We study light-cone gauge string field theory in noncritical space-time dimensions. Such a theory corresponds to a string theory in a Lorentz noninvariant background. We identify the worldsheet theory for the longitudinal coordinate variables $X^\pm$ and study its properties. It is a CFT with the right value of Virasoro central charge, using which we propose a BRST invariant formulation of the worldsheet theory.
It is possible to formulate light-cone gauge string field theory in noncritical dimensions. Such a theory corresponds to conformal gauge worldsheet theory with nonstandard longitudinal part. We study the longitudinal part of the worldsheet theory on higher genus Riemann surfaces. The results in this paper shall be used to study the dimensional regularization of light-cone gauge string field theory.
Light-cone gauge NSR string theory in noncritical dimensions should correspond to a string theory with a nonstandard longitudinal part. Supersymmetrizing the bosonic case [arXiv:0909.4675], we formulate a superconformal worldsheet theory for the longitudinal variables X^{\pm}, ψ^{\pm}. We show that with the transverse variables and the ghosts combined, it is possible to construct a nilpotent BRST charge.
Light-cone gauge superstring theory in noncritical dimensions corresponds to a worldsheet theory with nonstandard longitudinal part in the conformal gauge. The longitudinal part of the worldsheet theory is a superconformal field theory called X^{\pm} CFT. We show that the X^{\pm} CFT combined with the super-reparametrization ghost system can be described by free variables. It is possible to express the correlation functions in terms of these free variables. Bosonizing the free variables, we construct the spin fields and BRST invariant vertex operators for the Ramond sector in the conformal gau…
Using the string field theory recently proposed by the authors and collaborators, we give a background independent formulation of rational noncritical string theories with $c\leq 1$. With a little modification of the string field Hamiltonians previously constructed, we obtain string field theories which include various rational noncritical string theories as classical backgrounds.
We study the multiloop amplitudes of the light-cone gauge closed bosonic string field theory for $d \neq 26$. We show that the amplitudes can be recast into a BRST invariant form by adding a nonstandard worldsheet theory for the longitudinal variables $X^{\pm}$ and the reparametrization ghost system. The results obtained in this paper for bosonic strings provide a first step towards the examination whether the dimensional regularization works for the multiloop amplitudes of the light-cone gauge superstring field theory.
We construct a string field theory for c=1 noncritical strings using the loop variables as the string field. We show how one can express the nonrelativistic free fermions which describes the theory, in terms of these string fields.
We show how a noncommutative phase space appears in a natural way in noncritical string theory, the noncommutative deformation parameter being the string coupling.
We construct a string field Hamiltonian for a noncritical string theory with the continuum limit of the Ising model or its generalization as the matter theory on the worldsheet. It consists of only three string vertices as in the case for $c=0$. We also discuss a general consistency condition that should be satisfied by this kind of string field Hamiltonian.
We derive the effect of instantons in the Penner model. It is known that the free energies of the Penner model and the c=1 noncritical string at self-dual radius agree in a suitable double scaling limit. On the other hand, the instanton in the matrix model describes a nonperturbative effect in the noncritical string theory. We study the correspondence between the instantons in the Penner model and the nonperturbative effect in c=1 noncritical string at self-dual radius.
We construct new two dimensional unoriented superstring theories in two dimensions with a chiral closed string spectrum and show that anomalies cancel upon supplying the appropriate chiral open string degrees of freedom imposed by tadpole cancellation.
Feynman amplitudes of light-cone gauge superstring field theory are ill-defined because of various divergences. In a previous paper, one of the authors showed that taking the worldsheet theory to be the one in a linear dilaton background $Φ=-iQX^{1}$ with Feynman $i\varepsilon$ $(\varepsilon>0)$ and $Q^{2}>10$ yields finite amplitudes. In this paper, we apply this worldsheet theory to dimensional regularization of the light-cone gauge NSR superstring field theory. We concentrate on the amplitudes for even spin structure with external lines in the (NS,NS) sector. We show that the multiloop ampl…
Recent results for tree amplitudes for the $N=2$ noncritical strings are presented and compared with the critical case. Arguments are given which indicate a certain discontinuity in passing from the $\hat c < 1$ model (in a Coulomb gas representation) to the $\hat c = 1$ critical case.
