Heisenberg groups and noncommutative fluxes (Q863940)

The paper addresses experts in supergravity and/or string theory with some knowledge of topology. It develops a group-theoretical approach to the formulation of generalized abelian gauge theories (i.e. gauge theories of higher degree differential forms). This approach has several surprising physical implications: There is an uncertainty relation which obstructs the simultaneous measurement of electric and magnetic flux when torsion fluxes are included. Self-dual fields (including the Ramond-Ramond fields of string theory) in general have fermionic sectors. It is impossible to measure the \(K\)-theory class of a Ramond-Ramond field, rather only the reduction modulo torsion can be measured. Finally it is indicated how rational conformal field theories associated with the two-dimensional Gaussian model generate \((4k+2)\)-dimensional conformal field theories.