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In $d=4k+2$ dimensions, $p$-form gauge fields (with $p=2k$) with self-dual field strengths couple naturally to dyonic branes with equal electric and magnetic charges. Sen's action for a $p$-form gauge field with self-dual field strength coupled to a spacetime metric $g$ involves an explicit Minkowski metric; however, this action can be generalised to provide a theory in which the Minkowski metric is replaced by a second metric $\bar g$ on spacetime. This theory describes a physical sector, consisting of the chiral $p$-form gauge field coupled to the dynamical metric $g$, plus an auxiliary sector consisting of a second chiral $p$-form and the second metric $\bar g$. The fields in this auxiliary sector only couple to each other and have no interactions with the physical sector. However, in this theory, the standard coupling to a brane given by integrating the gauge potential over the world-volume of the brane is problematic as the physical gauge potential depends non-locally on the fields appearing in the action. A consistent coupling is given by introducing Dirac branes (generalising Dirac strings), and is shown to have generalised symmetries corresponding to invariance under deforming the positions of the Dirac branes, provided the Dirac branes do not intersect any physical brane world-volumes., Comment: Dedicated to the memory of Stanley Deser. To appear in "Fields, Gravity, Strings and Beyond: In Memory of Stanley Deser". arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2411.18741

The free graviton theory given by linearising Einstein's theory has a dual formulation in terms of a dual graviton field. The dual graviton theory has two gauge invariances giving rise to two conserved charges, while the ADM charges of the graviton theory become magnetic charges for the dual graviton theory. These charges can be ill-defined in topologically non-trivial settings and we find improvement terms that can be added to these to give gauge-invariant conserved charges. These gauge-invariant charges, which have local expressions in both the graviton and dual graviton formulation, give topological operators of the theory that should be considered as the generators of the genuine symmetries of the theory., Comment: 27 pages + appendix

The theory of a free spin-2 field on Minkowski spacetime has 1-form and $(d-3)$-form symmetries associated with conserved currents formed by contractions of the linearised Riemann tensor with conformal Killing-Yano 2-forms. We show that a subset of these can be interpreted as Noether currents for specific shift symmetries of the graviton that involve a Killing vector and a closed 1-form parameter. We give a systematic method to gauge these 1-form symmetries by coupling the currents to background gauge fields and introducing a particular set of counter-terms involving the background fields. The simultaneous gauging of certain pairs of 1-form and $(d-3)$-form symmetries is obstructed by the presence of mixed 't Hooft anomalies. The anomalous pairs of symmetries are those which are related by gravitational duality. The implications of these anomalies are discussed., Comment: 25 pages + appendices

Linearised gravity has a global symmetry under which the graviton is shifted by a symmetric tensor satisfying a certain flatness condition. There is also a dual symmetry that can be associated with a global shift symmetry of the dual graviton theory. The corresponding conserved charges are shown to satisfy a centrally-extended algebra. We discuss the gauging of these global symmetries, finding an obstruction to the simultaneous gauging of both symmetries which we interpret as a mixed 't Hooft anomaly for the ungauged theory. We discuss the implications of this, analogous to those resulting from a similar structure in Maxwell theory, and interpret the graviton and dual graviton as Nambu-Goldstone modes for these shift symmetries., Comment: 30 pages

Linearised gravity has magnetic charges carried by (linearised) Kaluza-Klein monopoles. A gauge-invariant expression is found for these charges that is similar to Penrose's gauge-invariant expression for the ADM charges. A systematic search is made for other gauge-invariant charges., Comment: 47 pages. v2: minor revisions. v3: fixed typographical error

