ar X iv : h ep - t h / 04 11 01 6 v 2 2 5 Fe b 20 08 Symmetries and supersymmetries of the Dirac operators in curved spacetimes ∗

It is shown that the main geometrical objects involved in all the symmetries or supersymmetries of the Dirac operators in curved manifolds of arbitrary dimensions are the Killing vectors and the Killing-Yano tensors of any ranks. The general theory of external symmetry transformations associated to the usual isometries is presented, pointing out that these leave the standard Dirac equation invariant providing the correct spin parts of the group generators. Furthermore, one analyzes the new type of symmetries generated by the covariantly constant Killing-Yano tensors that realize certain square roots of the metric tensor. Such a Killing-Yano tensor produces simultaneously a Dirac-type operator and the generator of a one-parameter Lie group connecting this operator with the standard Dirac one. In this way the Dirac operators are related among themselves through continuous transformations associated to specific discrete ones. It is shown that the groups of this continuous symmetry can be only U(1) or SU(2), as those of the (hyper-)Kähler spaces, but arising even in cases when the requirements for these special geometries are not fulfilled. Arguments are given that for the non-Kählerian manifolds it is convenient to enlarge this SU(2) symmetry up to a SL(2,C) one through complexification. In other respects, it is pointed out that the Dirac-type operators can form N = 4 superalgebras whose automorphisms combine external symmetry transformations with those of the mentioned SU(2) or SL(2,C) groups. The discrete symmetries are also studied obtaining the discrete groups Z4 and Q. To exemplify, the Euclidean Taub-NUT space with its Dirac-type operators is presented in much details, pointing out that there is an infinite-loop superalgebra playing the role of a Final version of Ref. [1] containing new results, extended discussions and some corrections. E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]