Tensionless Limit Research Articles

5d and 6d SCFTs have no weak coupling limit

We prove that there does not exist any weak coupling limit in the space of superconformal field theories in five and six dimensions, based on an analysis of the representation theory of the corresponding superconformal algebras. Holographically, this implies that superstring theories on AdS6 and AdS7 do not admit tensionless limits. Finally, we discuss the implications of our result on the existence of an action for coincident M5-branes.

Chiral algebras of two-dimensional SYK models

We study chiral algebras in the overline{Q} -cohomology of two dimensional SYK models with extended supersymmetry. In a special limit discovered in [1], we are able to construct explicitly a “vertical” single-particle higher-spin algebra that is bilinear in the fundamental fields. This algebra can be regarded as the counterpart, when going away from criticality, of the infrared emergent higher-spin symmetry of the mathcal{N}=left(0,2right) SYK model. Moreover, a second “horizontal” single-particle higher-spin algebra appears in this limit. Together with the vertical algebra they generate a stringy algebra with a “higher spin square” structure that is believed to appear in the tensionless limit of string theory. On the other hand, we do not find single-particle higher-spin algebra away from the special limit, which is consistent with the result in [1]. Our analysis is carried out for each individual realization of the random couplings and for finite N (and M), which in particular indicates that the conclusion in [1] is robust to 1/N corrections.

Bimetric, conformal supergravity and its superstring embedding

We discuss the connection between Weyl2 supergravity and superstrings and further discuss holography between 4-dimensional, mathcal{N} = 4 superconformal Weyl2 supergravity and mathcal{N} = 8, higher spin-four theory on AdS5. The Weyl2 plus Einstein supergravity theory is a special kind of a bimetric gravity theory and consists of a massless graviton multiplet plus an additional massive spin-two supermultiplet. Here, we argue that the additional spin-two field and its superpartners originate from massive excitations in the open string sector; just like the mathcal{N} = 4 super Yang-Mills gauge fields, they are localized on the world volume of D3-branes. The ghost structure of the Weyl action should be considered as an artifact of the truncation of the infinitely many higher derivative terms underlying the massive spin 2 action. In field theory, mathcal{N} = 4 Weyl2 supergravity exhibits superconformal invariance in the limit of vanishing Planck mass. In string theory the additional spin-two fields become massless in the tensionless limit. Therefore low string scale scenarios with large extra dimensions provide (almost) superconformal field theories with almost massless open string spin-two fields. The full mathcal{N} = 4 scalar potential including the Yang-Mills matter multiplets is presented and the supersymmetric vacua of Einstein Supergravity are shown, as expected, to be vacua of massive Weyl supergravity. Other vacua are expected to exist which are not vacua of Einstein supergravity. Finally, we identify certain spin-four operators on the 4-dimensional boundary theory that could be the holographic duals of spin-four fields in the bulk.

The worldsheet dual of the symmetric product CFT

Superstring theory on {mathrm{AdS}}_3 times {S}^3times {mathbb{T}}^4 with the smallest amount of NS-NS flux (“k = 1”) is shown to be dual to the spacetime CFT given by the large N limit of the free symmetric product orbifold SymN left({mathbb{T}}^4right) . To define the worldsheet theory at k = 1, we employ the hybrid formalism in which the AdS3 × S3 part is described by the mathfrak{p}mathfrak{s}mathfrak{u}{left(1,1Big|2right)}_1 WZW model (which is well defined). Unlike the case for k ≥ 2, it turns out that the string spectrum at k = 1 does not exhibit the long string continuum, and perfectly matches with the large N limit of the symmetric product. We also demonstrate that the fusion rules of the symmetric orbifold are reproduced from the worldsheet perspective. Our proposal therefore affords a tractable worldsheet description of a tensionless limit in string theory, for which the dual CFT is also explicitly known.

