D=11 Supergravity Revisited

TL;DR

This paper revisits D=11 supergravity, proving a no-go theorem for cosmological extensions and analyzing four-point invariants crucial for understanding counter-terms and M-theory limits.

Contribution

It presents two new results: a no-go theorem for cosmological extensions in D=11 supergravity and an analysis of four-point invariants relevant for counter-term existence.

Findings

No cosmological extension exists in D=11 supergravity.

Four-point invariants are crucial for counter-term analysis.

Results impact understanding of M-theory limits.

Abstract

I discuss two novel results in D=11 Supergravity. The first establishes, in two complementary ways, a no-go theorem that, in contrast to all D<11, a cosmological extension of the theory does not exist. The second deals with the structure of (on-shell) four-point invariants. These are important both for establishing existence of the lowest (2-loop) order candidate counter-terms in the theory proper, as well as for comparison with the form of eventual "zero-slope" QFT limit of M-theory.