超引力的理论基础和背景

 量子基本原理预言存在两类基本粒子：费米子和玻色子，但超对称又把它们联系起来并可相互转换。超对称的创新首次把每个粒子的内禀对称性和它们所在时空的对称性结合起来，因此局域的超对称理论必然包含爱因斯坦引力，称之为超引力。超引力预言自旋3/2基本粒子，是该粒子和引力自洽耦合的最简单理论。同时作为超弦的低能有效理论，超引力是超弦研究不可分割的部分。

The foundations of supergravity

From the quantum principles, two very different types of fundamental particles are predicted, the fermions and the bosons, which however can be united and become interchangeable under the supersymmetry. The supersymmetry relates first time the internal symmetry of the particles to the symmetries of their spacetime. Consequently, any theory for the local supersymmetry necessarily includes the forces introduced by Einstein's General Relativity and hence we call the forces the supergravity. With the supergravity, the gravitino of spin 3/2 is predicted. In fact it is the simplest theory that can consistently couple a spin-3/2 fermion to the gravity. As the low-energy effective action of strings, the supergravity is an integral part of the string research.