Conformal higher-spin symmetries in twistor string theory
D. V. Uvarov
备注:
20 pages, LaTeX. v2: section 3 undergone major revision, others - minor improvements including correction of typos. Version accepted to Nuclear Physics B
It is shown that similarly to massless superparticle, classical global symmetry of the Berkovits twistor string action is infinite-dimensional. We identify its superalgebra, whose finite-dimensional subalgebra contains $psl(4|4,\mathbb R)$ superalgebra. In quantum theory this infinite-dimensional symmetry breaks down to $SL(4|4,\mathbb R)$ one.
The physical states of N=4 conformal supergravity in four dimensions occur in twistor-string theory by Berkovits and Witten(hep-th/0406051). We study two alternative versions of twistor-string theory based on the B-model of weighted projective space WCP^{3|2} and based on a certain construction involving open strings. The spacetime fields described by the twistor superfields contain the physical states of N=1 conformal supergravity from above N=4 superspace approach.
Conformal supergravity arises in presently known formulations of twistor-string theory either via closed strings or via gauge-singlet open strings. We explore this sector of twistor-string theory, relating the relevant string modes to the particles and fields of conformal supergravity. We also use the twistor-string theory to compute some tree level scattering amplitudes with supergravitons, and compare to expectations from conformal supergravity. Since the supergravitons interact with the same coupling constant as the Yang-Mills fields, conformal supergravity states will contribute to loop am…
A chiral superfield strength in N=2 conformal supergravity at linearized level is obtained by acting two superspace derivatives on N=4 chiral superfield strength which can be described in terms of N=4 twistor superfields. By decomposing SU(4)_R representation of N=4 twistor superfields into the SU(2)_R representation with an invariant U(1)_R charge, the surviving N=2 twistor superfields contain the physical states of N=2 conformal supergravity. These N=2 twistor superfields are functions of homogeneous coordinates of weighted complex projective space WCP^{3|4} where the two weighted fermionic …
We consider the twistor description of conformal higher spin theories and give twistor space actions for the self-dual sector of theories with spin greater than two that produce the correct flat space-time spectrum. We identify a ghost-free subsector, analogous to the embedding of Einstein gravity with cosmological constant in Weyl gravity, which generates the unique spin-s three-point anti-MHV amplitude consistent with Poincare invariance and helicity constraints. By including interactions between the infinite tower of higher-spin fields we give a geometric interpretation to the twistor equat…
Four-dimensional conformal fishnet theory is an integrable scalar theory which arises as a double scaling limit of $γ$-deformed maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills. We give a perturbative reformulation of $γ$-deformed super-Yang-Mills theory in twistor space, and implement the double scaling limit to obtain a twistor description of conformal fishnet theory. The conformal fishnet theory retains an abelian gauge symmetry on twistor space which is absent in space-time, allowing us to obtain cohomological formulae for scattering amplitudes that manifest conformal invariance. We study various class…
We investigate the relationship between conformal and spin structure on lorentzian manifolds and see how their compatibility influences the formulation of rigid supersymmetric field theories. In dimensions three, four, six and ten, we show that if the Dirac current associated with a generic spinor defines a null conformal Killing vector then the spinor must obey a twistor equation with respect to a certain connection with torsion. Of the theories we consider, those with classical superconformal symmetry in Minkowski space can be reformulated as rigid supersymmetric theories on any lorentzian m…
Using the notion of Galilean conformal algebra (GCA) in arbitrary space dimension d, we introduce for d=3 quantized nonrelativistic counterpart of twistors as the spinorial representation of O(2,1){\oplus}SO(3) which is the maximal semisimple subalgebra of three-dimensional GCA. The GC-covariant quantization of such nonrelativistic spinors, which shall be called also Galilean twistors, is presented. We consider for d=3 the general spinorial matrix realizations of GCA, which are further promoted to quantum-mechanical operator representations, expressed as bilinears in quantized Galilean twistor…
An approach to special relativistic dynamics using the language of spinors and twistors is presented. Exploiting the natural conformally invariant symplectic structure of the twistor space, a model is constructed which describes a relativistic massive, spinning and charged particle, minimally coupled to an external electro-magnetic field. On the two-twistor phase space the relativistic Hamiltonian dynamics is generated by a Poincare scalar function obtained from the classical limit (appropriately defined by us) of the second order, to an external electro-magnetic field minimally coupled, Dirac…
