Self-Dual Supersymmetry and Supergravity in Atiyah-Ward Space-Time

Abstract

We study supersymmetry and self-duality in a four-dimensional space-time with the signature (2,2), that we call the Atiyah-Ward space-time. Dirac matrices and spinors, in particular Majorana-Weyl spinors, are investigated in detail. We formulate $ N\ge 1 $ supersymmetric self-dual Yang-Mills theories and self-dual supergravities. An N=1 ``self-dual'' tensor multiplet is constructed and a possible ten-dimensional theory that gives rise to the four-dimensional self-dual supersymmetric theories is found. Instanton solutions are given as the zero modes in the N=2 self-dual Yang-Mills theory. The N=2 superstrings are conjectured to have no possible counter-terms at quantum level to all orders. These self-dual supersymmetric theories are to generate exactly soluble supersymmetric systems in lower dimensions.