On a class of finite sigma-models and string vacua; a supersymmetric extension

We propose a class of N=2 supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models on the noncompact Ricci-flat Kahler manifolds, interpreted as the complex line bundles over the hermitian symmetric spaces. Kahler potentials and Ricci-flat metrics for these manifolds with isometries are explicitly constructed by using the techniques of supersymmetric gauge theories. Each of the metrics contains a resolution parameter which controls the size of these base manifolds, and the conical singularity a...

We derive and discuss a new type of N=2 supersymmetric quantum mechanical sigma models which appear when the superfield action of the (1,2,1) multiplets is modified by adding an imaginary antisymmetric tensor to the target space metric, thus completing the latter to a non-symmetric Hermitian metric. These models are not equivalent to the standard de Rham sigma models, but are related to them through a certain special similarity transformation of the supercharges. On the other...

We discuss two classes of exact (in $\a'$) string solutions described by conformal sigma models. They can be viewed as two possibilities of constructing a conformal model out of the non-conformal one based on the metric of a $D$-dimensional homogeneous $G/H$ space. The first possibility is to introduce two extra dimensions (one space-like and one time-like) and to impose the null Killing symmetry condition on the resulting $2+D$ dimensional metric. In the case when the ``tran...

We study N=(0,2) deformed (2,2) two-dimensional sigma models. Such heterotic models were discovered previously on the world sheet of non-Abelian strings supported by certain four-dimensional N=1 theories. We study geometric aspects and holomorphic properties of these models, and derive a number of exact expressions for the beta functions in terms of the anomalous dimensions analogous to the NSVZ beta function in four-dimensional Yang-Mills. Instanton calculus provides a strai...

Recent papers have established the relationship between projective superspace and a complexified version of harmonic superspace. We extend this construction to the case of general nonlinear sigma models in both frameworks. Using an analogy with Hamiltonian mechanics, we demonstrate how the Hamiltonian structure of the harmonic action and the symplectic structure of the projective action naturally arise from a single unifying action on a complexified version of harmonic supers...

We describe the relation between supersymmetric sigma-models on hyperkahler manifolds, projective superspace, and twistor space. We review the essential aspects and present a coherent picture with a number of new results.

We solve the long standing problem of finding an off-shell supersymmetric formulation for a general N = (2, 2) nonlinear two dimensional sigma model. Geometrically the problem is equivalent to proving the existence of special coordinates; these correspond to particular superfields that allow for a superspace description. We construct and explain the geometric significance of the generalized Kahler potential for any generalized Kahler manifold; this potential is the superspace...

A study of (1,1) supersymmetric two-dimensional non-linear sigma models with boundary on special holonomy target spaces is presented. In particular, the consistency of the boundary conditions under the various symmetries is studied. Models both with and without torsion are discussed.

We discuss a special ``symplectic'' class of N = 4 supersymmetric sigma models in (0+1) dimension with 5r bosonic and 4r complex fermionic degrees of freedom. These models can be described off shell by N = 2 superfields (so that only half of supersymmetries are manifest) and also by N = 4 superfields in the framework of the harmonic superspace approach. Using the latter, we derive the general form of the relevant bosonic target metric.

This is a write-up of lectures on integrable sigma-models, which covers the following topics: (1) Homogeneous spaces, (2) Classical integrability of sigma-models in two dimensions, (3) Topological terms, (4) Background-field method and beta-function, (5) S-matrix bootstrap in the O(N) model, (6) Supersymmetric cosets and strings on AdS(d)xX.