just to delete the extra N-N' gravitino multiplets. We explore different cases (starting with N=8 down to N'\geq 2) where the reduction implies restrictions on the matter sector. We perform a detailed analysis of the interesting case N=2 \to N=1. This analysis finds applications in different contexts of superstring and M-theory dynamics.