Super Heat Kernel and One-Loop Divergence of Super Yang-Mills Theory in Conformal Supergravity

Abstract

We consider super Yang-Mills Theory in $N=1$ conformal supergravity. Using the background field method and the Feddeev-Popov procedure, the quantized action of the theory is presented. Its one-loop effective action is studied using the heat kernel method. We shall develop a non-iterative scheme, generalizing the non-supersymmetric case, to obtain the super heat kernel coefficients. In particular, the first three coefficients, which govern the one-loop divergence, will be calculated. We shall also demonstrate how to schematically derive the higher order coefficients. The method presented here can be readily applied to various quantum theories. We shall, as an application, derive the full one-loop divergence of SYM in conformal supergravity.