Closed-String Tachyon Condensation and the Worldsheet Super-Higgs Effect

Journal Article · Fri Feb 08 04:00:00 EST 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.100.051601· OSTI ID:21024704

Horava, Petr; Keeler, Cynthia A ^[1]

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1. Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-7300 (United States)

Alternative gauge choices for worldsheet supersymmetry can elucidate dynamical phenomena obscured in the usual superconformal gauge. In the particular example of the tachyonic E{sub 8} heterotic string, we use a judicious gauge choice to show that the process of closed-string tachyon condensation can be understood in terms of a worldsheet super-Higgs effect. The worldsheet gravitino assimilates the goldstino and becomes a dynamical propagating field. Conformal, but not superconformal, invariance is maintained throughout.

• OSTI ID: 21024704
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 100; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CONFORMAL INVARIANCE
GAUGE INVARIANCE
GRAVITONS
HIGGS MODEL
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
STRING THEORY
SUPERSYMMETRY
TACHYONS