In these lectures I will discuss the following topics: (1) Twistors in 4 flat dimensions: Massless particles; constrained phase space (x,p) versus twistors; Physical states in twistor space. (2) Introduction to 2T-physics and derivation of 1T-physics holographs and twistors: Emergent spacetimes & dynamics, holography, duality; Sp(2,R) gauge symmetry, constraints, solutions and (d,2); Global symmetry, quantization and the SO(d,2) singleton. (3) Twistors for particle dynamics in d dimensions, particles with mass, relativistic, non-relativistic, in curved spaces, with interactions. (4)Supersymmet…
We display the vertex operators for all states in the conformal supergravity sector of the twistor string, as outlined by Berkovits and Witten. These include `dipole' states, which are pairs of supergravitons that do not diagonalize the translation generators. We use canonical quantization of the open string version of Berkovits, and compute N-point tree level scattering amplitudes for gravitons, gluons and scalars. We reproduce the Berkovits-Witten formula for maximal helicity violating (MHV) amplitudes (which they derived using path integrals), and extend their results to the dipole pairs. W…
We use the formulation of conformal higher spin (CHS) theories in twistor space to study their tree-level scattering amplitudes, finding expressions for all three-point anti-MHV amplitudes and all MHV amplitudes involving positive helicity conformal gravity particles and two negative helicity higher spins. This provides the on-shell analogue for the covariant coupling of CHS fields to a conformal gravity background. We discuss the restriction of the theory to a ghost-free unitary subsector, analogous to restricting conformal gravity to general relativity with a cosmological constant. We study …
We study symmetries of the quantized open twistor string. In addition to global PSL(4|4) symmetry, we find non-local conserved currents. The associated non-local charges lead to Ward identities which show that these charges annihilate the string gluon tree amplitudes, and have the same form as symmetries of amplitudes in N=4 super conformal Yang Mills theory. We describe how states of the open twistor string form a realization of the PSL(4|4) Yangian superalgebra.
New types "extended" (super)conformal algebras $G^{(\frac n2)}$ are presented. (Su\-per)twistor spaces $T$ are subspaces in cosets $G^{(\frac n2)}/H$. The (super)twistor correspondence has a cleary defined geometrical meaning.
We discuss infinite-dimensional hidden symmetry algebras (and hence an infinite number of conserved nonlocal charges) of the N-extented self-dual super Yang-Mills equations for general N\leq4 by using the supertwistor correspondence. Furthermore, by enhancing the supertwistor space, we construct the N-extended self-dual super Yang-Mills hierarchies, which describe infinite sets of graded Abelian symmetries. We also show that the open topological B-model with the enhanced supertwistor space as target manifold will describe the hierarchies. Furthermore, these hierarchies will in turn -- by a sup…
We give an explicit realization of the 4d local operator / 2d conformal block correspondence of Costello and Paquette in the case of gauge theories. This is accomplished by lifting the 4d local operators to non-local operators in twistor space using a holomorphic generalization of the Wilson line. This procedure automatically constructs the 2d conformal blocks corresponding to the local operator. We interpret this lifting as effectively integrating out the 2d degrees of freedom living on the defect. We present some 2d chiral CFT representations of the defect algebra whose correlators reproduce…
We show that the first-order symmetry operators of twistor spinors can be constructed from conformal Killing-Yano forms in conformally-flat backgrounds. We express the conditions on conformal Killing-Yano forms to obtain mutually commuting symmetry operators of twistor spinors. Conformal superalgebras which consist of conformal Killing vectors and twistor spinors and play important roles in supersymmetric field theories in conformal backgrounds are extended to more general superalgebras by using the graded Lie algebra structure of conformal Killing-Yano forms and the symmetry operators of twis…
We reformulate twistor-string theory as a heterotic string based on a twisted (0,2) model. The path integral localizes on holomorphic maps, while the (0,2) moduli naturally correspond to the states of N=4 super Yang-Mills and conformal supergravity under the Penrose transform. We show how the standard twistor-string formulae of scattering amplitudes as integrals over the space of curves in supertwistor space may be obtained from our model. The corresponding string field theory gives rise to a twistor action for N=4 conformal supergravity coupled to super Yang-Mills. The model helps to explain …
