Harmonic Superspace
Harmonic Superspace
E. A. Ivanov, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia
V. I. Ogievetsky
E. S. Sokatchev, Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique Théorique, France
This is a pedagogical introduction to the harmonic superspace method in extended supersymmetry. Inspired by exciting developments in superstring theory, it provides a systematic treatment of the quantum field theories with N=2 and N=3 supersymmetry in harmonic superspace. The authors present the harmonic superspace approach as a means of providing an off-shell description of the N=2 supersymmetric theories, both at the classical and quantum levels. Furthermore, they show how it offers a unique way to construct an off-shell formulation of a theory with higher supersymmetry, namely the N=3 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. Harmonic Superspace makes manifest many remarkable geometric properties of the N=2 theories, for example, the one-to-one correspondence between N=2 supersymmetric matter, and hyper-Kähler and quaternionic manifolds. This book will be of interest to researchers and graduate students working in the areas of supersymmetric quantum field theory, string theory and complex geometries.
- Written by world experts in the field and the inventors of the harmonic superspace technique
- Comprehensive and pedagogical in its approach
- Complements other key texts on superstring theory in the same series
Reviews & endorsements
'Harmonic Superspace … is the first discussion, outside of the confines of the research literature, to present pedagogically the intricacies of its topic. This is a unique book.' Physics Today
'… it deserves a place in every theoretical physics and mathematics library. It is clearly all set to become the standard work on all things pertaining to Harmonic Superspace … this is a book that people will want to go back to.' Contemporary Physics
Product details
September 2001Hardback
9780521801645
322 pages
244 × 170 × 19 mm
0.71kg
20 b/w illus. 3 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. Introductory overview
- 2. Elements of supersymmetry
- 3. Superspace
- 4. Harmonic analysis
- 5. N=2 matter with infinite sets of auxiliary fields
- 6. N=2 matter multiplets with a finite number of auxiliary fields. N=2 duality transformations
- 7. Supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories
- 8. Harmonic supergraphs
- 9. Conformal invariance in N=2 harmonic superspace
- 10. Supergravity
- 11. Hyper-Kähler geometry in harmonic space
- 12. N=3 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory
- 13. Conclusions
- Appendix. Notations, conventions and useful formulas
- References
- Index.