Tensionless strings and the weak gravity conjecture

We test various conjectures about quantum gravity for six-dimensional string compactifications in the framework of F-theory. Starting with a gauge theory coupled to gravity, we analyze the limit in Kähler moduli space where the gauge coupling tends to zero while gravity is kept dynamical. We show that such a limit must be located at infinite distance in the moduli space. As expected, the low-energy effective theory breaks down in this limit due to a tower of charged particles becoming massless. These are the excitations of an asymptotically tensionless string, which is shown to coincide with a critical heterotic string compactified to six dimensions.For a more quantitative analysis, we focus on a U(1) gauge symmetry and use a chain of dualities and mirror symmetry to determine the elliptic genus of the nearly tensionless string, which is given in terms of certain meromorphic weak Jacobi forms. Their modular properties in turn allow us to determine the charge-to-mass ratios of certain string excitations near the tensionless limit. We then provide evidence that the tower of asymptotically massless charged states satisfies the (sub-)Lattice Weak Gravity Conjecture, the Completeness Conjecture, and the Swampland Distance Conjecture. Quite remarkably, we find that the number theoretic properties of the elliptic genus conspire with the balance of gravitational and scalar forces of extremal black holes, such as to produce a narrowly tuned charge spectrum of superextremal states. As a byproduct, we show how to compute elliptic genera of both critical and non-critical strings, when refined by Mordell-Weil U(1) symmetries in F-theory.

Inhomogeneous tensionless superstrings

We construct a novel tensionless limit of Superstring theory that realises the Inhomogeneous Super Galilean Conformal Algebra (SGCAI ) as the residual symmetry in the analogue of the conformal gauge, as opposed to previous constructions of the tensionless superstring, where a smaller symmetry algebra called the Homogeneous SGCA emerged as the residual gauge symmetry on the worldsheet. We obtain various features of the new tensionless theory intrinsically as well as from a systematic limit of the corresponding features of the tensile theory. We discuss why it is desirable and also natural to work with this new tensionless limit and the larger algebra.

Color characters for white hot string bits

The state space of a generic string bit model is spanned by $N\times N$ matrix creation operators acting on a vacuum state. Such creation operators transform in the adjoint representation of the color group $U(N)$ (or $SU(N)$ if the matrices are traceless). We consider a system of $b$ species of bosonic bits and $f$ speciesof fermionic bits. The string, emerging in the $N\to\infty$ limit, identifies $P^+=mM\sqrt{2}$ with $M$ the bit number operator and $P^-=H\sqrt{2}$ with $H$ the system Hamiltonian. We study the thermal properties of this string bit system in the case $H=0$, which can be considered the tensionless string limit: the only dynamics is restricting physical states to color singlets. Then the thermal partition function ${\rm Tr} e^{-\beta mM}$ can be identified, putting $x=e^{-\beta m}$, with a generating function $\chi_0^{bf}(x)$, for which the coefficient of $x^n$ in its expansion about $x=0$ is the number of color singlets with bit number $M=n$. This function is a purely group theoretic object, which is well-studied in the literature. We show that at $N=\infty$ this system displays a Hagedorn divergence at $x=1/(b+f)$ with ultimate temperature $T_H=m/\ln(b+f)$. The corresponding function for finite $N$ is perfectly finite for $0<x<1$, so the $N=\infty$ system exhibits a phase transition at temperature $T_H$ which is absent for any finite $N$. We demonstrate that the low temperature phase is unstable above $T_H$. The lowest-order $1/N$ asymptotic correction, for $x\to1$ in the high temperature phase, is computed for large $N$. Remarkably, this is related to the number of labeled Eulerian digraphs with $N$ nodes. Systematic methods to extend our results to higher orders in $1/N$ are described.

Thermal properties of a string bit model at large N

We study the finite temperature properties of a recently introduced string bit model designed to capture some features of the emergent string in the tensionless limit. The model consists of a pair of bosonic and fermionic bit operators transforming in the adjoint representation of the color group SU(N). Color confinement is not achieved as a dynamical effect, but instead is enforced by an explicit singlet projection. At large N and finite temperature, the model has a non trivial thermodynamics. In particular, there is a Hagedorn type transition at a finite temperature T = TH where the string degrees of freedom are liberated and the free energy gets a large contribution ∼ N2 that plays the role of an order parameter. For T > TH, the low temperature phase becomes unstable. In the new phase, the thermodynamically favoured configurations are characterized by a non-trivial gapped density of the SU(N) angles associated with the singlet projection. We present an accurate algorithm for the determination of the density profile at N = ∞. In particular, we determine the gap endpoint at generic temperature and analytical expansions valid near the Hagedorn transition as well as at high temperature. The leading order corrections are characterized by non-trivial exponents that are determined analytically and compared with explicit numerical calculations.