Operator algebra of (not necessarily free) higher-spin conformal conserved currents in generalized matrix spaces, that include 3d Minkowski space-time as a particular case, is shown to be determined by an associative algebra $M$ of functions on the twistor space. For free conserved currents, $M$ is the universal enveloping algebra of the higher-spin algebra. Proposed construction greatly simplifies computation and analysis of correlators of conserved currents. Generating function for $n$-point functions of 3d (super)currents of all spins, built from $N$ free constituent massless scalars and sp…
We describe a novel twistorial construction of the asymptotic BMS symmetries at null infinity for asymptotically flat spacetimes. We define BMS twistors as spinor solutions to some set of components of the usual spacetime twistor equation restricted to null infinity. The space of BMS twistors is infinite-dimensional. We show that given two BMS twistors their symmetric tensor product can be used to generate (complex) vector fields which are the infinitesimal BMS symmetries of null infinity. In this sense BMS twistors are "square roots" of BMS symmetries. We also show that these BMS twistor equa…
We use the embedding of Einstein gravity with cosmological constant into conformal gravity as a basis for using the twistor action for conformal gravity to obtain MHV scattering amplitudes not just for conformal gravity, but also for Einstein gravity on backgrounds with non-zero cosmological constant. The new formulae for the gravitational MHV amplitude with cosmological constant arise by summing Feynman diagrams using the matrix-tree theorem. We show that this formula is well-defined (i.e., is independent of certain gauge choices) and that it non-trivially reproduces Hodges' formula for the M…
This paper presents a covariant twistor string model in four dimensions coupled to two-dimensional worldsheet gravity with an anomaly-free BRST charge. The model contains two twistors and two fermionic bi-spinors with incidence related gauge symmetries and an SU(2) gauge symmetry between the twistors. It is shown that the model leads to familiar gravitational N$^k$MHV amplitudes and has modular-invariant one-loop amplitudes.
Massless particle dynamics in $D=10$ Minkowski space is given an $E_7$-covariant formulation, including both space-time and twistor variables. $E_7$ contains the conformal algebra as a subalgebra. Analogous constructions apply to $D=3,4$ and 6.
We discuss chiral zero-rest-mass field equations on six-dimensional space-time from a twistorial point of view. Specifically, we present a detailed cohomological analysis, develop both Penrose and Penrose-Ward transforms, and analyse the corresponding contour integral formulae. We also give twistor space action principles. We then dimensionally reduce the twistor space of six-dimensional space-time to obtain twistor formulations of various theories in lower dimensions. Besides well-known twistor spaces, we also find a novel twistor space amongst these reductions, which turns out to be suitable…
We use the twistor-string theory on the B-model of CP^{3|4} to compute the maximally helicity violating(MHV) tree amplitudes for conformal supergravitons. The correlator of a bilinear in the affine Kac-Moody current(Sugawara stress-energy tensor) can generate these amplitudes. We compare with previous results from open string version of twistor-string theory. We also compute the MHV tree amplitudes for both gravitons and gluons from the correlators between stress-energy tensor and current.
We construct recently introduced palatial NC twistors by considering the pair of conjugated (Born-dual) twist-deformed $D=4$ quantum inhomegeneous conformal Hopf algebras $\mathcal{U}_{θ}(su(2,2)\ltimes T^{4}$) and $\mathcal{U}_{\barθ}(su(2,2)\ltimes\bar{T}^{4}$), where $T^{4}$ describe complex twistor coordinatesand $\bar{T}^{4}$ the conjugated dual twistor momenta. The palatial twistors are suitably chosen as the quantum-covariant modules (NC representations) of the introduced Born-dual Hopf algebras. Subsequently we introduce the quantum deformations of $D=4$ Heisenberg-conformal algebra (H…
This article gives a study of the higher-dimensional Penrose transform between conformally invariant massless fields on space-time and cohomology classes on twistor space, where twistor space is defined to be the space of projective pure spinors of the conformal group. We focus on the 6-dimensional case in which twistor space is the six-quadric Q in CP^7 with a view to applications to the self-dual (0,2)-theory. We show how spinor-helicity momentum eigenstates have canonically defined distributional representatives on twistor space (a story that we extend to arbitrary dimension). These give an…
With the help of the Penrose-Ward transform, which relates certain holomorphic vector bundles over the supertwistor space to the equations of motion of self-dual SYM theory in four dimensions, we construct hidden infinite-dimensional symmetries of the theory. We also present a new and shorter proof (cf. hep-th/0412163) of the relation between certain deformation algebras and hidden symmetry algebras. This article is based on a talk given by the author at the Workshop on Supersymmetries and Quantum Symmetries 2005 at the BLTP in Dubna, Russia.
