Hidden symmetries of supersymmetric p-form gauge theories

Field theories with p-form gauge potentials can possess “hidden” symmetries leaving the field strengths invariant on-shell without being gauge symmetries on-shell. The relevance of such symmetries to supersymmetric models is discussed. They provide central charges of supersymmetry algebras, play a particular rôle in duality relations, and lead to peculiar interactions. A multiplet of N=2 supersymmetry in four dimensions with two hidden central charges is presented.