Pseudo-Riemannian metrics with parallel spinor fields and vanishing Ricci tensor

Abstract

I discuss geometry and normal forms for pseudo-Riemannian metrics with parallel spinor fields in some interesting dimensions. I also discuss the interaction of these conditions for parallel spinor fields with the condition that the Ricci tensor vanish (which, for pseudo-Riemannian manifolds, is not an automatic consequence of the existence of a nontrivial parallel spinor field).

40 pages, latex2e with smfart.cls and hyperref. Written for the proceedings of the June 1999 CIRM conference at Luminy, 'Analyse Harmonique et Analyse sur les Varietes'