Searching for space/time noncommutativity we reconsider open strings in a constant background electric field. The main difference between this situation and its magnetic counterpart is that here there is a critical electric field beyond which the theory does not make sense. We show that this critical field prevents us from finding a limit in which the theory becomes a field theory on a noncommutative spacetime. However, an appropriate limit toward the critical field leads to a novel noncritical string theory on a noncommutative spacetime.
We construct the Hamiltonian operator of the string field theory for $c=0$ string theory. It describes how strings evolve in the coordinate frame, which is defined by using the geodesic distance on the worldsheet. The Hamiltonian consists of three-string interaction terms and a tadpole term. We show that one can derive the loop amplitudes of $c=0$ string theory from this Hamiltonian.
We study the chemical potential of D-instantons in c=0 noncritical string theory. In a recent work(hep-th/0405076), it was shown that the chemical potential can be calculated using the one matrix model. The calculation was done using the method of orthogonal polynomials and the authors obtained a universal value in the double scaling limit. We present an alternative method to calculate this value.
We look for soliton solutions in $c=0$ noncritical string field theory constructed by the authors and collaborators. It is shown that the string field action itself is very complicated in our formalism but it satisfies a very simple equation. We derive an equation which a solution to the equation of motion should satisfy. Using this equation, we conjecture the form of a soliton solution which is responsible for the nonperturbative effects of order $e^{-A/κ}$. (Talk given by N.I. at ``Inauguration Conference of APCTP'', 4-10 June, 1996)
Nonperturbative effects in c<1 noncritical string theory are studied using the two-matrix model. Such effects are known to have the form fixed by the string equations but the numerical coefficients have not been known so far. Using the method proposed recently, we show that it is possible to determine the coefficients for (p,q) string theory. We find that they are indeed finite in the double scaling limit and universal in the sense that they do not depend on the detailed structure of the potential of the two-matrix model.
We study the combinatorics of solitons in $D<2$ (or $c<1$) string theory. The weights in the summation over multi-solitons are shown to be automatically determined if we further require that the partition function with soliton background be a $τ$ function of the KP hierarchy, in addition to the $W_{1+\infty}$ constraint.
We search for the gravity description of unidentified field theories at their conformal fixed points by studying the low energy effective action of six dimensional noncritical string theory. We find constant dilaton solutions by solving both the equations of motion and BPS equations. Our solutions include a free parameter provided by a stack of uncharged space filling branes. We find several AdS_p\times S^q solutions with constant radii for AdS_p and S^q. The curvature of the solutions are of the order of the string scale.
We discuss a realization of the bosonic string as a noncritical $W_3$-string. The relevant noncritical $W_3$-string is characterized by a Liouville sector which is restricted to a (non-unitary) $(3,2)$ $W_3$ minimal model with central charge contribution $c_l = - 2$. Furthermore, the matter sector of this $W_3$-string contains $26$ free scalars which realize a critical bosonic string. The BRST operator for this $W_3$-string can be written as the sum of two, mutually anticommuting, nilpotent BRST operators: $Q = Q_0 + Q_1$ in such a way that the scalars which realize the bosonic string appear o…
The first quantization of the relativistic Brink-DiVecchia-Howe-Polyakov (BDHP) string in the range $1<d<25$ is considered. It is shown that using the Polyakov sum over bordered surfaces in the Feynman path integral quantization scheme one gets a consistent quantum mechanics of relativistic 1-dim extended objects in the range $1<d<25$. In particular the BDHP string propagator is exactly calculated for arbitrary initial and final string configurations and the Hilbert space of physical states of noncritical BDHP string is explicitly constructed. The resulting theory is equivalent to the Fairlie-…
Type IIB strings compactified on K3 have a rich structure of solitonic strings, transforming under SO(21,5,Z). We derive the BPS tension formula for these strings, and discuss their properties, in particular, the points in the moduli space where certain strings become tensionless. By examining these tensionless string limits, we shed some further light on the conjectured dual M-Theory description of this compactification.
