Super p-Form Charges and a Reformulation of the Supermembrane Action in Eleven Dimensions

Abstract

We discuss an extension of the super-Poincar\'e algebra in $D=11$ which includes an extra fermionic charge and super two-form charges. We give a geometrical reformulation of the $D=11$ supermembrane action which is manifestly invariant under the extended super-Poincar\'e transformations. Using the same set of transformations, we also reformulate a superstring action in $D=11$, considered sometime ago by Curtright. While this paper is primarily a review of a recent work by Bergshoeff and the author, it does contain some new results.