Dilaton and second-rank tensor fields as supersymmetric compensators

We formulate a supersymmetric theory in which both a dilaton and a second-rank tensor play roles of compensators. The basic off-shell multiplets are a linear multiplet (B-mu nu,chi,phi) and a vector multiplet (A(mu),lambda;C-mu nu rho), where phi and B-mu nu are, respectively, a dilaton and a second-rank tensor. The third-rank tensor C-mu nu rho in the vector multiplet is "dual" to the conventional D field with 0 on-shell or 1 off-shell degree of freedom. The dilaton phi is absorbed into one longitudinal component of A(mu), making it massive. Initially, B-mu nu has 1 on-shell or 3 off-shell degrees of freedom, but it is absorbed into the longitudinal components of C-mu nu rho. Eventually, C-mu nu rho with 0 on-shell or 1 off-shell degree of freedom acquires in total 1 on-shell or 4 off-shell degrees of freedom, turning into a propagating massive field. These basic multiplets are also coupled to chiral multiplets and a supersymmetric Dirac-Born-Infeld action. Some of these results are also reformulated in superspace. The proposed mechanism may well provide a solution to the long-standing puzzle of massless dilatons and second-rank tensors in supersymmetric models inspired by string theory.