Stringy AdS3 from the worldsheet

We investigate the behaviour of the bosonic string on AdS3 with H-flux at stringy scales, looking in particular for a ‘tensionless’ limit in which there are massless higher spin gauge fields. We do this by revisiting the physical spectrum of the mathfrak{s}mathfrak{l}{left(2, mathbb{R}right)}_k WZW model and considering the limit in which k becomes small. At k = 3 we find that there is an infinite stringy tower of massless higher spin fields which are part of a continuum of light states. This can be viewed as a novel tensionless limit, which appears to be distinct from that inferred from the symmetric orbifold description of superstring AdS3 vacua.

On the null origin of the ambitwistor string

In this paper we present the null string origin of the ambitwistor string. Classically, the null string is the tensionless limit of string theory, and so too is the Ambitwistor string. Both have as constraint algebra the Galilean Conformal Algebra in two dimensions. But something interesting happens in the quantum theory since there is an ambiguity in quantizing the null string. We show that, given a particular choice of quantization scheme and a particular gauge, the null string coincides with the ambitwistor string both classically and quantum mechanically. We also show that the same holds for the spinning versions of the null string and Ambitwistor string. With these results we clarify the relationship between the Ambitwistor string, the null string, the usual string and the Hohm-Siegel-Zwiebach theory.

On matter coupled to the higher spin square

Gaberdiel and Gopakumar recently proposed that the tensionless limit of string theory on takes the form of a higher spin theory with a gauge algebra that is referred to as the higher spin square (hss). In this note, we formulate the linearized Vasiliev-type equations which describe a matter field coupled to the hss. We study the particle spectrum of this field and show that it accounts for the entire untwisted sector of the dual symmetric orbifold CFT, thereby confirming a conjecture by Gaberdiel and Gopakumar. In doing so, we pinpoint the group-theoretic data which determine the spectrum of a matter field coupled to a general higher spin algebra, which we illustrate by revisiting the theory based on the algebra.

On the curious spectrum of duality invariant higher-derivative gravity

We analyze the spectrum of the exactly duality and gauge invariant higher-derivative double field theory. While this theory is based on a chiral CFT and does not correspond to a standard string theory, our analysis illuminates a number of issues central in string theory. The full quadratic action is rewritten as a two-derivative theory with additional fields. This allows for a simple analysis of the spectrum, which contains two massive spin-2 ghosts and massive scalars, in addition to the massless fields. Moreover, in this formulation, the massless or tensionless limit $\alpha'\rightarrow \infty$ is non-singular and leads to an enhanced gauge symmetry. We show that the massive modes can be integrated out exactly at the quadratic level, leading to an infinite series of higher-derivative corrections. Finally, we present a ghost-free massive extension of linearized double field theory, which employs a novel mass term for the dilaton and metric.

The symmetric orbifold of N = 2 $$ \mathcal{N}=2 $$ minimal models

The large level limit of the N=2 minimal models that appear in the duality with the N=2 supersymmetric higher spin theory on AdS_3 is shown to be a natural subsector of a certain symmetric orbifold theory. We study the relevant decompositions in both the untwisted and the twisted sector, and analyse the structure of the higher spin representations in the twisted sector in some detail. These results should help to identify the string background of which the higher spin theory is expected to describe the leading Regge trajectory in the tensionless limit.

Dynamics of Carroll strings

We construct the canonical action of a Carroll string doing the Carroll limit of a canonical relativistic string. We also study the Killing symmetries of the Carroll string, which close under an infinite dimensional algebra. The tensionless limit and the Carroll $p$-brane action are also discussed.

Tensionless strings from worldsheet symmetries

We revisit the construction of the tensionless limit of closed bosonic string theory in the covariant formulation in the light of Galilean conformal symmetry that rises as the residual gauge symmetry on the tensionless worldsheet. We relate the analysis of the fundamentally tensionless theory to the tensionless limit that is viewed as a contraction of worldsheet coordinates. Analysis of the quantum regime uncovers interesting physics. The degrees of freedom that appear in the tensionless string are fundamentally different from the usual string states. Through a Bogoliubov transformation on the worldsheet, we link the tensionless vacuum to the usual tensile vacuum. As an application, we show that our analysis can be used to understand physics of strings at very high temperatures and propose that these new degrees of freedom are naturally connected with the long-string picture of the Hagedorn phase of free string theory. We also show that tensionless closed strings behave like open strings.

