Component actions from curved superspace: Normal coordinates and ectoplasm

We give efficient superspace methods for deriving component actions for supergravity coupled to matter. One method uses normal coordinates to covariantly expand the superfield action, and can be applied straightforwardly to any superspace. The other interprets the component lagrangian as a differential form on a bosonic hypersurface in superspace, and gives a simple derivation for pertinent cases such as chiral superspace. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.