Superstring Field Theory Research Articles

A consistent light-cone-gauge superstring field theory

Abstract Extending a recent development in the bosonic string field theory, we construct a map from the Witten-type gauge-invariant superstring field theory based on an A∞ structure to a light-cone-gauge superstring field theory via two intermediate theories, which we call the Kaku-type and Kugo-Zwiebach-type superstring field theories. We find that a naive extension only gives us an inconsistent light-cone-gauge theory that suffers from the well-known problem caused by divergence due to collisions of local operators. However, we also find that this difficulty may be resolved by considering the stubbed theory and propose it as a consistent light-cone-gauge superstring field theory. The result possibly gives a proof of the unitarity of the Witten-type superstring field theory.

Super Yang-Mills action from Hybrid Superstring Field Theory

We explicitly compute the effective action from Open Superstring Field Theory in the hybrid formalism to quartic order in the α′ → 0 limit, and show that it reproduces ten-dimensional Super Yang-Mills in terms of four-dimensional superfields. We also show that in this limit the gauge transformations coincide with SYM to all orders, which means that the effective action should reproduce SYM to all orders.

Algebraic structures in closed superstring field theory, homotopy transfer, and effective actions

A consistent action for heterotic and type II superstring field theory was recently proposed by Sen. We give an algebraic formulation of this action in terms of certain twisted L∞ algebra. We further show that Sen’s Wilsonian effective superstring field action can be obtained using homotopy transfer and the effective theory also possesses the algebraic structure of a twisted L∞ algebra. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Instanton solutions in open superstring field theory

Open superstring field theory admits a “hybrid” formulation where N = 1 D = 4 supersymmetry is manifest for Calabi-Yau compactifications to four dimensions. Using this formulation, the half-BPS instanton solution of four-dimensional super-Yang-Mills can be easily generalized to the full open superstring field theory. In this paper, we compute the first stringy correction to the super-Yang-Mills instanton solution which involves turning on certain fields at the first massive level.

Open-closed homotopy algebra in superstring field theory

Abstract We construct open-closed superstring interactions based on the open-closed homotopy algebra structure. This provides a classical open superstring field theory on general closed-superstring-field backgrounds described by classical solutions of the nonlinear equation of motion of the closed superstring field theory. We also give the corresponding WZW-like action through the map connecting the homotopy-based and WZW-like formulations.

Higher-spin states of the superstring in an electromagnetic background

Constructing a consistent four-dimensional Lagrangian for charged massive higher-spin fields propagating in an electromagnetic background is an open problem. In 1989, Argyres and Nappi used bosonic open string field theory to construct a Lagrangian for charged massive spin-2 fields in a constant electromagnetic background. In this paper, we use the four-dimensional hybrid formalism for open superstring field theory to construct a supersymmetric Lagrangian for charged massive spin-2 and spin-3/2 fields in a constant electromagnetic background. The hybrid formalism has the advantage over the RNS formalism of manifest mathcal{N} = 1 d=4 spacetime supersymmetry so that the spin-2 and spin-3/2 fields are combined into a single superfield and there is no need for picture-changing or spin fields.

Closed string deformations in open string field theory. Part II. Superstring

This is the second paper of a series of three. We construct effective open-closed superstring couplings by classically integrating out massive fields from open superstring field theories coupled to an elementary gauge invariant tadpole proportional to an on-shell closed string state in both large and small Hilbert spaces, in the NS sector. This source term is well known in the WZW formulation and by explicitly performing a novel large Hilbert space perturbation theory we are able to characterize the first orders of the vacuum shift solution, its obstructions and the non-trivial open-closed effective couplings in closed form. With the aim of getting all order results, we also construct a new observable in the A∞ theory in the small Hilbert space which correctly provides a gauge invariant coupling to physical closed strings and which descends from the WZW open-closed coupling upon partial gauge fixing and field redefinition. Armed with this new A∞ observable we use tensor co-algebra techniques to efficiently package the whole perturbation theory necessary for computing the effective action and we give all order results for the open-closed effective couplings in the small Hilbert space.

