| This dissertation is devoted to studying classical and quantum massive fields in Anti-de Sitter space. Those can arise in various ways. First, classical massive fields arising from Kaluza-Klein compactifications on spheres are studied. The supersymmetry of the reduction to massive supergravities in 4, 5 and 7 dimensions is studies and the effective supersymmetry transformations of the fermionic superpartners of those massive breathing and squashing modes are derived. Then, the one-loop quantum properties of the graviton and the gravitino are studied and a quantum discontinuity between massive and massless propagators is shown to persist. Then, a process of dynamical generation of mass is considered in which conformal field composites provide that mass. The relevance to brane-world scenarios, in particular Randall-Sundrum and Karch-Randall models is stressed. |
