Classical vacua of string theory: Chiral bosonic representations

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5594415

Chaudhuri, S

The equations of constraint that arise from requiring a consistent first quantization of string theory (bosonic, supersymmetric, or heterotic) have an enormous number of solutions. Each solution may be interpreted as a classical vacuum of the second-quantized string field theory. This thesis will focus on the family of string vacua that have a representation as the superconformal field theory of chiral bosons. To motivate the discussion, the author uses the path integral formulation to explain the connection between first-quantized strings and two-dimensional conformal field theories. He presents a superspace quantization for the superstring, and explain the special role of the one-loop string amplitude. This amplitude may be recast as the partition function for the superconformal field theory of chiral bosons on a cylinder. Solutions to first-quantized string theory can now be constructed within the operator formulation of two-dimensional conformal field theory. The starting point of this construction is the two-dimensional super-Virasoro algebra of chiral bosons. He presents a series of bosonized supercurrents that are consistent solutions to this algebra. Finally, He demonstrate the utility of the chiral bosonic representation in linking various schemes proposed for the construction of consistent string models. This family of vacua is shown to include toroidal compactifications of ten-dimensional strings, asymmetric orbifolds, the spin structure construction of string models, and even certain N = (2,2) compactifications on group manifolds. Considering that this class includes several examples with semi-realistic phenomenology, the possibility that the preferred vacuum lies within it is now entirely improbable.

• Research Organization: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5594415
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

662110* -- General Theory of Particles & Fields-- Theory of Fields & Strings-- (1992-)
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ALGEBRA
AMPLITUDES
BOSONS
CHIRAL SYMMETRY
COMPACTIFICATION
COMPOSITE MODELS
CONFORMAL INVARIANCE
EXTENDED PARTICLE MODEL
FIELD THEORIES
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
PARTICLE MODELS
QUANTIZATION
QUARK MODEL
STRING MODELS
SUPERSYMMETRY
SYMMETRY