Presymplectic BV-AKSZ for $N=1$, $D=4$ Supergravity

Abstract

We elaborate on the presymplectic BV-AKSZ approach to supersymmetric systems. In particular, we construct such a formulation for the $N=1$, $D=4$ supergravity by taking as a target space the Chevalley-Eilenberg complex of the super-Poincaré algebra which, as we demonstrate, admits an invariant presymplectic structure of degree $3$. This data encodes a full-scale Batalin-Vilkovisky formulation of the system, including a concise form of the BV master action. The important feature of (presymplectic) AKSZ models is that, at least at the level of equations of motion, they can be equivalently reformulated in the spacetime obtained by adding or eliminating contractible dimensions. For instance, the presymplectic AKSZ formulation of gravity can be lifted to the respective ``group manifold'', endowing it with the structure of a principle bundle and the Cartan connection therein, at least locally. In particular, the so-called rheonomy conditions emerge as a part of the presymplectic AKSZ equations of motion. The analogous considerations apply to supergravity and its uplift to superspace. We also study general presymplectic BV-AKSZ models related by adding or removing contractible spacetime dimensions in order to systematically relate the spacetime and superspace formulations of the same system within the AKSZ-like framework. These relations are then illustrated using the supersymmetric particle as a toy model.