The main geometric ingredient of the closed string field theory are the string vertices, the collections of string diagrams describing the elementary closed string interactions, satisfying the quantum Batalian-Vilkovisky master equation. They can be characterized using the Riemann surfaces endowed with the metric solving the generalized minimal area problem. However, an adequately developed theory of such Riemann surfaces is not available yet, and consequently description of the string vertices via Riemann surfaces with the minimal area metric fails to provide practical tools for performing calculations. We describe an alternate construction of the string vertices satisfying the Batalian-Vilkovisky master equation using Riemann surfaces endowed with the metric having constant curvature $-1$ all over the surface. We argue that this construction provides an approximately gauge invariant closed string field theory.
Metric-like Cubic Vertices for Massless Bosonic Higher-Spin Fields in AdS$_3$
University of Sussex(萨塞克斯大学);Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München(慕尼黑大学);Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics(马克斯·普朗克天体物理研究所);Abdus Salam Centre for Theoretical Physics, Imperial College London(帝国理工学院阿卜杜斯·萨拉姆理论物理中心)
Using the light-cone gauge approach to relativistic field dynamics, we study arbitrary spin fermionic and bosonic fields propagating in flat space of dimension greater than or equal to four. Generating functions of parity invariant cubic interaction vertices for totally symmetric and mixed-symmetry massive and massless fields are obtained. For the case of totally symmetric fields, we derive restrictions on the allowed values of spins and the number of derivatives. These restrictions provide a complete classification of parity invariant cubic interaction vertices for totally symmetric fermionic…
This work completes the classification of the cubic vertices for arbitrary spin massless bosons in three dimensions started in a previous companion paper by constructing parity-odd vertices. Similarly to the parity-even case, there is a unique parity-odd vertex for any given triple $s_1\geq s_2\geq s_3\geq 2$ of massless bosons if the triangle inequalities are satisfied ($s_1<s_2+s_3$) and none otherwise. These vertices involve two (three) derivatives for odd (even) values of the sum $s_1+s_2+s_3$. A non-trivial relation between parity-even and parity-odd vertices is found. Similarly to the pa…
It is in general very subtle to integrate over the odd moduli of super Riemann surfaces in perturbative superstring computations. We study how these subtleties go away in favorable cases, including the embedding of N=0 string to N=1 string by Berkovits and Vafa, and the relation of the graviphoton amplitude and the topological string amplitude by Antoniadis, Gava, Narain and Taylor and Bershadsky, Cecotti, Ooguri and Vafa. The Poincaré dual of the moduli space of Riemann surfaces in the moduli space of super Riemann surfaces plays an important role.
Parity-even cubic vertices of massless bosons of arbitrary spins in three dimensional Minkowski space are classified in the metric-like formulation. As opposed to higher dimensions, there is at most one vertex for any given triple $s_1,s_2,s_3$ in three dimensions. All the vertices with more than three derivatives are of the type $(s,0,0)$, $(s,1,1)$ and $(s,1,0)$ involving scalar and/or Maxwell fields. All other vertices contain two (three) derivatives, when the sum of the spins is even (odd). Minimal coupling to gravity, $(s,s,2)$, has two derivatives and is universal for all spins (equivale…
We construct an off-shell extension of cubic interaction vertices between massless bosonic Higher Spin fields on a flat background which can be obtained from perturbative bosonic string theory. We demonstrate how to construct higher quartic interaction vertices using a simple particular example. We examine whether BCFW recursion relations for interacting Higher Spin theories are applicable. We argue that for several interesting examples such relations should exist, but consistency of the theories might require that we supplement Higher Spin field theories with extended and possibly non-local o…
Every Riemann surface with genus $g$ and $n$ punctures admits a hyperbolic metric, if $2g-2+n>0$. Such a surface can be decomposed into pairs of pants whose boundaries are geodesics. We construct a string field theory for closed bosonic strings based on this pants decomposition. In order to do so, we derive a recursion relation satisfied by the off-shell amplitudes, using the Mirzakhani's scheme for computing integrals over the moduli space of bordered Riemann surfaces. The recursion relation can be turned into a string field theory via the Fokker-Planck formalism. The Fokker-Planck Hamiltonia…
String theory gives S matrix elements om which is not possible to read any gauge information. Using factorization we go off shell in the simplest and most naive way and we read which are the vertices suggested by string. To compare with the associated Effective Field Theory it is natural to use color ordered vertices. The alpha'=0 color ordered vertices suggested by string theory are more efficient than the usual ones since the three gluon color ordered vertex has three terms instead of six and the four gluon one has one term instead of three. They are written in the so called Gervais-Neveu ga…
We apply an unconstrained formulation of bosonic higher spin fields to study interactions of these fields with a bosonic field using new method for the deformation procedure. It is proved that local vertices of any order containing one higher spin $s$ field and arbitrary number of scalar fields and being invariant under original gauge transformations are described with the help of one local totally symmetric $(s-2)$-rank tensor of scalar fields. This tensor is explicitly constructed for particular cases related to cubic vertices for spin $s$ and vertices of an arbitrary order for spin $s=4$.