Type II superstring field theory revisited

Abstract We reconstruct a complete type II superstring field theory with $L_\infty$ structure in a symmetric way concerning the left- and right-moving sectors. Based on the new construction, we show again that the tree-level S-matrix agrees with that obtained using the first-quantization method. Not only is this a simple and elegant reconstruction, but it also enables the action to be mapped to that in the Wess–Zumino–Witten-like superstring field theory, which has not yet been constructed, and fills the only gap in that formulation.

Tree-level S-matrix of superstring field theory with homotopy algebra structure

We show that the tree-level S-matrices of the superstring field theories based on the homotopy-algebra structure agree with those obtained in the first-quantized formulation. The proof is given in detail for the heterotic string field theory. The extensions to the type II and open superstring field theories are straightforward.

Analyticity of off-shell Green\u2019s functions in superstring field theory

We consider the off-shell momentum space Green’s functions in closed superstring field theory. Recently in [1], the off-shell Green’s functions — after explicitly removing contributions of massless states — have been shown to be analytic on a domain (to be called the LES domain) in complex external momenta variables. Analyticity of off-shell Green’s functions in local QFTs without massless states in the primitive domain is a well-known result. Using complex Lorentz transformations and Bochner’s theorem allow to extend the LES domain to a larger subset of the primitive domain. For the 2-, 3- and 4-point functions, the full primitive domain is recovered. For the 5-point function, we are not able to obtain the full primitive domain analytically, only a large part of it is recovered. While this problem arises also for higher-point functions, it is expected to be only a technical issue.

Strings in Ramond-Ramond backgrounds from the Neveu-Schwarz-Ramond formalism

We treat RR flux backgrounds of type II string theory in the framework of closed superstring field theory based on the NSR formalism, focusing on two examples: (1) the pp-wave background supported by 5-form flux, and (2) AdS3 × S3 × M4 supported by mixed 3-form fluxes. In both cases, we analyze the classical string field solution perturbatively, and compute the correction to the dispersion relation of string states to quadratic order in the RR flux. In the first example, our result is in a delicate way consistent with that obtained from lightcone quantization of the Green-Schwarz string. In the second example, we will obtain numerically the mass corrections to pulsating type IIB strings in AdS3 × S3 × M4. Our results, valid at finite AdS radius, agree with previously known answers in the semiclassical limit and in the BMN limit respectively.

Type II superstring field theory with cyclic $L_\infty$ structure

Abstract We construct a complete type II superstring field theory that includes all the NS–NS, R–NS, NS–R, and R–R sectors. As in the open and heterotic superstring cases, the R–NS, NS–R, and R–R string fields are constrained by using the picture-changing operators. In particular, we use a non-local inverse picture-changing operator for the constraint on the R–R string field, which seems to be inevitable due to the compatibility of the extra constraint with the closed string constraints. The natural symplectic form in the restricted Hilbert space gives a non-local kinetic action for the R–R sector, but it correctly provides the propagator expected from the first-quantized formulation. Extending the prescription previously obtained for the heterotic string field theory, we give a construction of general type II superstring products, which realizes a cyclic $L_\infty$ structure, and thus provides a gauge-invariant action based on the homotopy algebraic formulation. Three typical four-string amplitudes derived from the constructed string field theory are demonstrated to agree with those in the first-quantized formulation. We also give the half-Wess–Zumino–Witten action defined in the medium Hilbert space whose left-moving sector is still restricted to the small Hilbert space.

Superstring field theory with open and closed strings

We construct Lorentz invariant and gauge invariant 1PI effective action for closed and open superstrings and demonstrate that it satisfies the classical BV master equation. We also construct the quantum master action for this theory satisfying the quantum BV master equation and generalize the construction to unoriented theories. The extra free field needed for the construction of closed superstring field theory plays a crucial role in coupling the closed strings to D-branes and orientifold planes.

