Superalgebras from $p$-brane actions

Abstract

Two superalgebras associated with $p$-branes are the constraint algebra and the Noether charge algebra. Both contain anomalous terms which modify the standard supertranslation algebra. These anomalous terms have a natural description in terms of double complex cohomology of generalized forms. By retaining fermionic charges and allowing for gauge freedom in the double complex, it is shown that the algebra of conserved charges forms a spectrum with free parameters. The spectrum associated with the Green-Schwarz superstring is shown to contain and generalize the known superalgebras associated with the superstring.