We define the partition and $n$-point functions for a vertex operator algebra on a genus two Riemann surface formed by sewing two tori together. We obtain closed formulas for the genus two partition function for the Heisenberg free bosonic string and for any pair of simple Heisenberg modules. We prove that the partition function is holomorphic in the sewing parameters on a given suitable domain and describe its modular properties for the Heisenberg and lattice vertex operator algebras and a continuous orbifolding of the rank two fermion vertex operator super algebra. We compute the genus two H…
The partition function of a bosonic Riemann gas is given by the Riemann zeta function. We assume that the hamiltonian of this gas at a given temperature $β^{-1}$ has a random variable $ω$ with a given probability distribution over an ensemble of hamiltonians. We study the average free energy density and average mean energy density of this arithmetic gas in the complex $β$-plane. Assuming that the ensemble is made by an enumerable infinite set of copies, there is a critical temperature where the average free energy density diverges due to the pole of the Riemann zeta function. Considering an en…
Recently, it has been shown that the gauge invariance requires the minimum number of independent couplings for $B$-field, metric and dilaton at order $α'^2$ to be 60. In this paper we fix the corresponding 60 parameters in string theory by requiring the couplings to be invariant under the global T-duality transformations. The Riemann cubed terms are exactly the same as the couplings that have been found by the S-matrix calculations.
We construct a new off-shell invariant in N=2, D=5 supergravity whose leading term is the square of the Riemann tensor. It contains a gravitational Chern-Simons term involving the vector field that belongs to the supergravity multiplet. The action is obtained by mapping the transformation rules of a spin connection with bosonic torsion and a set of curvatures to the fields of the Yang-Mills multiplet with gauge group SO(4,1). We also employ the circle reduction of an action that describes locally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in six dimensions.
We derive an exact closed-form representation for the Euclidean thermal Green function of the two-dimensional (2D) free massless scalar field in coordinate space. This can be interpreted as the real part of a complex analytic function of a variable that conformally maps the infinite strip $-\infty<x<\infty$ ($0<τ<β$) of the $z=x+iτ$ ($τ$: imaginary time) plane into the upper-half-plane. Use of the Cauchy-Riemann conditions, then allows us to identify the dual thermal Green function as the imaginary part of that function.