Marginal deformations and the Higgs phenomenon in higher spin AdS3 holography

Recently, a 2d coset model with $$ \mathcal{N}=3 $$ superconformal symmetry was pro-posed to be holographic dual to a higher spin supergravity on AdS3 and the relation to superstring theory was discussed. However, away from the tensionless limit, there is no higher spin symmetry and the higher spin states are massive. In this paper, we examine the deformations of the coset model which preserve $$ \mathcal{N}=3 $$ superconformal symmetry, but break generic higher spin symmetry. We focus on double-trace type deformations which are dual to changes of boundary conditions for the bulk matter fields. In the bulk theory, the symmetry breaking will generate mass for the higher spin fields. As a concrete example, we compute the Higgs mass of a spin 2 field both from the bulk and the boundary theory.

QED as the tensionless limit of the spinning string with contact interaction

QED with spinor matter is argued to correspond to the tensionless limit of spinning strings with contact interactions. The strings represent electric lines of force with charges at their ends. The interaction is constructed from a delta-function on the world-sheet which, although off-shell, decouples from the world-sheet metric. Integrating out the string degrees of freedom with fixed boundary generates the super-Wilson loop that couples spinor matter to electromagnetism in the world-line formalism. World-sheet and world-line, but not spacetime, supersymmetry underpin the model.

Delta-function interactions for the bosonic and spinning strings and the generation of Abelian gauge theory

We construct contact interactions for bosonic and spinning strings. In the tensionless limit of the spinning string this reproduces the super-Wilson loop that couples spinor matter to Abelian gauge theory. Adding boundary terms that quantise the motion of charges results in a string model equivalent to spinor QED. The strings represent lines of electric flux connected to the charges. The purely bosonic model is spoilt by divergences that are excluded from the spinning model by world-sheet supersymmetry, indicating a preference for spinor matter.

Type 0 open string amplitudes and the tensionless limit

The sum over planar multi-loop diagrams in the NS+ sector of type 0 open strings in flat spacetime has been proposed by Thorn as a candidate to resolve non-perturbative issues of gauge theories in the large $N$ limit. With $SU (N)$ Chan-Paton factors, the sum over planar open string multi-loop diagrams describes the 't Hooft limit $N\to \infty$ with $Ng_s^2$ held fixed. By including only planar diagrams in the sum the usual mechanism for the cancellation of loop divergences (which occurs, for example, among the planar and M\"obius strip diagrams by choosing a specific gauge group) is not available and a renormalization procedure is needed. In this article the renormalization is achieved by suspending total momentum conservation by an amount $p\equiv \sum_i^n k_i\neq 0$ at the level of the integrands in the integrals over the moduli and analytically continuing them to $p=0$ at the very end. This procedure has been successfully tested for the 2 and 3 gluon planar loop amplitudes by Thorn. Gauge invariance is respected and the correct running of the coupling in the limiting gauge field theory was also correctly obtained. In this article we extend those results in two directions. First, we generalize the renormalization method to an arbitrary $n$-gluon planar loop amplitude giving full details for the 4-point case. One of our main results is to provide a fully renormalized amplitude which is free of both UV and the usual spurious divergences leaving only the physical singularities in it. Second, using the complete renormalized amplitude, we extract the high-energy scattering regime at fixed angle (tensionless limit). Apart from obtaining the usual exponential falloff at high energies, we compute the full dependence on the scattering angle which shows the existence of a smooth connection between the Regge and hard scattering regimes.

Strings vs. spins on the null orbifold

Abstract We study the null orbifold singularity in 2+1 d flat space higher spin theory as well as string theory. Using the Chern-Simons formulation of 2+1 d Einstein gravity, we first observe that despite the singular nature of this geometry, the eigenvalues of its Chern-Simons holonomy are trivial. Next, we construct a resolution of the singularity in higher spin theory: a Kundt spacetime with vanishing scalar curvature invariants. We also point out that the UV divergences previously observed in the 2-to-2 tachyon tree level string amplitude on the null orbifold do not arise in the α′ → ∞ limit. We find all the divergences of the amplitude and demonstrate that the ones remaining in the tensionless limit are physical IR-type divergences. We conclude with a discussion on the meaning and limitations of higher spin (cosmological) singularity resolution and its potential connection to string theory.