No Arabic abstract
Unlike the $mathcal{R}^4$ and $ abla^4mathcal{R}^4$ couplings, whose coefficients are Langlands-Eisenstein series of the U-duality group, the coefficient $mathcal{E}_{(0,1)}^{(d)}$ of the $ abla^6mathcal{R}^4$ interaction in the low-energy effective action of type II strings compactified on a torus $T^d$ belongs to a more general class of automorphic functions, which satisfy Poisson rather than Laplace-type equations. In earlier work, it was proposed that the exact coefficient is given by a two-loop integral in exceptional field theory, with the full spectrum of mutually 1/2-BPS states running in the loops, up to the addition of a particular Langlands-Eisenstein series. Here we compute the weak coupling and large radius expansions of these automorphic functions for any $d$. We find perfect agreement with perturbative string theory up to genus three, along with non-perturbative corrections which have the expected form for 1/8-BPS instantons and bound states of 1/2-BPS instantons and anti-instantons. The additional Langlands-Eisenstein series arises from a subtle cancellation between the two-loop amplitude with 1/4-BPS states running in the loops, and the three-loop amplitude with mutually 1/2-BPS states in the loops. For $d=4$, the result is shown to coincide with an alternative proposal in terms of a covariantised genus-two string amplitude, due to interesting identities between the Kawazumi-Zhang invariant of genus-two curves and its tropical limit, and between double lattice sums for the particle and string multiplets, which may be of independent mathematical interest.
Four-graviton, eight-derivative couplings in the low energy effective action of toroidal type II string compactifications are tightly constrained by U-duality invariance and by supersymmetry. In this note, we revisit earlier proposals for the automorphic form governing these couplings in dimension D=3,4,5,6, and propose that the correct automorphic form is the minimal theta series for the corresponding U-duality group. Evidence for this proposal comes from i) the matching of infinitesimal characters, ii) the fact that the Fourier coefficients have support on 1/2-BPS charges and iii) decompactification limits. In particular, we show that non-perturbative effects can be interpreted as 1/2-BPS instantons, or 1/2-BPS particles in one dimension higher (together with Taub-NUT instantons in the D=3 case). Based on similar considerations, we also conjecture the form of 1/4-BPS saturated couplings such as $ abla^4 R^4$ couplings in the same dimensions.
We present the supersymmetric extension of the recently constructed E$_{8(8)}$ exceptional field theory -- the manifestly U-duality covariant formulation of the untruncated ten- and eleven-dimensional supergravities. This theory is formulated on a (3+248) dimensional spacetime (modulo section constraint) in which the extended coordinates transform in the adjoint representation of E$_{8(8)}$. All bosonic fields are E$_{8(8)}$ tensors and transform under internal generalized diffeomorphisms. The fermions are tensors under the generalized Lorentz group SO(1,2)$times$SO(16), where SO(16) is the maximal compact subgroup of E$_{8(8)}$. Vanishing generalized torsion determines the corresponding spin connections to the extent they are required to formulate the field equations and supersymmetry transformation laws. We determine the supersymmetry transformations for all bosonic and fermionic fields such that they consistently close into generalized diffeomorphisms. In particular, the covariantly constrained gauge vectors of E$_{8(8)}$ exceptional field theory combine with the standard supergravity fields into a single supermultiplet. We give the complete extended Lagrangian and show its invariance under supersymmetry. Upon solution of the section constraint the theory reduces to full D=11 or type IIB supergravity.
Three-dimensional string models with half-maximal supersymmetry are believed to be invariant under a large U-duality group which unifies the S and T dualities in four dimensions. We propose an exact, U-duality invariant formula for four-derivative scalar couplings of the form $F(Phi) ( ablaPhi)^4$ in a class of string vacua known as CHL $mathbb{Z}_N$ heterotic orbifolds with $N$ prime, generalizing our previous work which dealt with the case of heterotic string on $T^6$. We derive the Ward identities that $F(Phi)$ must satisfy, and check that our formula obeys them. We analyze the weak coupling expansion of $F(Phi)$, and show that it reproduces the correct tree-level and one-loop contributions, plus an infinite series of non-perturbative contributions. Similarly, the large radius expansion reproduces the exact $F^4$ coupling in four dimensions, including both supersymmetric invariants, plus infinite series of instanton corrections from half-BPS dyons winding around the large circle, and from Taub-NUT instantons. The summation measure for dyonic instantons agrees with the helicity supertrace for half-BPS dyons in 4 dimensions in all charge sectors. In the process we clarify several subtleties about CHL models in $D=4$ and $D=3$, in particular we obtain the exact helicity supertraces for 1/2-BPS dyonic states in all duality orbits.
We analyze four- and six-derivative couplings in the low energy effective action of $D=3$ string vacua with half-maximal supersymmetry. In analogy with an earlier proposal for the $( ablaPhi)^4$ coupling, we propose that the $ abla^2( ablaPhi)^4$ coupling is given exactly by a manifestly U-duality invariant genus-two modular integral. In the limit where a circle in the internal torus decompactifies, the $ abla^2( ablaPhi)^4$ coupling reduces to the $D^2 F^4$ and $R^2 F^2$ couplings in $D=4$, along with an infinite series of corrections of order $e^{-R}$, from four-dimensional 1/4-BPS dyons whose wordline winds around the circle. Each of these contributions is weighted by a Fourier coefficient of a meromorphic Siegel modular form, explaining and extending standard results for the BPS index of 1/4-BPS dyons.
The elliptic genus of K3 is an index for the 1/4-BPS states of its sigma model. At the torus orbifold point there is an accidental degeneracy of such states. We blow up the orbifold fixed points using conformal perturbation theory, and find that this fully lifts the accidental degeneracy of the 1/4-BPS states with h=1. At a generic point near the Kummer surface the elliptic genus thus measures not just their index, but counts the actual number of these BPS states. We comment on the implication of this for symmetry surfing and Mathieu moonshine.