B fields from a Luddite perspective

Abstract

In this talk we discuss the geometric realization of B fields and higher p-form potentials on a manifold M as connections on affine bundles over M. We realize D branes on M as special submanifolds of these affine bundles. As an application of this geometric understanding of the B field, we give a simple geometric explanation for the Chern-Simons modification of the field strength of the B field.