Double field theory, twistors, and integrability in 4-manifolds (Q6187287)

Double field theory is the framework where \(T\)-duality in string theory can be geometrically understood. Besides, this geometrical setting can be related with two other branches of Geometry: that of paraHermitian manifolds (see [\textit{I. Vaisman}, J. Math. Phys. 54, No. 12, 123507, 22 p. (2013; Zbl 1285.81060)] and that of generalized geometry (see [\textit{O. Hohm} et al., Fortschr. Phys. 61, No. 10, 926--966 (2013; Zbl 1338.81328)]). Roughly speaking, double field theory considers the product \(M\times M\) as a base manifold, paraHermitian manifolds \(M\) are endowed with two equidimensional transverse distributions, and generalized geometry considers the big tangent bundle \(TM\oplus T^{*}M\) over a manifold \(M\). All of them have a compatible metric and the group \(O(n,n)\) plays an important role in all the cases, because there is a notion of equidimensionality: that of the twice product of a manifold, that of the two transverse distributions, and that of the Whitney sum of two bundles having the same rank. This is carefully explained in the above quoted papers. In the paper under review the author focusses on 4-dimensional manifolds, thus being able to use twistors and spinors in order to obtain results in Relativity. In particular, he exploits the close relationship between some of the geometrical structures in the para-Hermitian approach to double field theory and those in algebraically special solutions to the Einstein equations. Particular results include the classification of four-dimensional, possibly complex-valued, (para-)Hermitian structures in different signatures, the Lie and Courant algebroid structures of special spacetimes, and the analysis of deformations of (para-)complex structures.