We investigate the cohomology structure of a general noncritical $W_N$-string. We do this by introducing a new basis in the Hilbert space in which the BRST operator splits into a ``nested'' sum of nilpotent BRST operators. We give explicit details for the case $N=3$. In that case the BRST operator $Q$ can be written as the sum of two, mutually anticommuting, nilpotent BRST operators: $Q=Q_0+Q_1$. We argue that if one chooses for the Liouville sector a $(p,q)$ $W_3$ minimal model then the cohomology of the $Q_1$ operator is closely related to a $(p,q)$ Virasoro minimal model. In particular, the…
Starting from the known expression for the three-point correlation functions for Liouville exponentials with generic real coefficients at we can prove the Liouville equation of motion at the level of three-point functions. Based on the analytical structure of the correlation functions we discuss a possible mass shell condition for excitations of noncritical strings and make some observations concerning correlators of Liouville fields.
We examine several aspects of S-duality of four-dimensional noncommutative gauge theory. By making duality transformation explicit, we find that S-dual of noncommutative gauge theory is defined in terms of dual noncommutative deformation. In `magnetic' noncommutative U(1) gauge theory, we show that, in addition to gauge bosons, open D-strings constitute important low-energy excitations: noncritical open D-strings. Upon S-duality, they are mapped to noncritical open F-strings. We propose that, in dual `electric' noncommutative U(1) gauge theory, the latters are identified with gauge-invariant, …
In this letter we study a coupled system of six-dimensional N=1 tensor and super Yang-Mills multiplets. We identify some of the solitonic states of this system which exhibit stringy behaviour in six dimensions. A discussion of the supercharges and energy for the tensor multiplet as well as zero modes is also given. We speculate about the possible relationship between our solution and what is known as tensionless strings.
The nonperturbative aspects of string theory are explored for non-critical string in two distinct formulations: loop equations and matrix models. The effects corresponding to D-brane in these formulations are especially investigated in detail. It is shown that matrix models can universally yield a definite value of the chemical potential for an instanton while loop equations can not. This implies that string theory may not be nonperturbatively formulated solely in terms of closed strings.
We explicitly construct soliton operators in $D<2$ (or $c<1$) string theory, and show that the Schwinger-Dyson equations allow solutions with these solitons as backgrounds. The dominant contributions from 1-soliton background are explicitly evaluated in the weak coupling limit, and shown to agree with the nonperturbative analysis of string equations. We suggest that fermions should be treated as fundamental dynamical variables since both macroscopic loops and solitons are constructed in their bilinear forms.
The static gauge potential between heavy sources is computed from a recently introduced non-critical bosonic string background. When the sources are located at the infinity of the holographic coordinate, the linear dilaton behavior is recovered, which means that the potential is exactly linear in the separation between the sources. When the sources are moved towards the origin, a competing overconfining cubic branch appears, which is however disfavored energetically.
Quantum theory of 2d gravity for $c>1$ is examined as a non-critical string theory by taking account of the loop-correction of open strings whose end points are on the 2d world surface of the closed string. This loop-correction leads to a conformal anomaly, and we obtain a modified target-space action which implies a new phase of the non-critical closed-string. In this phase, the dual field of the gauge field, which lives on the boundary, condenses and the theory can be extended to $c>1$ without any instability.
Singularities of Spin(7) manifolds are considered in the worldsheet approach, and it is argued that the internal CFT describing a singular spin(7) has an enhanced ${\cal SW}({3\over 2},{3\over 2},2)$ algebra tensored with ${\cal N}=1$ linear dilaton CFT, much like singular Calabi-Yau CFTs have a ${\cal N}=2$ linear dilaton tensored with a suitable ${\cal N}=2$ SCFT. Upon adding fundamental strings, these vacua are related to $AdS_3$ vacua with ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetry, completing the worldsheet classification of $AdS_3$ vacua with NS flux.