We take a fresh look at the relation between generalised K\"ahler geometry and $N=(2,2)$ supersymmetric sigma models in two dimensions formulated in terms of $(2,2)$ superfields. Dual formulations in terms of different kinds of superfield are combined to give a formulation with a doubled target space and both the original superfield and the dual superfield. For K\"ahler geometry, we show that this doubled geometry is Donaldson's deformation of the holomorphic cotangent bundle of the original K\"ahler manifold. This doubled formulation gives an elegant geometric reformulation of the equations of motion. We interpret the equations of motion as the intersection of two Lagrangian submanifolds (or of a Lagrangian submanifold with an isotropic one) in the infinite dimensional symplectic supermanifold which is the analogue of phase space. We then consider further extensions of this formalism, including one in which the geometry is quadrupled, and discuss their geometry., Comment: 44 pages, final published version

We use freely acting asymmetric orbifolds of type IIB string theory to construct a class of theories in five dimensions with eight supercharges whose moduli spaces for vector multiplets and hypermultiplets can be determined exactly. We argue that no quantum corrections to these moduli spaces arise. We focus on examples in which all moduli are in the NS-NS sector, while all fields from the R-R sector become massive. The full symmetry group of the moduli space is then determined by the subgroup of the T-duality group that survives the orbifold action. We illustrate this for freely acting orbifolds of type IIB string theory on $T^5$ with $0,1$ or $2$ hypermultiplets., Comment: 38 pages

Covariant conserved 2-form currents for linearised gravity are constructed by contracting the linearised curvature with conformal Killing-Yano tensors. The corresponding conserved charges were originally introduced by Penrose and have recently been interpreted as the generators of generalised symmetries of the graviton. We introduce an off-shell refinement of these charges and find the relation between these improved Penrose charges and the linearised version of the ADM momentum and angular momentum. If the graviton field is globally well-defined on a background Minkowski space then some of the Penrose charges give the momentum and angular momentum while the remainder vanish. We consider the generalisation in which the graviton has Dirac string singularities or is defined locally in patches, in which case the conventional ADM expressions are not invariant under the graviton gauge symmetry in general. We modify them to render them gauge-invariant and show that the Penrose charges give these modified charges plus certain magnetic gravitational charges. We discuss properties of the Penrose charges, generalise to toroidal Kaluza-Klein compactifications and check our results in a number of examples., Comment: 37 pages + appendices

We study freely acting orbifolds of type IIB string theory on $T^5$ that spontaneously break supersymmetry from $\mathcal{N}=8$ to $\mathcal{N}=6,4,2$ or 0 in five dimensions. We focus on orbifolds that are a $\mathbb{Z}_p$ quotient by a T-duality acting on $T^4$ and a shift on the remaining $S^1$. Modular invariant partition functions are constructed and detailed examples of both symmetric and asymmetric orbifolds are presented, including new examples of five-dimensional non-supersymmetric string theories with no tachyons. The orbifolds we consider arise at special points in the moduli space of string theory compactifications with a duality twist. The supergravity limit of these are Scherk-Schwarz reductions which generate gauged supergravities with positive definite potentials on the moduli space in five dimensions. Both symmetric and asymmetric freely acting orbifolds give a landscape of Minkowski vacua. For gauged supergravities to belong to this landscape, we find a number of constraints and conditions. Firstly, the scalar potential should lead to a massive spectrum with masses that obey quantization conditions arising from a string theory orbifold, which we discuss in detail. Secondly, we find constraints on the massless sector, e.g. in the examples of orbifolds preserving sixteen supercharges in five dimensions that we consider, only an odd number of vector multiplets arise. Lastly, we present new examples of candidate asymmetric orbifolds with modular invariant partition functions, but with non-integral coefficients in the $q\bar{q}$-expansion in the twisted sector., Comment: 66 pages, added refs and minor corrections