We discuss carefully the vertices which describe the dipole open strings and closed strings on a D-brane with magnetic flux on a torus. Translation invariance along closed cycles forces surprisingly closed string vertices written in open string formalism to acquire Chan-Paton like matrices. Moreover the one loop amplitudes have a single trace for the part of gauge group with the magnetic flux. These peculiarities are also required by consistency of the action of T-duality in the open string sector. In this way we can show to all orders in perturbation theory the equivalence of the T-dual open …
Using the BRST approach to higher spin field theories we develop a generic technique for constructing the cubic interaction vertices for N=1 supersymmetric massless higher spin fields on four, six and ten dimensional flat backgrounds. Such an approach allows formulation of the equations for cubic vertices including bosonic and fermionic higher spin fields, and the problem of finding the vertices is reduced to finding the consistent solutions to these equations. As a realization of this procedure, we present the particular solutions for the vertices where the fields obey some off-shell constrai…
The quantum Batalian-Vilkovisky master action for closed string field theory consists of kinetic term and infinite number of interaction terms. The interaction strengths (coupling constants) are given by integrating the off-shell string measure over the distinct string diagrams describing the elementary interactions of the closed strings. In the first paper of this series, it was shown that the string diagrams describing the elementary interactions can be characterized using the Riemann surfaces endowed with the hyperbolic metric with constant curvature $-1$. In this paper, we construct the of…
It has been shown by Marques and Nunez that the first $α'$-correction to the bosonic and heterotic string can be captured in the $O(D,D)$ covariant formalism of Double Field Theory via a certain two-parameter deformation of the double Lorentz transformations. This deformation in turn leads to an infinite tower of $α'$-corrections and it has been suggested that they can be captured by a generalization of the Bergshoeff-de Roo identification between Lorentz and gauge degrees of freedom in an extended DFT formalism. Here we provide strong evidence that this indeed gives the correct $α'^2$-correct…
We consider the first order form of the Einstein-Hilbert action and quantize it using the path integral. Two gauge fixing conditions are imposed so that the graviton propagator is both traceless and transverse. It is shown that these two gauge conditions result in two complex Fermionic vector ghost fields and one real Bosonic vector ghost field. All Feynman diagrams to any order in perturbation theory can be constructed from two real Bosonic fields, two Fermionic ghost fields and one real Bosonic ghost field that propagate. These five fields interact through just five three point vertices and …
We consider two-dimensional chiral, first-order conformal field theories governing maps from the Riemann sphere to the projective light cone inside Minkowski space -- the natural setting for describing conformal field theories in two fewer dimensions. These theories have a SL(2) algebra of local bosonic constraints which can be supplemented by additional fermionic constraints depending on the matter content of the theory. By computing the BRST charge associated with gauge fixing these constraints, we find anomalies which vanish for specific target space dimensions. These critical dimensions co…
We present a holomorphic version of the bosonic string in the formalism of quantum field theory developed by Costello and collaborators. In this paper we focus on the case in which space-time is flat and construct a one-loop exact quantization. Starting from first principles, we arrive at the critical dimension as an obstruction to satisfying the quantum master equation. Moreover, we show how the factorization algebra recovers the BRST cohomology of the string and give another construction of the Gerstenhaber structure. Finally, we show how the factorization homology along closed manifolds enc…
Cubic vertices for symmetric higher-spin gauge fields of integer spins in $(A)dS_d$ are analyzed. $(A)dS_d$ generalization of the previously known action in $AdS_4$, that describes cubic interactions of symmetric massless fields of all integer spins $s\geq 2$, is found. A new cohomological formalism for the analysis of vertices of higher-spin fields of any symmetry and/or order of nonlinearity is proposed within the frame-like approach. Using examples of spins two and three it is demonstrated how nontrivial vertices in $(A)dS_d$, including Einstein cubic vertex, can result from the $AdS$ defor…
The Euler theorem in partition theory and its generalization are derived from a non-interacting quantum field theory in which each bosonic mode with a given frequency is equivalent to a sum of bosonic mode whose frequency is twice ($s$-times) as much, and a fermionic (parafermionic) mode with the same frequency. Explicit formulas for the graded parafermionic partition functions are obtained, and the inverse of the graded partition function (IGPPF), turns out to be bosonic (fermionic) partition function depending on the parity of the order $s$ of the parafermions. It is also shown that these pa…
The string vertices of closed string field theory are subsets of the moduli spaces of punctured Riemann surfaces that satisfy a geometric version of the Batalin-Vilkovisky master equation. We present a homological proof of existence of string vertices and their uniqueness up to canonical transformations. Using hyperbolic metrics on surfaces with geodesic boundaries we give an exact construction of string vertices as sets of surfaces with systole greater than or equal to $L$ with $L\leq 2\, \hbox{arcsinh}\, 1$. Intrinsic hyperbolic collars prevent the appearance of short geodesics upon sewing. …
We review the derivation of light-cone interaction vertices for fermionic and bosonic fields of arbitrary spin. The resulting amplitudes and their factorization properties are discussed. We then show how this symmetry-based approach works for theories with extended supersymmetry like N=4 Yang-Mills theory and N=8 supergravity.