A new framework is found for the compactification of supersymmetric string theory. It is shown that the massless spectra of Calabi--Yau manifolds of complex dimension $D_{crit}$ can be derived from noncritical manifolds of complex dimension $2k + D_{crit}$, $k\geq 1$. These higher dimensional manifolds are spaces whose nonzero Ricci curvature is quantized in a particular way. This class is more general than that of Calabi--Yau manifolds because it contains spaces which correspond to critical string vacua with no Kähler deformations, i.e. no antigenerations, thus providing mirrors of rigid Cala…
We consider a (supersymmetric) bosonization of general commuting matter $βγ$ CFT. Unlike the conventional ghost $βγ$ CFT bosonization, which is typically described in terms of one scalar and one set of $ξη$ CFT, the matter $βγ$ CFT is naturally bosonized to two scalar CFTs. Surprisingly, there exists an independent subsector, which satisfies a constraint necessary for consistent bosonization, while the usual sector has a description in terms of two compact coordinates. The subsector itself is a complete system which is equivalent to the original $βγ$ CFT. Furthermore, a non-compact coordinate …
Noncritical M-theory in 2+1 dimensions has been defined as a double-scaling limit of a nonrelativistic Fermi liquid on a flat two-dimensional plane. Here we study this noncritical M-theory in the limit of high energies, analogous to the α'\to\infty limit of string theory. In the related case of two-dimensional Type 0A strings, it has been argued that the conformal α'\to\infty limit leads to AdS_2 with a propagating fermion whose mass is set by the value of the RR flux. Here we provide evidence that in the high-energy limit, the natural ground state of noncritical M-theory similarly describes t…
We discuss various aspects of the calculation of correlation functions in conformal theories coupled to quantized 2-dimensional gravity. The main emphasis lies on the construction of a continuation in the number of insertions of the cosmological constant operator for $arbitrary$ dimension of the target space. Following closely our paper \cite{DO2} we add a more extended introduction and discussion of the peculiarities in 1-dimensional target space as well as some further remarks about the 4-point function.
We study certain relevant boundary perturbations of Liouville theory and discuss implications of our results for the brane dynamics in noncritical string theories. Our results include (i) There exist monodromies in the parameter $μ_{\rm B}$ of the Neumann-type boundary condition that create an admixture represented by the Dirichlet type boundary condition. (ii) Certain renormalization group flows can be studied perturbatively, which allows one to determine the results of the corresponding brane decays. (iii) There exists a simple renormalization group flow that can be calculated exactly. In al…
We derive an RG flow equation that is satisfied by the regularized partition function for noncritical strings in background fields. The flow refers to change in the position of a ``boundary'' in the liouville direction. The boundary is required to regularize the ultraviolet divergences in the partition function coming from integration over world-sheets of arbitrarily small area. From the point of view of the target space effective gravitational action that the partition function evaluates on-shell, the boundary regularizes {\it infrared} divergences coming from the infinite volume of the liouv…
We carry out a systematic study of correlation functions of momentum modes in the Euclidean c=1 string, as a function of the radius and to all orders in perturbation theory. We obtain simple explicit expressions for several classes of correlators in terms of special functions. The Normal Matrix Model is found to be a powerful calculational tool that computes c=1 string correlators even at finite N. This enables us to obtain a simple combinatoric formula for the 2n-point function of unit momentum modes, which after T-duality determines the vortex condensate. We comment on possible applications …
A recently introduced framework for the compactification of supersymmetric string theory involving noncritical manifolds of complex dimension $2k+D_{crit}$, $k\geq 1$, is reviewed. These higher dimensional manifolds are spaces with quantized positive Ricci curvature and therefore do not, a priori, describe consistent string vacua. It is nevertheless possible to derive from these manifolds the massless spectra of critical string groundstates. For a subclass of these noncritical theories it is also possible to explicitly construct Calabi--Yau manifolds from the higher dimensional spaces. Thus th…