The (4,0) supermultiplet in 6 dimensions contains a 4th rank tensor gauge field with the symmetries of the Riemann tensor and is superconformal, with 32+32 supersymmetries. Dimensional reduction on a circle gives the 5D N=8 supergravity multiplet, with the 4th rank tensor reducing to the graviton. If there is an interacting (4,0) theory it should reduce to the full N=8 supergravity theory and so would give a conformal theory of gravity that would reduce to conventional gravity with the usual 2-derivative action at low energies. This paper revisits the conjecture that a non-lagrangian interacting (4,0) superconformal theory arises from a strong coupling limit of 5D supergravity (suitably embedded in M-theory) describing M-theory at energies beyond the Planck scale. A key test for this is identified: M-theory toroidally compactified to 5D should have certain BPS states carrying a singlet central charge. These 1/2 BPS states are not related to any of the standard BPS states by dualities and do not correspond to non-singular soliton solutions -- they appear to correspond to singular solutions related to gravitational instantons. Such states are needed to provide the Kaluza-Klein modes for the compactified 6D theory. If there are no such states, then the conjecture is false, while the presence of such states would be strong indication that the conjecture could be true., Comment: Contribution to the Royal Society volume in celebration of Michael Duff's 70th birthday. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:hep-th/0011171

We continue our study of effective field theory via homotopy transfer of $L_\infty$-algebras, and apply it to tree-level non-Wilsonian effective actions of the kind discussed by Sen in which the modes integrated out are comparable in mass to the modes that are kept. We focus on the construction of effective actions for string states at fixed levels and in particular on the construction of weakly constrained double field theory. With these examples in mind, we discuss closed string theory on toroidal backgrounds and resolve some subtle issues involving vertex operators, including the proper form of cocycle factors and of the reflector state. This resolves outstanding issues concerning the construction of covariant closed string field theory on toroidal backgrounds. The weakly constrained double field theory is formally obtained from closed string field theory on a toroidal background by integrating out all but the doubly massless' states and homotopy transfer then gives a prescription for determining the theory's vertices and symmetries. We also discuss consistent truncation in the context of homotopy transfer., Comment: 53 pages. v2: References added

We use the dictionary between general field theories and strongly homotopy algebras to provide an algebraic formulation of the procedure of integrating out of degrees of freedom in terms of homotopy transfer. This includes more general effective theories in which some massive modes are kept while other modes of a comparable mass scale are integrated out, as first explored by Sen in the context of closed string field theory. We treat $L_\infty$-algebras both in terms of a nilpotent coderivation and, on the dual space, in terms of a nilpotent derivation (corresponding to the BRST charge of the field theory) and provide explicit formulas for homotopy transfer. These are then shown to govern the integrating out of degrees of freedom at tree level, while the generalization to loop level will be explored in a sequel to this paper., Comment: 70 pages. v2: Minor changes, references added

Charge transport processes at interfaces which are governed by complex interfacial electronic structure play a crucial role in catalytic reactions, energy storage, photovoltaics, and many biological processes. Here, the first soft X-ray second harmonic generation (SXR-SHG) interfacial spectrum of a buried interface (boron/Parylene-N) is reported. SXR-SHG shows distinct spectral features that are not observed in X-ray absorption spectra, demonstrating its extraordinary interfacial sensitivity. Comparison to electronic structure calculations indicates a boron-organic separation distance of 1.9 {\AA}, wherein changes as small as 0.1 {\AA} result in easily detectable SXR-SHG spectral shifts (ca. 100s of meV). As SXR-SHG is inherently ultrafast and sensitive to individual atomic layers, it creates the possibility to study a variety of interfacial processes, e.g. catalysis, with ultrafast time resolution and bond specificity., Comment: 19 pages

We consider 5D supersymmetric black holes in string theory compactifications that partially break supersymmetry. We compactify type IIB on $T^4$ and then further compactify on a circle with a duality twist to give Minkowski vacua preserving partial supersymmetry ($\mathcal{N}=6,4,2,0$) in five dimensions. The effective supergravity theory is given by a Scherk-Schwarz reduction with a Scherk-Schwarz supergravity potential on the moduli space, and the lift of this to string theory imposes a quantization condition on the mass parameters. In this theory, we study black holes with three charges that descend from various ten-dimensional brane configurations. For each black hole we choose the duality twist to be a transformation that preserves the solution, so that it remains a supersymmetric solution of the twisted theory with partially broken supersymmetry. We discuss the quantum corrections arising from the twist to the pure gauge and mixed gauge-gravitational Chern-Simons terms in the action and the resulting corrections to the black hole entropy., Comment: Main text 48 pages. v2: minor revisions

