Paper detail

Dualities Near the Horizon

In 4-dimensional supergravity theories, covariant under symplectic electric-magnetic duality rotations, a significant role is played by the symplectic matrix M(ϕ), related to the coupling of scalars ϕ to vector field-strengths. In particular, this matrix enters the twisted self-duality condition for 2-form field strengths in the symplectic formulation of generalized Maxwell equations in the presence of scalar fields. In this investigation, we compute several properties of this matrix in relation to the attractor mechanism of extremal (asymptotically flat) black holes. At the attractor points with no flat directions (as in the N = 2 BPS case), this matrix enjoys a universal form in terms of the dyonic charge vector Q and the invariants of the corresponding symplectic representation RQ of the duality group G, whenever the scalar manifold is a symmetric space with G simple and non-degenerate of type E7. At attractors with flat directions, M still depends on flat directions, but not MQ, defining the so-called Freudenthal dual of Q itself. This allows for a universal expression of the symplectic vector field strengths in terms of Q, in the near-horizon Bertotti-Robinson black hole geometry.