Field redefinitions and Kähler potential in string theory at 1-loop

Abstract

Abstract Field redefinitions at string 1-loop order are often required by supersymmetry, for instance in order to make the Kähler structure of the scalar kinetic terms manifest. We derive the general structure of the field redefinitions and the Kähler potential at string 1-loop order in a certain class of string theory models (4-dimensional toroidal type IIB orientifolds with $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1 supersymmetry) and for a certain subsector of fields (untwisted Kähler moduli and the 4-dimensional dilaton). To do so we make use of supersymmetry, perturbative axionic shift symmetries and a particular ansatz for the form of the 1-loop corrections to the metric on the moduli space. Our results also show which terms in the low-energy effective action have to be calculated via concrete string amplitudes in order to fix the values of the coefficients (in the field redefinitions and the Kähler potential) that are left undetermined by our general analysis based on (super)symmetry.