No ghost theorem and cohomology theorem for strings in arbitrary static backgrounds

Journal Article · Thu Mar 28 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Modern Physics Letters A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1142/S0217732391000981· OSTI ID:5736360

Ghoshal, D; Mukherji, S ^[1]

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1. Tata Inst. of Fundamental Research, Bombay (India)

This paper considers a string moving in an arbitrary time-independent background given by an arbitrary conformal field theory of appropriate central charge (e.g., {ital c} = 25 for bosonic string) and one flat time-like dimension. The authors show that the physical subspace of the Hilbert space is positive semi-definite (no ghost theorem) and that the cohomology of the BRST operator is trivial except for the ghost number one (for open bosonic string) sector (cohomology theorem). Both the proofs are reductio ad absurdum proofs based on the corresponding theorems for the strings moving in flat background. In cases where there is an extra flat space-like dimension (besides the flat time-like one), the transverse subspace with positive-definite norm can be constructed.

• OSTI ID: 5736360
• Journal Information: Modern Physics Letters A; (United States), Journal Name: Modern Physics Letters A; (United States) Vol. 6:10; ISSN 0217-7323; ISSN MPLAE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661100 -- Classical & Quantum Mechanics-- (1992-)
662110* -- General Theory of Particles & Fields-- Theory of Fields & Strings-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BANACH SPACE
CONFORMAL INVARIANCE
HILBERT SPACE
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICAL SPACE
PARTICLE MODELS
SPACE
STANDARD MODEL
UNIFIED GAUGE MODELS