Operator algebras and an infinite-dimensional symmetry for string theory

Journal Article · Thu Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.50.4022· OSTI ID:7197809

Evans, M ^[1]; Giannakis, I ^[2]; Nanopoulos, D V ^[3]

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1. Physics Department, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10021-6399 (United States)
2. Center for Theoretical Physics, Texas A M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242 (United States) Astroparticle Physics Group, Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), The Mitchell Campus, Woodlands, Texas 77381 (United States)
3. Center for Theoretical Physics, Texas A M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242 (United States) Astroparticle Physics Group, Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), The Mitchell Campus, Woodlands, Texas 77381 (United States) Theory Division, CERN, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland)

Symmetry transformations of the space-time fields of string theory are generated by certain similarity transformations of the stress tensor of the associated conformal field theories. This observation is complicated by the fact that, as we explain, many of the operators we habitually use in string theory (such as vertices and currents) have ill-defined communicators. However, we identify an infinite-dimensional subalgebra whose commutators are not singular, and explicitly calculate its structure constants. This constitutes a subalgebra of the gauge symmetry of string theory, although it may act on auxiliary as well as propagating fields. We term this object a [ital weighted] [ital tensor] [ital algebra], and, while it appears to be a distant cousin of the [ital W] algebras, it has not, to our knowledge, appeared in the literature before.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-87ER40325; FG05-91ER40633
• OSTI ID: 7197809
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States), Vol. 50:6; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
STRING MODELS
CURRENT ALGEBRA
SYMMETRY
COMMUTATORS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
QUANTUM OPERATORS
SPACE-TIME
TRANSFORMATIONS
VERTEX FUNCTIONS
COMPOSITE MODELS
EXTENDED PARTICLE MODEL
FUNCTIONS
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS
PARTICLE MODELS
QUARK MODEL
662110* - General Theory of Particles & Fields- Theory of Fields & Strings- (1992-)