Geometric Algebra Techniques in Flux Compactifications

Abstract

We study “constrained generalized Killing (s)pinors,” which characterize supersymmetric flux compactifications of supergravity theories. Using geometric algebra techniques, we give conceptually clear and computationally effective methods for translating supersymmetry conditions into differential and algebraic constraints on collections of differential forms. In particular, we give a synthetic description of Fierz identities, which are an important ingredient of such problems. As an application, we show how our approach can be used to efficiently treatN=1compactification ofM-theory on eight manifolds and prove that we recover results previously obtained in the literature.