We propose a transformation between the off-shell field variables of Witten's open bosonic string field theory and the traditional lightcone string field theory of Kaku and Kikkawa, based on Mandelstam's interacting string picture. This is accomplished by deforming the Witten vertex into lightcone cubic and quartic vertices, followed by integrating out the ghost and lightcone oscillator excitations from the string field. Surprisingly, the last step does not alter the cubic and quartic interactions and does not generate effective vertices, and leads precisely to Kaku and Kikkawa's lightcone str…
We consider two problems associated to the space of Riemann surfaces that are closely related to string theory. We first consider the problem of existence of heterotic-string and type-II-superstring field theory vertices in the product of spaces of bordered surfaces parameterizing left- and right-moving sectors of these theories. It turns out that this problem can be solved by proving the existence of a solution to the BV quantum master equation in moduli spaces of bordered spin-Riemann surfaces. We first prove that for arbitrary genus $g$, $n_{\text{NS}}$ Neveu-Schwarz boundary components, an…
We study the distribution of graded degrees of freedom in classically stable oriented closed string vacua and use the Rankin-Selberg transform to link it to the finite one-loop vacuum energy. In particular, we find that the spectrum of physical excitations not only must enjoy asymptotic supersymmetry but actually, at very large mass, bosonic and fermionic states must follow a universal oscillating pattern, whose frequencies are related to the zeros of the Riemann zeta-function. Moreover, the convergence rate of the overall number of the graded degrees of freedom to the value of the vacuum ener…
In these lecture notes, we take a closer look at the calculation of scattering amplitudes for the bosonic string. It is believed that string theories form the UV completions of (super)gravity theories. Support for this claim can be found in the (on-shell) scattering amplitudes of strings. On the other hand, studying these string scattering amplitudes opens a window on the UV behavior of the string theories themselves. In these short set of lectures, we discuss the two-dimensional Polyakov path integral for the string, and its gauge symmetries, the connection to Riemann surfaces and how to obta…
We construct a consistent Kaluza-Klein reduction of $D=11$ supergravity on $Σ_2\times S^4$, where $Σ_2=S^2,\mathbb{R}^2$ or $H^2$, or a quotient thereof, at the level of the bosonic fields. The result is a gauged $N=4$, $D=5$ supergravity theory coupled to three vector multiplets, with the gauging lying in an $SO(2)\times SE(3)\subset SO(5,3)$ subgroup of the $SO(1,1)\times SO(5,3)$ global symmetry group of the ungauged theory. For $Σ_2=H^2$, the $D=5$ theory has a maximally supersymmetric $AdS_5$ vacuum which uplifts to the known solution of $D=11$ supergravity corresponding to M5-branes wrap…
The complete quantum theory of closed superstrings is constructed using string diagrams endowed with metric having constant curvature $-1$. The elementary string diagrams are equipped with the analytic local coordinates induced from the hyperbolic metric and a distribution of a set of picture changing operators constructed using the identities satisfied by the simple closed geodesics on a hyperbolic Riemann surface. However, a slight modification near the boundary of the string vertices is needed to make them satisfy the geometric condition imposed by the quantum Batalin-Vilkovisky master equa…
In this paper, we establish connections between reflected entropies of multipartite mixed states in CFT$_{2}$ and hyperbolic string vertices of closed string field theory (CSFT). We show that the reflected surfaces, which are bulk duals of the reflected entropies, share the same Riemann surfaces with the hyperbolic string vertices. This observation enables us to build quantitative relations between the reflected entropies and hyperbolic string vertices. We illustrate the connections with several examples. Consequently, we propose that spacetime structure could be directly generated from the hy…
Generalizing previous work, we give a new analytic solution in Witten's open bosonic string field theory which can describe any open string background. The central idea is to use Riemann surface degenerations as a mechanism for taming OPE singularities. This requires leaving the familiar subalgebra of wedge states with insertions, but the payoff is that the solution makes no assumptions about the reference and target D-brane systems, and is therefore truly general. For example, unlike in previous work, the solution can describe time dependent backgrounds and multiple copies of the reference D-…