8-DIMENSIONAL SELF-DUAL SPACES

We discuss higher-dimensional gravitational instantons by studying app ropriate self-duality equations for the spin connection. In seven and in eight dimensions, the corresponding spaces admit a covariantly cons tant spinor and, consequently, have holonomies in G(2) and Spin(7), re spectively. We find a non-compact solution to the self-duality equatio ns in eight dimensions in which the self-dual space has an ellipticall y-fibered structure. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserve d.