We present a new class of dualities relating non-geometric Calabi-Yau compactifications of type II string theory to T-fold compactifications of the heterotic string, both preserving four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetry. The non-geometric Calabi-Yau space is a $K3$ fibration over $T^2$ with non-geometric monodromies in the duality group $O(\Gamma_{4,20})$; this is dual to a heterotic reduction on a $T^4$ fibration over $T^2$ with the $O(\Gamma_{4,20})$ monodromies now viewed as heterotic T-dualities. At a point in moduli space which is a minimum of the scalar potential, the type II compactification becomes an asymmetric Gepner model and the monodromies become automorphisms involving mirror symmetries, while the heterotic dual is an asymmetric toroidal orbifold. We generalise previous constructions to ones in which the automorphisms are not of prime order. The type II construction is perturbatively consistent, but the naive heterotic dual is not modular invariant. Modular invariance on the heterotic side is achieved by including twists in the circles dual to the winding numbers round the $T^2$, and this in turn introduces non-perturbative phases depending on NS5-brane charge in the type II construction., Comment: 50 pages, no figure

Strong K\"ahler with Torsion is the target space geometry of $(2,1)$ and $(2,0)$ supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models. We discuss how it can be represented in terms of Generalised Complex Geometry in analogy to the Gualtieri map from the geometry of $(2,2)$ supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models to Generalised K\"ahler Geometry., Comment: 8 pages Corfu Summer Institute 2018 "School and Workshops on Elementary Particle Physics and Gravity''

We investigate the noncommutative gauge theories arising on the worldvolumes of D-branes in non-geometric backgrounds obtained by T-duality from twisted tori. We revisit the low-energy effective description of D-branes on three-dimensional T-folds, examining both cases of parabolic and elliptic twists in detail. We give a detailed description of the decoupling limits and explore various physical consequences of the open string non-geometry. The T-duality monodromies of the non-geometric backgrounds lead to Morita duality monodromies of the noncommutative Yang-Mills theories induced on the D-branes. While the parabolic twists recover the well-known examples of noncommutative principal torus bundles from topological T-duality, the elliptic twists give new examples of noncommutative fibrations with non-geometric torus fibres. We extend these considerations to D-branes in backgrounds with R-flux, using the doubled geometry formulation, finding that both the non-geometric background and the D-brane gauge theory necessarily have explicit dependence on the dual coordinates, and so have no conventional formulation in spacetime., Comment: 36 pages, 1 table; v2: minor corrections and improvements; v3: correct revision uploaded; v4: more minor corrections and improvements; Final version to appear in JHEP

We define $(p,q)$ hermitian geometry as the target space geometry of the two dimensional $(p,q)$ supersymmetric sigma model. This includes generalised K\"{a}hler geometry for $(2,2)$, generalised hyperk\"{a}hler geometry for $(4,2)$, strong K\"{a}hler with torsion geometry for $(2,1)$ and strong hyperk\"{a}hler with torsion geometry for $(4,1)$. We provide a generalised complex geometry formulation of hermitian geometry, generalising Gualtieri's formulation of the $(2,2)$ case. Our formulation involves a chiral version of generalised complex structure and we provide explicit formulae for the map to generalised geometry., Comment: 20 pages

We consider compactifications of type IIA superstring theory on mirror-folds obtained as K3 fibrations over two-tori with non-geometric monodromies involving mirror symmetries. At special points in the moduli space these are asymmetric Gepner models. The compactifications are constructed from non-geometric automorphisms that arise from the diagonal action of an automorphism of the K3 surface and of an automorphism of the mirror surface. We identify the corresponding gaugings of N=4 supergravity in four dimensions, and show that the minima of the potential describe the same four-dimensional low-energy physics as the worldsheet formulation in terms of asymmetric Gepner models. In this way, we obtain a class of Minkowski vacua of type II string theory which preserve N=2 supersymmetry. The massless sector consists of N=2 supergravity coupled to 3 vector multiplets, giving the STU model. In some cases there are additional massless hypermultiplets., Comment: 48 pages, no figures; v2: few typos corrected, one rephrased statement in subsection 5.2

