ON NONLINEAR SUPERFIELD VERSIONS OF THE VECTOR-TENSOR MULTIPLET

We propose a harmonic superspace description of the non-linear vector- tenser N = 2 multiplet. We show that there exist two inequivalent vers ion: the old one in which one of the vectors is the field-strength of a gauge two-form, and a new one in which this vector satisfies a non-l inear constraint and cannot be expressed in terms of a potential. In t his the new version resembles the non-linear N = 2 multiplet. We perfo rm the dualization of both non-linear versions in terms of a vector ga uge multiplet and discuss the resulting holomorphic potentials. Finall y, we couple the non-linear vector-tenser multiplet to an abelian back ground gauge multiplet. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.