Comments on the Six Index Photon in Supergravity and the Gauging of Free Differential Algebras
May, 198412 pages
Published in:
- Class.Quant.Grav. 1 (1984) L81
Report number:
- CERN-TH-3884
Citations per year
Abstract: (IOP)
The structural theorem of Sullivan of the decomposition of a free differential algebra into a contractible and minimal one is utilised to given an intrinsic definition of the concepts of curvatures and potentials (=connections) in gauge theories including antisymmetric tensors. Applying this idea to d=11 supergravity the author clarifies the role of the 6-index photon showing that all d=11 field equations are a consequence of the principle of rheonomy inserted into the complete differential algebra encompassing both the 3- and 6-forms. Moreover the 6-index photon is dual to the 3-index one as a consequence of the algebra. This is close analogy with the relation between the axion and the dilaton in conformal supergravity. Finally the action of the d=11 theory has a simpler formulation in terms of the curvatures of the full differential algebra.- SUPERGRAVITY: ELEVEN-DIMENSIONAL
- SYMMETRY: SO(1,10)
- ALGEBRA
- MATHEMATICAL METHODS: DIFFERENTIAL GEOMETRY
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