Incorporation of fermions into double field theory

Abstract

Based on the stringy differential geometry we proposed earlier, we incorporate fermions such as gravitino and dilatino into double field theory in a manifestly covariant manner with regard to O(D,D) T-duality, diffeomorphism, one-form gauge symmetry for B-field and a pair of local Lorentz symmetries. We note that there are two kinds of fermions in double field theory: O(D,D) singlet and non-singlet which may be identified, respectively as the common and the non-common fermionic sectors in type IIA and IIB supergravities. For each kind, we construct corresponding covariant Dirac operators. Further, we derive a simple criterion for an O(D,D) rotation to flip the chirality of the O(D,D) non-singlet chiral fermions, which implies the exchange of type IIA and IIB supergravities.