World-sheet Equations Research Articles

Asymptotic symmetries from the string worldsheet

In IIB string theory on AdS3 background with NS-NS fluxes, we show that Brown-Henneaux asymptotic Killing vectors can be derived by requiring both the worldsheet equations of motion and Virasoro constraints are preserved near the asymptotic boundary of the target spacetime. The charges on the worldsheet that generate the corresponding transformations can be written down in both the Lagrangian formalism and Hamiltonian formalism. This provides a method of studying asymptotic symmetry of the target spacetime directly from worldsheet string theories, without using results from the supergravity limit. As an example, we apply this method to flat spacetime in three dimensions and obtain the BMS3 generators on the worldsheet theory.

THE WORLDSHEET PERSPECTIVE OF T-DUALITY SYMMETRY IN STRING THEORY

The purpose of this paper is to present a pedagogical review of T-duality in string theory. The evolution of the closed string is envisaged on the worldsheet in the presence of its massless excitations. The duality symmetry is studied when some of the spacial coordinates are compactified on d-dimensional torus, Td. The known results are reviewed to elucidate that equations of motion for the compact coordinates are O(d, d) covariant, d being the number of compact directions. Next, the vertex operators of excited massive levels are considered in a simple compactification scheme. It is shown that the vertex operators for each massive level can be cast in a T-duality invariant form in such a case. Subsequently, the duality properties of superstring is investigated in the NSR formulation for the massless backgrounds such as graviton and antisymmetric tensor. The worldsheet superfield formulation is found to be very suitable for our purpose. The Hassan–Sen compactification is adopted and it is shown that the worldsheet equations of motion for compact superfields are O(d, d) covariant when the backgrounds are independent of superfields along compact directions. The vertex operators for excited levels are presented in the NS–NS sector and it is shown that they can be cast in T-duality invariant form for the case of Hassan–Sen compactification scheme. An illustrative example is presented to realize our proposal.

D-branes from classical macroscopic strings

This paper is a sequel to the series of papers dedicated to model independent analysis of brane-like extended objects in curved backgrounds. In particular, we study cylindrical membranes wrapped around the extra compact dimension of a (D + 1)-dimensional Riemann–Cartan spacetime. The world-sheet equations are obtained from the universally valid conservation equations of the membrane stress–energy and spin tensors. In the limit of small extra dimension, the dimensionally reduced theory is obtained. The narrow membrane becomes an effective string characterized not only by tension and spin, but also by electric and dilaton charges. The boundary of such an effective string has been shown to live in less spacetime dimensions than its interior. Precisely, the string endpoints are trapped by the surfaces orthogonal to the gradient of the effective dilaton field. The string dynamics has been shown to follow from an action functional subject to the Dirichlet boundary conditions. This way, we have succeeded in obtaining a macroscopic D-brane analogue.

String background fields and the Riemann–Cartan geometry

We study classical dynamics of cylindrical membranes wrapped around the extra compact dimension of a (D + 1)-dimensional Riemann–Cartan spacetime. The world-sheet equations and boundary conditions are obtained from the universally valid conservation equations of the stress–energy and spin tensors. Specifically, we consider membranes made of macroscopic matter with maximally symmetric distribution of spin. In the narrow membrane limit, the dimensionally reduced theory is obtained. It describes how effective strings couple to the effective D-dimensional geometry. The striking coincidence with the string theory σ-model is observed. In this correspondence, the string background fields Gμν, Bμν, Aμ and Φ are related to the metric and torsion of the Riemann–Cartan spacetime.

Classical dynamics of brane-world extended objects

We make use of the universally valid stress-energy conservation law to study the motion of various branelike extended objects in a generic brane-world. Without specifying any particular action, we are able to derive the world-sheet equations that govern the dynamics of brane-world test branes. In particular, the brane-world test particles are shown to follow geodesics with respect to the brane-world induced metric. At the same time, the presence of extended objects is shown to influence the brane-world geometry. It is demonstrated that codimension-1 branes necessarily violate the brane-world smooth structure, while lower-dimensional branes violate the very continuity. In particular, the truly zero-size massive particles are shown not to exist in a continuous brane-world. As an example, static, axially symmetric membrane-world in 4d Minkowski background is analyzed.

Test membranes in Riemann-Cartan spacetimes

The dynamics of brane-like extended objects in spacetimes with torsion is derived from the conservation equations of stress-energy and spin tensors. Thus obtained world-sheet equations are applied to macroscopic test membranes made of spinning matter. Specifically, we consider membranes with maximally symmetric distribution of stress-energy and spin. These are characterized by two constants only: the tension and spin magnitude. By solving the world-sheet equations, we discover a similarity between such membranes in Riemann-Cartan backgrounds, and string theory membranes in low-energy string backgrounds. In the second part of the paper, we apply this result to cylindrical membranes wrapped around the extra compact dimension of a $(D+1)$-dimensional spacetime. In the narrow membrane limit, we discover how effective macroscopic strings couple to torsion. An observed similarity with the string sigma model is noted.

Spinning branes in Riemann-Cartan spacetime

We use the conservation law of the stress-energy and spin tensors to study the motion of massive branelike objects in Riemann-Cartan geometry. The world-sheet equations and boundary conditions are obtained in a manifestly covariant form. In the particle case, the resultant worldline equations turn out to exhibit a novel spin-curvature coupling. In particular, the spin of a zero-size particle does not couple to the background curvature. In the string case, the world-sheet dynamics is studied for some special choices of spin and torsion. As a result, the known coupling to the Kalb-Ramond antisymmetric external field is obtained. Geometrically, the Kalb-Ramond field has been recognized as a part of the torsion itself, rather than the torsion potential.

Classical spinning branes in curved backgrounds

The dynamics of a classical branelike object in a curved background is derived from the covariant stress-energy conservation of the brane matter. The world sheet equations and boundary conditions are obtained in the pole-dipole approximation, where nontrivial brane thickness gives rise to its intrinsic angular momentum. It is shown that intrinsic angular momentum couples to both, the background curvature and the brane orbital degrees of freedom. The whole procedure is manifestly covariant with respect to spacetime diffeomorphisms and world sheet reparametrizations. In addition, two extra gauge symmetries are discovered and utilized. The examples of the point particle and the string in 4 spacetime dimensions are analyzed in more detail. A particular attention is paid to the Nambu-Goto string with massive spinning particles attached to its ends.

Classical string in curved backgrounds

The Mathisson-Papapetrou method is originally used for derivation of the particle world line equation from the covariant conservation of its stress-energy tensor. We generalize this method to extended objects, such as a string. Without specifying the type of matter the string is made of, we obtain both the equations of motion and boundary conditions of the string. The world sheet equations turn out to be more general than the familiar minimal surface equations. In particular, they depend on the internal structure of the string. The relevant cases are classified by examining canonical forms of the effective 2-dimensional stress-energy tensor. The case of homogeneously distributed matter with the tension that equals its mass density is shown to define the familiar Nambu-Goto dynamics. The other three cases include physically relevant massive and massless strings, and unphysical tachyonic strings.