Geometrical Formulation of Supergravity Theories

Abstract

This thesis deals with a geometrical formulation of diverse Supergravity theories. In particular, the construction of Supergravity actions in four and three dimensions are considered in di erent frameworks with interesting physical implications. Before approaching supersymmetry, we brie y review some gravity theories in the Cartan formalism. The formalism used in the introductory chapter is crucial in order to understand the development of the present thesis. Some interesting results are presented in chapter 2 using the semigroup expansion method in the Chern-Simons (CS) and Born-Infeld (BI) gravity theories. Subsequently, a brief introduction of supersymmetry and some supergravity models are considered in chapter 3. Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 contain the main results of this thesis which are based on ve articles written during the cotutelle research process. Initially, we present a family of superalgebras using the semigroup expansion of the Anti-de Sitter superalgebra. In the MacDowell-Mansouri approach, we study the construction of diverse four-dimensional supergravity theories for di erent superalgebras. Interestingly, we show that the pure supergravity action can be obtained as a MacDowell-Mansouri like action using the Maxwell symmetries.Additionally, a generalized supersymmetric cosmological constant term can be included to a supergravity theory using a particular supersymmetry, called AdS-Lorentz. Furthermore, we present a supergravity model in three dimensions using the CS formalism and the Maxwell superalgebras. Subsequently, the thesis is focused on a supergravity model with partial breaking of N = 2 to N = 1 supersymmetry which, in the low energy limit, gives rise to a N = 1 supersymmetric theory. Eventually, the thesis ends with some comments about possible developments.