We give the full supersymmetric and κ-symmetric actions for the Dirichlet p-branes, including their coupling to background superfields of ten-dimensional type IIA and IIB supergravity.

We give the full supersymmetric and κ-symmetric action for the Dirichlet three-brane, including its coupling to background superfields of ten-dimensional type IIB supergravity. * Although the constraints given in equations (.) and (.) depend to a certain extent on the choice of conventions, this choice is physically irrelevant.

We investigate the generalised diffeomorphisms in M-theory, which are gauge transformations unifying diffeomorphisms and tensor gauge transformations. After giving an En(n)-covariant description of the gauge transformations and their commutators, we show that the gauge algebra is infinitely reducible, i.e., the tower of ghosts for ghosts is infinite. The Jacobiator of generalised diffeomorphisms gives such a reducibility transformation. We give a concrete description of the ghost structure, and demonstrate that the infinite sums give the correct (regularised) number of degrees of freedom. The ghost towers belong to the sequences of rep- resentations previously observed appearing in tensor hierarchies and Borcherds algebras. All calculations rely on the section condition, which we reformulate as a linear condition on the cotangent directions. The analysis holds for n < 8. At n = 8, where the dual gravity field becomes relevant, the natural guess for the gauge parameter and its reducibility still yields the correct counting of gauge parameters.Comment: 24 pp., plain tex, 1 figure. v2: minor changes, including a few added ref

Fields in supersymmetric gauge theories may be seen as elements in a spinorial cohomology. We elaborate on this subject, specialising to maximally supersymmetric theories, where the superspace Bianchi identities, after suitable conventional constraints are imposed, put the theories on shell. In these cases, the spinorial cohomologies describe in a unified manner gauge transformations, fields and possible deformations of the models, e.g. string-related corrections in an α ′ expansion. Explicit cohomologies are calculated for super-Yang-Mills theory in D = 10, for the N = (2, 0) tensor multiplet in D = 6 and for supergravity in D = 11, in the latter case from the point of view of both the super-vielbein and the super--form potential. The techniques may shed light on some questions concerning the α ′ -corrected effective theories, and result in better understanding of the rôle of the -form in D = 11 supergravity.

We solve the superspace Bianchi identities for ten-dimensional supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory without imposing any kind of constraints apart from the standard conventional one. In this way we obtain a set of algebraic conditions on certain fields which in the on-shell theory are constructed as composite ones out of the physical fields. These conditions must hence be satisfied by any kind of theory in ten dimensions invariant under supersymmetry and some, abelian or non-abelian, gauge symmetry. Deformations of the ordinary SYM theory (as well as the fields) are identified as elements of a certain spinorial cohomology, giving control over field redefinitions and the distinction between physically relevant higher-order corrections and those removable by field redefinitions. The conditions derived severely constrain theories involving F 2 -level terms plus higher-order corrections, as for instance those derived from open strings as effective gauge theories on D-branes.