Introduction to string and superstring theory II

Conference · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6403439

Peskin, M E

Conformal field theory is reviewed, then conformal invariance is used to rederive the basic results on the embedding dimensionality for bosonic and fermionic strings. The spectrum of the bosonic and the computation of scattering amplitudes are discussed. The formalism used is extended to clarify the origin of Yang-Mills gauge invariance in the open bosonic string theory. The question of the general-coordinate gauge invariance of string theory is addressed, presenting two disparate viewpoints on this question. A brief introduction is then given of the reduction from the idealized string theory in 10 extended dimensions to more realistic solutions in which all but 4 of these dimensions are compactified. The state of knowledge about the space-time supersymmetry of the superstring from the covariant viewpoint is outlined. An approach for identifying possible 6-dimensional spaces which might represent the form of the compact dimensions is discussed, and the orbifold scheme of compactification is presented. 77 refs., 18 figs. (LEW)

• Research Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00515
• OSTI ID: 6403439
• Report Number(s): SLAC-PUB-4251; CONF-8606259-5; ON: DE87010542
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645400* -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
AMPLITUDES
BOSONS
COMPACTIFICATION
COMPOSITE MODELS
CONFORMAL INVARIANCE
DIMENSIONS
DOCUMENT TYPES
EXTENDED PARTICLE MODEL
FERMIONS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
GRAVITATION
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
LECTURES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PARTICLE MODELS
QUARK MODEL
SCATTERING AMPLITUDES
STRING MODELS
SUPERSYMMETRY
SYMMETRY