Off-shell $(4,0)$ supermultiplets in 2-dimensions are formulated. These are used to construct sigma models whose target spaces are vector bundles over manifolds that are hyperk\"ahler with torsion. The off-shell supersymmetry implies that the complex structures are simultaneously integrable and allows us to write actions using extended superspace and projective superspace, giving an explicit construction of the target space geometries., Comment: 13 pages

We investigate the behaviour of the bosonic string on AdS3 with H-flux at stringy scales, looking in particular for a `tensionless' limit in which there are massless higher spin gauge fields. We do this by revisiting the physical spectrum of the sl(2,R)$_k$ WZW model and considering the limit in which k becomes small. At k=3 we find that there is an infinite stringy tower of massless higher spin fields which are part of a continuum of light states. This can be viewed as a novel tensionless limit, which appears to be distinct from that inferred from the symmetric orbifold description of superstring AdS3 vacua., Comment: 13 pages

Off-shell $(4,q)$ supermultiplets in 2-dimensions are constructed for $q=1,2,4$. These are used to construct sigma models whose target spaces are hyperk\"ahler with torsion. The off-shell supersymmetry implies the three complex structures are simultaneously integrable and allows us to construct actions using extended superspace and projective superspace, giving an explicit construction of the target space geometries., Comment: 32 pages, 1 figure, References, comments and an additional example added

Two-dimensional (2,2) supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models can be described in (2,2), (2,1) or (1,1) superspaces. Each description emphasizes different aspects of generalized K\"ahler geometry. We investigate the reduction from (2,2) to (2,1) superspace. This has some interesting nontrivial features arising from the elimination of nondynamical fields. We compare quantization in the different superspace formulations., Comment: 22 pages, published version

The generalized metric is a T-duality covariant symmetric matrix constructed from the metric and two-form gauge field and arises in generalized geometry. We view it here as a metric on the doubled spacetime and use it to give a simple formulation with manifest T-duality of the double field theory that describes the massless sector of closed strings. The gauge transformations are written in terms of a generalized Lie derivative whose commutator algebra is defined by a double field theory extension of the Courant bracket., Comment: 36 pages, v2: minor corrections

In the neighborhood of a regular point, generalized Kahler geometry admits a description in terms of a single real function, the generalized Kahler potential. We study the local conditions for a generalized Kahler manifold to be a generalized Calabi-Yau manifold and we derive a non-linear PDE that the generalized Kahler potential has to satisfy for this to be true. This non-linear PDE can be understood as a generalization of the complex Monge-Ampere equation and its solutions give supergravity solutions with metric, dilaton and H-field., Comment: 26 pages

Double field theory describes a massless subsector of closed string theory with both momentum and winding excitations. The gauge algebra is governed by the Courant bracket in certain subsectors of this double field theory. We construct the associated nonlinear background-independent action that is T-duality invariant and realizes the Courant gauge algebra. The action is the sum of a standard action for gravity, antisymmetric tensor, and dilaton fields written with ordinary derivatives, a similar action for dual fields with dual derivatives, and a mixed term that is needed for gauge invariance., Comment: 45 pages, v2: minor corrections, refs. added, to appear in JHEP

We investigate the symmetry algebra of the recently proposed field theory on a doubled torus that describes closed string modes on a torus with both momentum and winding. The gauge parameters are constrained fields on the doubled space and transform as vectors under T-duality. The gauge algebra defines a T-duality covariant bracket. For the case in which the parameters and fields are T-dual to ones that have momentum but no winding, we find the gauge transformations to all orders and show that the gauge algebra reduces to one obtained by Siegel. We show that the bracket for such restricted parameters is the Courant bracket. We explain how these algebras are realised as symmetries despite the failure of the Jacobi identity., Comment: 25 pages, LaTeX

