We know that in this $$\star {f(...)}$$ the $\star$ represents the Hodge dual.
But in this: $\star_3 f(...)$ what does specifically the $\star_3$ symbol mean?
We know that in this $$\star {f(...)}$$ the $\star$ represents the Hodge dual.
But in this: $\star_3 f(...)$ what does specifically the $\star_3$ symbol mean?
This notation arises often in supergravity. Suppose one has a $d$-dimensional theory. The Hodge $\star$ operator has the usual definition, and $\star_p$ is the Hodge star operation defined on a $p$-dimensional sub-manifold. The question of which sub-manifold is often either explicitly stated or obvious from the context. For example, in the Klebanov-Strassler solution of ten-dimensional Type IIB supergravity (http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0007191), the complex 3-form $G_3$ is imaginary self-dual, $\star_6 G_3 = i G_3$. The six-dimensional space here is the deformed conifold--the full ten dimensional solution is a warped product of this 6-dimensional space with 4-dimensional Minkowski space.