String structures and trivialisations of a Pfaffian line bundle
Let \(E \to B\) be a fiber bundle whose fibers are two-dimensional spin manifolds, and let \(V\) be an \(n\)-dimensional Euclidean vector bundle on \(E\) with compatible connection. Using the spectral properties of the vertical Dirac operator twisted by \(V\), one can define the Pfaffian line bundle associated to \(V\). It is a hermitian line bundle on \(B\) and comes equipped with a compatible connection. The relative Pfaffian line bundle is the tensor product of the Pfaffian line bundle of \(V\) with the inverse of the Pfaffian line bundle of \({\mathbb R}^n\times E\). It is a square root of the relative determinant bundle and plays a role in two-dimensional quantum field theory. Under the assumption that \(V\) has a fiberwise trivial spin structure, the present paper presents a differential geometric description of the relative Pfaffian line bundle. The description is functorial with respect to base change. It allows to calculate the first differential Chern class in differential integral cohomology, refining a result of \textit{D. S. Freed} [Adv. Ser. Math. Phys. 1, 189--238 (1987; Zbl 0751.58036)] . The second main result implies that the relative Pfaffian bundle is trivial when the spin structure on \(V\) lifts to a geometric string structure (as discussed by \textit{K. Waldorf} [preprint \url{arXiv:0906.0117}]). More precisely: Let \(H\) be the 3-form on \(E\) associated to the string structure. Then there is a functorially defined unit norm section \(s\) of the relative Pfaffian bundle such that \[ \nabla\log s=-2\pi i \int_{E/B} H \;. \]
- A geometric description of differential cohomology
- An index theorem in differential \(K\)-theory
- An integral Riemann-Roch theorem for surface bundles
- Axiomatic characterization of ordinary differential cohomology
- Bundle 2-Gerbes
- Bundle gerbes for Chern-Simons and Wess-Zumino-Witten theories
- Chern classes on differential \(K\)-theory
- Duality for topological abelian group stacks and T-duality
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 52134 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1984260 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3144 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5171538 (Why is no real title available?)
- Index theory, eta forms, and Deligne cohomology
- Loop spaces, characteristic classes and geometric quantization
- Multiplicative bundle gerbes with connection
- Quadratic functions in geometry, topology, and \(M\)-theory
- Real secondary index theory
- Setting the quantum integrand of M-theory
- The index of elliptic operators. I
- The Pfaffian line bundle
- Uniqueness of smooth extensions of generalized cohomology theories
- What is an elliptic object?
- η-Invariants and Their Adiabatic Limits
- Massey products in differential cohomology via stacks
- Stringy Kähler moduli for the Pfaffian-Grassmannian correspondence
- The Fu-Yau equation in higher dimensions
- String structures associated to indefinite Lie groups
- Twisted differential string and fivebrane structures
- Secondary invariants for string bordism and topological modular forms
- String geometry vs. spin geometry on loop spaces
- String Principal Bundles and Courant Algebroids
- Twistorial cohomotopy implies Green-Schwarz anomaly cancellation
- \(\text{String}^c\) structures and modular invariants
- Higher Structures in M‐Theory
- Global anomalies & bordism of non-supersymmetric strings
- Chern correspondence for higher principal bundles
- Flat principal 2-group bundles and flat string structures
This page was built for publication: String structures and trivialisations of a Pfaffian line bundle
Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q647369)
