Supersymmetric Field Theories on AdS_p x S^q

Abstract

In this paper we study supersymmetric field theories on an AdS_p x S^q space-time that preserves their full supersymmetry. This is an interesting example of supersymmetry on a non-compact curved space. The supersymmetry algebra on such a space is a (p-1)-dimensional superconformal algebra, and we classify all possible algebras that can arise for p >= 3. In some AdS_3 cases more than one superconformal algebra can arise from the same field theory. We discuss in detail the special case of four dimensional field theories with N=1 and N=2 supersymmetry on AdS_3 x S^1.