The zero modes of closed strings on a torus --the torus coordinates plus dual coordinates conjugate to winding number-- parameterize a doubled torus. In closed string field theory, the string field depends on all zero-modes and so can be expanded to give an infinite set of fields on the doubled torus. We use the string field theory to construct a theory of massless fields on the doubled torus. Key to the consistency is a constraint on fields and gauge parameters that arises from the L_0 - \bar L_0=0 condition in closed string theory. The symmetry of this double field theory includes usual and 'dual diffeomorphisms', together with a T-duality acting on fields that have explicit dependence on the torus coordinates and the dual coordinates. We find that, along with gravity, a Kalb-Ramond field and a dilaton must be added to support both usual and dual diffeomorphisms. We construct a fully consistent and gauge invariant action on the doubled torus to cubic order in the fields. We discuss the challenges involved in the construction of the full nonlinear theory. We emphasize that the doubled geometry is physical and the dual dimensions should not be viewed as an auxiliary structure or a gauge artifact., Comment: 51 pages. v2: Corrected typo in eqn. (2.48) and very minor typos elsewhere. Added ref. [9] to M. Van Raamsdonk

We revisit sigma models on target spaces given by a principal torus fibration $X\to M$, and show how treating the 2-form B as a gerbe connection captures the gauging obstructions and the global constraints on the T-duality. We show that a gerbe connection on X, which is invariant with respect to the torus action, yields an affine double torus fibration Y over the base space M - the generalization of the correspondence space. We construct a symplectic form on the cotangent bundle to the loop space LY and study the relation of its symmetries to T-duality. We find that geometric T-duality is possible if and only if the torus symmetry is generated by Hamiltonian vector fields. Put differently, the obstruction to T-duality is the non-Hamiltonian action of the symmetry group., Comment: 32 pages, 5 figures

We undertake a systematic analysis of non-geometric backgrounds in string theory by seeking stringy liftings of a class of gauged supergravity theories. In addition to conventional flux compactifications and non-geometric T-folds with T-duality transition functions, we find a new class of non-geometric backgrounds with non-trivial dependence on the dual coordinates that are conjugate to the string winding number. We argue that T-duality acts in our class of theories, including those cases without isometries in which the conventional Buscher rules cannot be applied, and that these generalised T-dualities can take T-folds or flux compactifications on twisted tori to examples of the new non-geometric backgrounds. We show that the new class of non-geometric backgrounds and the generalised T-dualities arise naturally in string field theory, and are readily formulated in terms of a doubled geometry, related to generalised geometry. At special points in moduli space, some of the non-geometric constructions become equivalent to asymmetric orbifolds which are known to provide consistent string backgrounds. We construct the bosonic sector of the corresponding gauged supergravity theories and show that they have a universal form in any dimension, and in particular construct the scalar potential. We apply this to the supersymmetric WZW model, giving the complete non-linear structure for a class of WZW-model deformations., Comment: 28 pages, latex; references added

We consider generalised Scherk Schwarz reductions of supergravity and superstring theories with twists by electromagnetic dualities that are symmetries of the equations of motion but not of the action, such as the S-duality of D=4, N=4 super-Yang-Mills coupled to supergravity. The reduction cannot be done on the action itself, but must be done either on the field equations or on a duality invariant form of the action, such as one in the doubled formalism in which potentials are introduced for both electric and magnetic fields. The resulting theory in odd-dimensions has massive form fields satisfying a self-duality condition $dA \sim m*A$. We construct such theories in D=3,5,7., Comment: Latex, 26 pages. References added