We study the multiparticle factorization properties of two worldsheet theories which--at tree-level--describe the scattering of massless particles in four dimensions: the Berkovits-Witten twistor-string for N=4 super-Yang-Mills coupled to N=4 conformal supergravity, and the Skinner twistor-string for N=8 supergravity. By considering these string-like theories, we can study factorization at the level of the worldsheet before any Wick contractions or integrals have been performed; this is much simpler than considering the factorization properties of the amplitudes themselves. In Skinner's twisto…
We construct a twistor space action for N=4 super Yang-Mills theory and show that it is equivalent to its four dimensional spacetime counterpart at the level of perturbation theory. We compare our partition function to the original twistor-string proposal, showing that although our theory is closely related to string theory, it is free from conformal supergravity. We also provide twistor actions for gauge theories with N<4 supersymmetry, and show how matter multiplets may be coupled to the gauge sector.
Ingoing and outgoing principal null geodesics in Kerr spacetimes are characterized as part of parametrized families of strings in complex Kerr geometry and are associated with holomorphic curves in twistor space with help of the Kerr theorem. They are defined on 2-dimensional twistor manifolds, one for outgoing and one for ingoing principal null congruences, and are solutions of free twistor string models on these 2-dimensional twistor manifolds. Such a twistor string model implies a conformal field theory and, assuming the applicability of the Cardy formula, agreement with the Bekenstein-Hawk…
We review the relation between the "embedding" formalism and spinorial projective space. The latter is more convenient when treating spin (and indispensable for supersymmetry), as it maintains manifest conformal symmetry while using 4-dimensional indices on fields/operators. It does this by solving all algebraic constraints using 6-dimensional (off-shell) twistors. In an added note we review the supersymmetric generalization, and give some new results for N=3.
Massless conformal scalar field in d=4 corresponds to the minimal unitary representation (minrep) of the conformal group SU(2,2) which admits a one-parameter family of deformations that describe massless fields of arbitrary helicity. The minrep and its deformations were obtained by quantization of the nonlinear realization of SU(2,2) as a quasiconformal group in arXiv:0908.3624. We show that the generators of SU(2,2) for these unitary irreducible representations can be written as bilinears of deformed twistorial oscillators which transform nonlinearly under the Lorentz group and apply them to …
We generalize the idea of supertwistors and introduce a new supersymmetric object - the $θ$-twistor which includes the composite Ramond vector [11] well known from the spinning string dynamics. The symmetries of the chiral $θ$-twistor superspace are studied. It is shown that the chiral spin structure introduced by the $θ$-twistor breaks the superconformal boost symmetry but preserves the scale symmetry and the super-Poincare symmetry. This geometrical effect of breaking correlates with the Gross-Wess effect of the conformal boost breaking for bosonic scattering amplitudes.
We explain how twistor theory represents the self-dual sector of four dimensional gravity in terms of the loop group of Poisson diffeomorphisms of the plane via Penrose's non-linear graviton construction. The symmetries of the self-dual sector are generated by the corresponding loop algebra $Lw_{1+\infty}$ of the algebra $w_{1+\infty}$ of these Poisson diffeomorphisms. We show that these coincide with the infinite tower of soft graviton symmetries in tree-level perturbative gravity recently discovered in the context of celestial amplitudes. We use a twistor sigma model for the self-dual sector…
We discuss the appearance of the GL(1) charged physical operators in the twistor string theory. These operators are shown to be BRST-invariant and non-trivial, and some of their correlators and conformal beta-functions are computed. Remarkably, the non-conservation of the GL(1)-charge in interactions involving these operators is related to the anomalous term in the Kac-Moody current algebra. While these operators play no role in the maximum helicity violating (MHV) amplitudes of Yang-Mills theory, they are shown to contribute non-trivially to non-MHV correlators in the worldsheet instanton bac…
We consider the application of twistor theory to five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. The twistor space of AdS$_5$ is the same as the ambitwistor space of the four-dimensional conformal boundary; the geometry of this correspondence is reviewed for both the bulk and boundary. A Penrose transform allows us to describe free bulk fields, with or without mass, in terms of data on twistor space. Explicit representatives for the bulk-to-boundary propagators of scalars and spinors are constructed, along with twistor action functionals for the free theories. Evaluating these twistor actions on bulk-t…
Using Lorentz force equation as an input a Hamiltonian mechanics on the non-projective two twistor phase space TxT is formulated. Such a construction automatically reproduces dynamics of the intrinsic classical relativistic spin. The charge appears as a dynamical variable. It is also shown that if the classical relativistic spin function on TxT vanishes, the natural conformally invariant symplectic structure on TxT reduces to the natural symplectic structure on the cotangent bundle of the Kaluza-Klein space.