We use the recently found matrix description of noncritical superstring theory of Type 0A to compute tachyon scattering amplitudes in a background with a RR flux. We find that after the string coupling is multiplicatively renormalized, the amplitudes in any genus become polynomial in the RR flux. We propose that in the limit where both the string coupling and the RR flux go to infinity, the theory has a weakly-coupled description in terms of another superstring theory with a vanishingly small RR flux. This duality exchanges the inverse string coupling and the 0-brane charge. The dual superstri…
In hep-th/0508024, noncritical M-theory for two-dimensional Type 0A and 0B strings was defined in terms of a double-scaled theory of nonrelativistic fermions in 2+1 dimensions. Here we study this noncritical M-theory at finite temperature. We derive the exact expression for the free energy of its vacuum solution, as a function of a coupling constant $g_M$ and the radius $R$ of the thermal circle. We show that at high temperature, the theory is effectively described by another M-theory solution, whose effective loop-counting coupling scales in a novel way characteristic of M-theory, as $T^3$. O…
We study how the dimensional regularization works in the light-cone gauge string field theory. We show that it is not necessary to add a contact term to the string field theory action as a counter term in this regularization at least at the tree level. We also investigate the one-loop amplitudes of the bosonic theory in noncritical dimensions and show that they are modular invariant.
We examine the duality between type 0 noncritical strings and topological B-model strings, with special emphasis on the flux dependence. The former theory is known to exhibit holomorphic factorisation upto a subtle flux-dependent disc term. We give a precise definition of the B-model dual and propose that it includes both compact and noncompact B-branes. The former give the factorised part of the free energy, while the latter violate holomorphic factorisation and contribute the desired disc term. These observations are generalised to rational radii, for which we derive a nonperturbatively exac…
The role in string theory of manifolds of complex dimension $D_{crit} + 2(Q-1)$ and positive first Chern class is described. In order to be useful for string theory, the first Chern class of these spaces has to satisfy a certain relation. Because of this condition the cohomology groups of such manifolds show a specific structure. A group that is particularly important is described by $(D_{crit} + Q-1, Q-1)$--forms because it is this group which contains the higher dimensional counterpart of the holomorphic $(D_{crit}, 0)$--form that figures so prominently in Calabi--Yau manifolds. It is shown …
We show how Monte Carlo approach can be used to study the double scaling limit in matrix models. As an example, we study a solvable hermitian one-matrix model with the double-well potential, which has been identified recently as a dual description of noncritical string theory with worldsheet supersymmetry. This identification utilizes the nonperturbatively stable vacuum unlike its bosonic counterparts, and therefore it provides a complete constructive formulation of string theory. Our data with the matrix size ranging from 8 to 512 show a clear scaling behavior, which enables us to extract the…
The exact quantum integrability aspects of a sector of the membrane is investigated. It is found that spherical membranes ( in the lightcone gauge) moving in flat target spacetime backgrounds admit a class of integrable solutions linked to $SU(\infty)$ SDYM equations ( dimensionally reduced to one temporal dimension) which, in turn, are related to Plebanski 4D SD Gravitational equations. A further rotational Killing-symmetry reduction yields the 3D continuous Toda theory. It is precisely the latter which bears a direct relationship to non critical $W_\infty$ string theory. The expected critica…
By properly treating the path integral over the boundary value of the Liouville field (associated with reparametrizations of the boundary contour) in open string theory, we derive consistent off-shell scattering amplitudes in d=26 dimensions. In d<26 we consider a recently proposed boundary ansatz which reproduces a semiclassical correction to the classical string (known as the Luscher term) and obtain in the semiclassical approximation a linear Regge trajectory with the intercept (d-2)/24. We associate it with the quark-antiquark Regge trajectory in large-N QCD and explain why it dominates ov…
Polyakov has conjectured that Yang-Mills theory should be equivalent to a noncritical string theory. I pointed out, based on the work of Marchesini, Ishibashi, Kawai and collaborators, and Jevicki and Rodrigues, that the loop operator of the Yang-Mills theory is the temporal gauge string field theory Hamiltonian of a noncritical string theory. In the present note I explicitly show how this works for the one--plaquette model, providing a consistent direct string interpretation of the unitary matrix model for the first time.