Generalized ADHM equations from marginal deformations in open superstring field theory

Working within the framework of both the A∞ and the Berkovits open superstring field theory, we derive a necessary and sufficient condition for a Neveu-Schwarz marginal deformation to be exact up to third order in the deformation parameter. For a specific class of backgrounds, we find that this condition localizes on the boundary of the worldsheet moduli space, thus providing a very simple computational prescription for recovering algebraic constraints (generalized ADHM equations) which need to be satisfied by the moduli. Applying our results to the D(−1)/D3 system, we confirm up to third order that blowing up the size of the D-instanton inside the D3 brane worldvolume is an exact modulus of the full string theory. We also discuss examples of more complicated back- grounds, such as instantons on unresolved ALE spaces, as well as the spiked instantons.

Superstring field theory, superforms and supergeometry

Inspired by superstring field theory, we study differential, integral, and inverse forms and their mutual relations on a supermanifold from a sheaf-theoretical point of view. In particular, the formal distributional properties of integral forms are recovered in this scenario in a geometrical way. Further, we show how inverse forms “extend” the ordinary de Rham complex on a supermanifold, thus providing a mathematical foundation of the Large Hilbert Space used in superstrings. Last, we briefly discuss how the Hodge diamond of a supermanifold looks like, and we explicitly compute it for super Riemann surfaces.

On finite-size d-branes in superstring theory

We test exact marginality of the deformation describing the blow-up of a zero- size D(−1) brane bound to a background of D3-branes by analyzing the equations of motion of superstring field theory to third order in the size. In the process we review the derivation of the instanton profile from string theory, extending it to include α′-corrections.

Taming boundary condition changing operator anomalies with the tachyon vacuum

Motivated by the appearance of associativity anomalies in the context of superstring field theory, we give a generalized solution built from boundary condition changing operators which can be associated to a generic tachyon vacuum in the KBc subalgebra of the Okawa form. We articulate sufficient conditions on the choice of tachyon vacuum to ensure that ambiguous products do not appear in the equations of motion.

Localization of effective actions in open superstring field theory: small Hilbert space

We consider the algebraic effective couplings for open superstring massless modes in the framework of the A∞ theory in the small Hilbert space. Focussing on quartic couplings, we reduce the effective action of the A∞ theory to the Berkovits one where we have already shown that such couplings are fully computed from contributions at the boundary of moduli space, when the massless fields are appropriately charged under an mathcal{N} = 2 R-symmetry. Here we offer a proof of localization which is in the small Hilbert space. Our analysis shows that the flat directions of the quartic potential are controlled by ADHM-like constraints, which are directly related to the localization channels of the effective action. In particular we give evidence for the existence of exactly marginal deformations corresponding to blowing up moduli in the D(p + 4)/Dp system in the framework of string field theory.

Analyticity and crossing symmetry of superstring loop amplitudes

Bros, Epstein and Glaser proved crossing symmetry of the S-matrix of a theory without massless fields by using certain analyticity properties of the off-shell momentum space Green’s function in the complex momentum plane. The latter properties follow from representing the momentum space Green’s function as Fourier transform of the position space Green’s function, satisfying certain properties implied by the underlying local quantum field theory. We prove the same analyticity properties of the momentum space Green’s functions in superstring field theory by directly working with the momentum space Feynman rules even though the corresponding properties of the position space Green’s function are not known. Our result is valid to all orders in perturbation theory, but requires, as usual, explicitly subtracting / regulating the non-analyticities associated with massless particles. These results can also be used to prove other general analyticity properties of the S-matrix of superstring theory.

Introduction to Open Superstring Field Theory

We review briefly open superstring theory, and then provide a very short introduction to some basic aspects of open superstring field theory and comment some applications.