P-form electrodynamics

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In theoretical physics, p-form electrodynamics is a generalization of Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism.

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Ordinary (via. one-form) Abelian electrodynamics

We have a one-form , a gauge symmetry

where is any arbitrary fixed 0-form and is the exterior derivative, and a gauge-invariant vector current with density 1 satisfying the continuity equation

where is the Hodge star operator.

Alternatively, we may express as a closed (n − 1)-form, but we do not consider that case here.

is a gauge-invariant 2-form defined as the exterior derivative .

satisfies the equation of motion

(this equation obviously implies the continuity equation).

This can be derived from the action

where is the spacetime manifold.

p-form Abelian electrodynamics

We have a p-form , a gauge symmetry

where is any arbitrary fixed (p − 1)-form and is the exterior derivative, and a gauge-invariant p-vector with density 1 satisfying the continuity equation

where is the Hodge star operator.

Alternatively, we may express as a closed (np)-form.

is a gauge-invariant (p + 1)-form defined as the exterior derivative .

satisfies the equation of motion

(this equation obviously implies the continuity equation).

This can be derived from the action

where M is the spacetime manifold.

Other sign conventions do exist.

The Kalb–Ramond field is an example with p = 2 in string theory; the Ramond–Ramond fields whose charged sources are D-branes are examples for all values of p. In eleven-dimensional supergravity or M-theory, we have a 3-form electrodynamics.

Non-abelian generalization

Just as we have non-abelian generalizations of electrodynamics, leading to Yang–Mills theories, we also have nonabelian generalizations of p-form electrodynamics. They typically require the use of gerbes.

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