Geometric Action for Nongeometric Fluxes

We give a geometrical interpretation of the nongeometric Q and R fluxes. To this end, we consider double field theory in a formulation that is related to the conventional one by a field redefinition taking the form of a T duality inversion. The R flux is a tensor under diffeomorphisms and satisfies a nontrivial Bianchi identity. The Q flux can be viewed as part of a connection that covariantizes the winding derivatives with respect to diffeomorphisms. We give a higher-dimensional action with a kinetic term for the R flux and a "dual" Einstein-Hilbert term containing the connection Q.