String deformations induced by retardation effects

The rotating string model is an effective model of mesons, in which the quark and the antiquark are linked by a straight string. We previously developed a new framework to include the retardation effects in the rotating string model, but the string was still kept straight. We now go a step further and show that the retardation effects cause a small deviation of the string from the straight line. We first give general arguments constraining the string shape. Then, we find analytical and numerical solutions for the string deformation induced by retardation effects. We finally discuss the influence of the curved string on the energy spectrum of the model.