M-theory preons cannot arise by quotients

Abstract

M-theory preons -- solutions of eleven-dimensional supergravity preserving 31 supersymmetries -- have recently been shown to be locally maximally supersymmetric. This implies that if preons exist they are quotients of maximally supersymmetric solutions. In this paper we show that no such quotients exist. This is achieved by reducing the problem to quotients by cyclic groups in the image of the exponential map, for which there already exists a partial classification, which is completed in the present paper.

arXiv comment18 pages (No substantial changes in v2)

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Cited by in corpus (17)

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• Geometry of four-dimensional Killing spinors
• Classification, geometry and applications of supersymmetric backgrounds
• IIB solutions with N>28 Killing spinors are maximally supersymmetric
• Half-Supersymmetric Solutions in Five-Dimensional Supergravity
• M-theory backgrounds with 30 Killing spinors are maximally supersymmetric
• The return of the four- and five-dimensional preons
• Classification of IIB backgrounds with 28 supersymmetries
• Maximally Minimal Preons in Four Dimensions
• Supersymmetric geometries of IIA supergravity I
• The homogeneity conjecture for supergravity backgrounds
• Supersymmetric geometries of IIA supergravity III
• Invariant Killing spinors in 11D and type II supergravities
• BPS preons and the AdS-M-algebra
• Half-BPS quotients in M-theory: ADE with a twist
• Holographic duality and applications
• The Classification of Highly Supersymmetric Supergravity Solutions