Geometry of spin and spin^c structures in the M-theory partition function

DOI10.1142/S0129055X12500055zbMATH Open1245.81223arXiv1005.1700MaRDI QIDQ2884802FDOQ2884802

Hisham Sati

Publication date: 18 May 2012

Published in: Reviews in Mathematical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We study the effects of having multiple Spin structures on the partition function of the spacetime fields in M-theory. This leads to a potential anomaly which appears in the eta-invariants upon variation of the Spin structure. The main source of such spaces are manifolds with nontrivial fundamental group, which are also important in realistic models. We extend the discussion to the Spin^c case and find the phase of the partition function, and revisit the quantization condition for the C-field in this case. In type IIA string theory in ten dimensions, the mod 2 index of the Dirac operator is the obstruction to having a well-defined partition function. We geometrically characterize manifolds with and without such an anomaly and extend to the case of nontrivial fundamental group. The lift to KO-theory gives the alpha-invariant, which in general depends on the Spin structure. This reveals many interesting connection to positive scalar curvature manifolds and constructions related to the Gromov-Lawson-Rosenberg conjecture. In the twelve-dimensional theory bounding M-theory, we study similar geometric questions, including choices of metrics and obtaining elements of K-theory in ten dimensions by pushforward in K-theory on the disk fiber. We interpret the latter in terms of the families index theorem for Dirac operators on the M-theory circle and disk. This involves superconnections, eta-forms, and infinite-dimensional bundles, and gives elements in Deligne cohomology in lower dimensions. We illustrate our discussion with many examples throughout.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1005.1700

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zbMATH Keywords

M-theorypartition functioneta invariantfundamental groupK-theoryanomaliesDirac operatorspositive scalar curvatureeta formadiabatic limitAtiyah-Patodi-Singer index theorem\(\mathrm{spin}\) structures\(\mathrm{spin}^{c}\) structures

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Spin and Spin({}^c) geometry (53C27) Applications of differential geometry to physics (53Z05) Index theory and related fixed-point theorems on manifolds (58J20) Eta-invariants, Chern-Simons invariants (58J28) String and superstring theories; other extended objects (e.g., branes) in quantum field theory (81T30) Anomalies in quantum field theory (81T50) Kaluza-Klein and other higher-dimensional theories (83E15) String and superstring theories in gravitational theory (83E30) Index theory (19K56) Applications of global analysis to the sciences (58Z05) Differential geometric methods, including holonomy, Berry and Hannay phases, Aharonov-Bohm effect, etc. in quantum theory (81Q70)

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Cited In (11)

• Homotopy types of \(\mathrm{Spin}^{\mathrm{c}} (n)\)-gauge groups over \(S^4\)
• Ninebrane structures
• The \(E_8\) moduli 3-stack of the C-field in M-theory
• M-Theory, type IIA superstrings, and elliptic cohomology
• A lift of the Seiberg–Witten equations to Kaluza–Klein five-manifolds
• An approach to anomalies in M-theory via KSpin
• Framed M-branes, corners, and topological invariants
• TWISTED TOPOLOGICAL STRUCTURES RELATED TO M-BRANES II: TWISTED Wu ANDWu^cSTRUCTURES
• Differential KO-theory: constructions, computations, and applications
• Geometric algebra techniques in flux compactifications
• Dai-Freed theorem and topological phases of matter

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