Supersymmetric solutions of 11-dimensional supergravity can be classified according to the holonomy of the supercovariant derivative arising in the Killing spinor condition. It is shown that the holonomy must be contained in $\SL(32,\R)$. The holonomies of solutions with flux are discussed and examples are analysed. In extending to M-theory, account has to be taken of the phenomenon of ` supersymmetry without supersymmetry'. It is argued that including the fermionic degrees of freedom in M-theory requires a formulation with a local $\SL(32,\R)$ symmetry, analogous to the need for local Lorentz symmetry in coupling spinors to gravity., Comment: 26 pages. 31/32 supersymmetries might occur after all

We study pairs of planar D-branes intersecting on null hypersurfaces, and other related configurations. These are supersymmetric and have finite energy density. They provide open-string analogues of the parabolic orbifold and null-fluxbrane backgrounds for closed superstrings. We derive the spectrum of open strings, showing in particular that if the D-branes are shifted in a spectator dimension so that they do not intersect, the open strings joining them have no asymptotic states. As a result, a single non-BPS excitation can in this case catalyze a condensation of massless modes, changing significantly the underlying supersymmetric vacuum state. We argue that a similar phenomenon can modify the null cosmological singularity of the time-dependent orbifolds. This is a stringy mechanism, distinct from black-hole formation and other strong gravitational instabilities, and one that should dominate at weak string coupling. A by-product of our analysis is a new understanding of the appearance of 1/4 BPS threshold bound states, at special points in the moduli space of toroidally-compactified type-II string theory., Comment: Tex file, uses harvmac, 24 pages with 5 figures. Corrected typos and added references. Final version to appear in JHEP

We investigate compactifications with duality twists and their relation to orbifolds and compactifications with fluxes. Inequivalent compactifications are classified by conjugacy classes of the U-duality group and result in gauged supergravities in lower dimensions with nontrivial Scherk-Schwarz potentials on the moduli space. For certain twists, this mechanism is equivalent to introducing internal fluxes but is more general and can be used to stabilize some of the moduli. We show that the potential has stable minima with zero energy precisely at the fixed points of the twist group. In string theory, when the twist belongs to the T-duality group, the theory at the minimum has an exact CFT description as an orbifold. We also discuss more general twists by nonperturbative U-duality transformations., Comment: 30 pages, harvmac, references and brief comments on gauged supergravity added

Duality transformations involving compactifications on timelike as well as spacelike circles link M-theory, the 10+1-dimensional strong coupling limit of IIA string theory, to other 11-dimensional theories in signatures 9+2 and 6+5 and to type II string theories in all 10-dimensional signatures. These theories have BPS branes of various world-volume signatures, and here we construct the world-volume theories for these branes, which in each case have 16 supersymmetries. For the generalised D-branes of the various type II string theories, these are always supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with 16 supersymmetries, and we show that these all arise from compactifications of the supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories in 9+1 or 5+5 dimensions. We discuss the geometry of the brane solutions and, for the cases in which the world-volume theories are superconformally invariant, we propose holographically dual string or M theories in constant curvature backgrounds. For product space solutions $X\times Y$, there is in general a conformal field theory associated with the boundary of $X$ and another with the boundary of $Y$., Comment: 35 pages, harvmac

A state saturating a BPS bound derived from a supersymmetry algebra preserves some fraction of the supersymmetry. This fraction of supersymmetry depends on the charges carried by the system, and we show that in general there are configurations of charges for which a BPS state would preserve more than half the original supersymmetry. We investigate configurations that could preserve 3/4 supersymmetry in string theory, M-theory and supersymmetric field theories and discuss whether states saturating these bounds actually occur in these theories., Comment: 14 pages, latex. Very minor changes, references added

We show that in certain superstring compactifications, gauge theories on noncommutative tori will naturally appear as D-brane world-volume theories. This gives strong evidence that they are well-defined quantum theories. It also gives a physical derivation of the identification proposed by Connes, Douglas and Schwarz of Matrix theory compactification on the noncommutative torus with M theory compactification with constant background three-form tensor field., Comment: harvmac, 5 pp. Minor error fixed