Massless conformal scalar field in six dimensions corresponds to the minimal unitary representation (minrep) of the conformal group SO(6,2). This minrep admits a family of deformations labelled by the spin t of an SU(2)_T group, which is the 6d analog of helicity in four dimensions. These deformations of the minrep of SO(6,2) describe massless conformal fields that are symmetric tensors in the spinorial representation of the 6d Lorentz group. The minrep and its deformations were obtained by quantization of the nonlinear realization of SO(6,2) as a quasiconformal group in arXiv:1005.3580. We gi…
We show how the manifold $T^*SU(2, 2)$ arises as a symplectic reduction from eight copies of the twistor space. Some of the constraints in the twistor space correspond to an octahedral configuration of twelve complex light rays in the Minkowski space. We discuss a mechanism to break the conformal symmetry down to the twistorial parametrisation of $T^*SL(2, C)$ used in loop quantum gravity.
Twistor space constructions and actions are given for full Yang-Mills and conformal gravity using almost complex structures that are not, in general, integrable. These are used as the basis of a derivation of the twistor-string generating functionals for tree level perturbative scattering amplitudes of Yang-Mills and conformal gravity. The derivation follows by expanding and resumming the classical approximation to the path integral obtained from the twistor action. It provides a basis for exploring whether the equivalence can be made to extend beyond tree level and allows one to disentangle c…
Quaternionic formulation of D=4 conformal group and of its associated twistors and their relation to harmonic analyticity is presented. Generalization of $SL(2,\cal{C})$ to the D=4 conformal group SO(5,1) and its covering group $SL(2,\cal{Q})$ that generalizes the euclidean Lorentz group in $R^4$ [namely $SO(3,1)\approx SL(2,\cal{C})$ which allow us to obtain the projective twistor space $CP^3$] is shown. Quasi-conformal fields are introduced in D=4 and Fueter mappings are shown to map self-dual sector onto itself (and similarly for the anti-self-dual part). Differentiation of Fueter series an…
We consider gauged twistor spinors which are supersymmetry generators of supersymmetric and superconformal field theories in curved backgrounds. We show that the spinor bilinears of gauged twistor spinors satify the gauged conformal Killing-Yano equation. We prove that the symmetry operators of the gauged twistor spinor equation can be constructed from ordinary conformal Killing-Yano forms in constant curvature backgrounds. This provides a way to obtain gauged twistor spinors from ordinary twistor spinors.
We compute explicitly a star product on the Minkowski space whose Poisson bracket is quadratic. This star product corresponds to a deformation of the conformal spacetime, whose big cell is the Minkowski spacetime. The description of Minkowski space is made in the twistor formalism and the quantization follows by substituting the classical conformal group by a quantum group.
The purpose of this paper is to present a model of a quantum space-time in which the global symmetries of space-time are unified in a coherent manner with the internal symmetries associated with the state space of quantum-mechanics. If we take into account the fact that these distinct families of symmetries should in some sense merge and become essentially indistinguishable in the unified regime, our framework may provide an approximate description of or elementary model for the structure of the universe at early times.
Quasi-conformal actions were introduced in the physics literature as a generalization of the familiar fractional linear action on the upper half plane, to Hermitian symmetric tube domains based on arbitrary Jordan algebras, and further to arbitrary Freudenthal triple systems. In the mathematics literature, quaternionic discrete series unitary representations of real reductive groups in their quaternionic real form were constructed as degree 1 cohomology on the twistor spaces of symmetric quaternionic-Kahler spaces. These two constructions are essentially identical, as we show explicitly for th…
The twisted geometries of spin network states are described by simple twistors, isomorphic to null twistors with a time-like direction singled out. The isomorphism depends on the Immirzi parameter, and reduces to the identity when the parameter goes to infinity. Using this twistorial representation we study the action of the conformal group SU(2,2) on the classical phase space of loop quantum gravity, described by twisted geometry. The generators of translations and conformal boosts do not preserve the geometric structure, whereas the dilatation generator does. It corresponds to a 1-parameter …
Symmetry operators of twistor spinors and harmonic spinors can be constructed from conformal Killing-Yano forms. Transformation operators relating twistors to harmonic spinors are found in terms of potential forms. These constructions are generalized to gauged twistor spinors and gauged harmonic spinors. The operators that transform gauged twistor spinors to gauged harmonic spinors are found. Symmetry operators of gauged harmonic spinors in terms of conformal Killing-Yano forms are obtained. Algebraic conditions to obtain solutions of the Seiberg-Witten equations are discussed.
