Membranes and Three-form Supergravity

TL;DR

This paper explores a dual formulation of N=1 supergravity involving a three-form potential, derived from membrane dynamics in superspace, and examines the resulting supersymmetry algebra and soliton solutions.

Contribution

It introduces a new supergravity formulation with a three-form superfield and analyzes membrane solitons within this framework.

Findings

Dual supergravity with three-form potential formulated in curved superspace

Membrane soliton solutions identified in the new supergravity

Extended supersymmetry algebra derived from membrane symmetries

Abstract

We discuss membranes in four-dimensional N=1 superspace. The kappa-invariance of the Green-Schwarz action implies that there is a dual version of N=1 supergravity with a three-form potential. We formulate this new supergravity in terms of a three-form superfield in curved superspace, giving the relevant constraints on the field strength. We find the corresponding membrane soliton in the new supergravity and discuss how the extended supersymmetry algebra emerges from the symmetries of the flat superspace background.