Non-Riemannian isometries from double field theory

Abstract

Abstract We explore the notion of isometries in non-Riemannian geometries. Such geometries include and generalise the backgrounds of non-relativistic string theory, and they can be naturally described using the formalism of double field theory. Adopting this approach, we first solve the corresponding Killing equations for constant flat non-Riemannian backgrounds and show that they admit an infinite-dimensional algebra of isometries which includes a particular type of supertranslations. These symmetries correspond to known worldsheet Noether symmetries of the Gomis-Ooguri non-relativistic string, which we now interpret as isometries of its non-Riemannian doubled background. We further consider the extension to supersymmetric double field theory and show that the corresponding Killing spinors can depend arbitrarily on the non-Riemannian directions, leading to “supersupersymmetries” that square to supertranslations.