The inclusion of non-Abelian U(N) internal charges (other than the electric charge) into Twistor Theory is accomplished through the concept of "colored twistors" (ctwistors for short) transforming under the colored conformal symmetry U(2N,2N). In particular, we are interested in 2N-ctwistors describing colored spinless conformal massive particles with phase space U(2N,2N)/[U(2N)xU(2N)]. Penrose formulas for incidence relations are generalized to N>1. We propose U(2N)-gauge invariant Lagrangians for 2N-ctwistors and we quantize them through a bosonic representation, interpreting quantum states …
The SO(4,2) isometries of AdS_5 are realized non-linearly on its horospherical coordinates (x^m,ρ). On the other hand, Penrose twistors have long been known to linearly realize these symmetries on 4-dimensional Minkowski space, the boundary of AdS_5, parametrized by x^m. Here we extend the twistor construction and define a pair of twistors, allowing us to include a radial coordinate in the construction. The linear action of SO(4,2) on the twistors induces the correct isometries of AdS_5. We apply this new construction to the study of the dynamics of a massive particle in AdS_5. We show that in…
In this work a proposal for definition of twistors on generic curved spaces is exposed and investigated. We consider superpositions of nearly autoparallel and nearly geodesic maps (nearly conformal maps, nc-maps) of (pseudo-)Riemannian spaces as generalizations of conformal transforms. We introduce the nearly autoparallel twistor equations being compatible on nc-flat spaces and study nearly autoparallel twistor structures generating curved spaces and vacuum Einstein equations.
The covariant quantization of massless D=11 superparticle (M0-brane) in its twistor-like Lorentz harmonic formulation is used to clarify the origin and some properties of the Berkovits pure spinor approach to quantum superstring and to search for hidden symmetries of D=11 supergravity. In the twistor like Lorentz harmonic formulation, the SO(16) symmetry is seen already at the classical level. The quantization produces the linearized supergravity multiplet as 128+128=256 component Majorana spinor of SO(16) and also shows an indirect argument in favor of the possible E8 symmetry.
We demonstrate how the complex integral formula for the Airy functions arises from Penrose's twistor contour integral formula. We then use the Lax formulation of the isomonodromy problem with one irregular singularity of order four to show that the Airy equation arises from the anti-self-duality equations for conformal structures of neutral signature invariant under the isometric action of the Bianchi II group. This conformal structure admits a null-Kähler metric in its conformal class which we construct explicitly.
Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics of de Azcarraga-Lukierski N=2 massive superparticle is considered in the framework of twistor-like Lorentz-harmonic approach. The emphasis is on the study of the interaction with external Abelian gauge superfield. The requirement of preservation of all gauge symmetries of the free model including kappa-symmetry yields correct expressions for the superfield strength constraints and determines the form of nonminimal interaction. We also show that for de Azcarraga-Lukierski N=2 massive superparticle the pullback of field strength 2-superform to the superworld l…
We show that a two twistor phase space {à} priori describing two non localized massless and spinning particles may be decomposed into a product of three independent phase spaces: the (forward) cotangent bundle of the Minkowski space, the cotangent bundle to a circle (electric charge phase space) and the cotangent bundle to the real projective spinor space. Reduction of this 16 dimensional phase space with respect to two mutually commuting conformal scalars (the electric charge and the difference between the two helicities) produces a 12 dimensional extended relativistic phase space\cite{zak} d…
Heterotic string theory compactified on a K3 surface times T^2 is believed to be equivalent to type II string theory on a suitable Calabi-Yau threefold. In particular, it must share the same hypermultiplet moduli space. Building on the known twistorial description on the type II side, and on recent progress on the map between type II and heterotic moduli in the `double scaling' limit (where both the type II and heterotic strings become classical), we provide a new twistorial construction of the hypermultiplet moduli space in this limit which is adapted to the symmetries of the heterotic string…