Deformation of Dirac structures along isotropic subbundles (Q615191)

The authors present a construction which takes a Dirac subbundle \(D\) (i.e., an almost Dirac structure) and an isotropic subbundle \(S\) of an exact Courant algebroid and, provided that \(D\cap S\) is a subbundle, produces a new Dirac subbundle \[ D^S:=(D\cap S^\perp)+S, \] called the stretching of \(D\) along \(S\). They show that \(D^S\) is the maximally isotropic subbundle closest to \(D\) among those containing \(S\). The stretching construction was introduced by the first two authors [in: Groups, geometry and physics. Lectures presented at the workshop, Zaragoza, Spain, December 9--10, 2005. Zaragoza: Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas, Químicas y Naturales de Zaragoza. Monografías de la Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas, Químicas y Naturales de Zaragoza 29, 49--56 (2006; Zbl 1119.53055)]. In general, \(D^S\) will not be involutive, i.e., closed under the Courant bracket, but the authors find conditions ensuring that \(D\cap S\) is also involutive, i.e., a Dirac structure. Finally, they show that the Dirac brackets which appeared in Dirac's theory of constraints, as well as the reduced Dirac structures in the Marsden-Weinstein reduction in Poisson geometry, are indeed examples of stretched Dirac structures. They also show that the stretching of a Dirac structure appears in the coupling of Poisson fibrations of \textit{O. Brahic} and \textit{R. L. Fernandes} [in: Poisson geometry in mathematics and physics. Proceedings of the international conference, Tokyo, Japan, June 5--9, 2006. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS). Contemporary Mathematics 450, 41--59 (2008; Zbl 1158.53064)] in the case of a flat connection.