Flux quantization on 11-dimensional superspace

Abstract

Abstract Flux quantization of the C-field in 11d supergravity is arguably necessary for the (UV-)completion of the theory, in that it determines the torsion charges carried by small numbers N ≪ ∞ of M-branes. However, hypotheses about C-field flux-quantization (“models of the C-field”) have previously been discussed only in the bosonic sector of 11d supergravity and ignoring the supergravity equations of motion. Here we highlight a duality-symmetric formulation of on-shell 11d supergravity on superspace, observe that this naturally lends itself to completion of the theory by flux quantization, and indeed that 11d super-spacetimes are put on-shell by carrying quantizable duality-symmetric super-C-field flux; the proof of which we present in detail.

Keywords

• M-Theory
• Nonperturbative Effects
• Supergravity Models
• Superspaces