We present an alternative to Polyakov's induced action for the noncritical string. Our Yang-Mills like action is both local and invariant under coordinate transformations. It defines a teleparallel theory of gravity with interesting links to Horava-Lifshitz and Einstein-aether theories. It is of Liouville type in the conformal gauge while, remarkably, in the proper-time gauge it gives an effective action familiar from the Causal Dynamical Triangulation (CDT) approach to 2d quantum gravity. In the latter gauge the effective action is especially interesting since its quantization is known to red…
Marchesini showed that the Fokker-Planck Hamiltonian for Yang-Mills theories is the loop operator. Jevicki and Rodrigues showed that the Fokker-Planck Hamiltonian of some matrix models co\"ıncides with temporal gauge non-critical string field theory Hamiltonians constructed by Ishibashi and Kawai (and their collaborators). Thus the loop operator for Yang-Mills theory is the temporal gauge Hamiltonian for a noncritical string field theory, in accord with Polyakov's conjecture. The consistency condition of the string interpretation is the zigzag symmetry emphasized by Polyakov. Several aspects o…
At the macrosopic level we study candidate 3D effective field theories associated to M theory in three dimensions. These represent analogs of 11D supergravity for eleven dimensional M-theory. At the microscopic level we study various world volume (WV) theories that can be used to relate world sheet (WS) theories of two dimensional strings. These are better defined for 3D targets than their 11D counterparts in part because there are no transverse dimensions. In particular M-theory on the target manifold AdS3 and RxSL(2,R)/SO(2) are studied using a supermembrane and WV 3d gravity approach.
We claim that the dynamics of noncritical string theories in two dimensions is related to an underlying noncritical version of M-theory, which we define in terms of a double-scaled nonrelativistic Fermi liquid in 2+1 dimensions. After reproducing Type 0A and 0B string theories as solutions, we study the natural M-theory vacuum. The vacuum energy of this solution can be evaluated exactly, its form suggesting a duality to the Debye model of phonons in a melting solid, and a possible topological nature of the theory. The physical spacetime is emergent in this theory, only for states that admit a …
We point out a non-trivial connection between the model proposed by Horava and Keeler as a candidate for noncritical M-theory and the Gross-Neveu model with fermionic fields obeying periodic boundary conditions in 2+1 dimensions. Specifically, the vacuum energy of the former is identified with the large-N free-energy of the latter up to an overall constant. This identification involves an appropriate analytic continuation of the subtraction point in noncritical M-theory, which is related to the volume of the Liouville dimension. We show how the world-sheet cosmological constant may be obtained…
We study the noncritical two-dimensional heterotic string. Long fundamental strings play a crucial role in the dynamics. They cancel anomalies and lead to phase transitions when the system is compactified on a Euclidean circle. A careful analysis of the gauge symmetries of the system uncovers new subtleties leading to modifications of the worldsheet results. The compactification on a Euclidean thermal circle is particularly interesting. It leads us to an incompatibility between T-duality (and its corresponding gauge symmetry) and locality.
We consider bosonic noncritical strings as QCD strings and we present a basic strategy to construct them in the context of Liouville theory. We show that Dirichlet boundary conditions play important roles in generalized Liouville theory. Specifically, they are used to stabilize the classical configuration of strings and also utilized to treat tachyon condensation in our model. We point out that Dirichlet boundary conditions for the Liouville mode maintains Weyl invariance, if an appropriate condition is satisfied, in the background with a (non-linear) dilaton.
Noncritical strings in the "coupling constant" phase space and bosonic string in the affine-metric curved space are dissipative systems. But the quantum descriptions of the dissipative systems have well known ambiguities. We suggest some approach to solve the problems of this description. The generalized Poisson algebra for dissipative systems is considered.
