Related papers: Review of W Strings

We review recent progress in embedding the supersymmetric standard model into string theory. We discuss how, with the incorporation of certain aspects of grand unification, a search strategy can be developed that allows to efficiently find…

We compute the imaginary parts of genus-one string scattering amplitudes. Following Witten's $i\varepsilon$ prescription for the integration contour on the moduli space of worldsheets, we give a general algorithm for computing unitarity…

String theory is canonically accompanied with a space-time interpretation which determines S-matrix-like observables, and connects to the standard physics at low energies in the guise of local effective field theory. Recently, we have…

Cosmic strings provide a radically different paradigm for the formation of structure to the prevailing inflationary one. They afford some extra technical complications: for example, the calculation of the power spectrum of matter and…

I review some of the recent progress in two-dimensional string theory, which is formulated as a sum over surfaces embedded in one dimension.

We consider the gauge algebra of closed string field theory with a focus on diffeomorphisms. This algebra contains off-shell information in two ways. The first way is geometric, through the choice of three-punctured sphere defining the…

We analyze in detail some properties of the worldsheet of the closed string theories suggested by Gopakumar to be dual to free large N SU(N) gauge theories (with adjoint matter fields). We use Gopakumar's prescription to translate the…

Using the differential equation approach to W-algebras, we discuss the inclusion of punctures in W-string theory. The key result is the existence of different kinds of punctures in W-strings. This is similar to the NS and R punctures…

We investigate new realisations of the $W_3$ algebra with arbitrary central charge, making use of the fact that this algebra can be linearised by the inclusion of a spin-1 current. We use the new realisations with $c=102$ and $c=100$ to…

After reviewing the $\beta$-function equations for consistent string backgrounds in the $\sigma$-model approach, including metric and antisymmetric tensor, dilaton and tachyon potential, we apply this formalism to WZW models. We…

Fractional superstrings are non-trivial generalizations of ordinary superstrings and heterotic strings, and have critical spacetime dimensions which are less than ten by virtue of a worldsheet fractional supersymmetry relating worldsheet…

We investigate general observables of the complex Liouville string with worldsheet boundaries. We develop a universal formalism that reduces such observables to ordinary closed string amplitudes without boundaries, applicable to any…

This dissertation consists of a comprehensive and pedagogical review of Maldacena's original derivation of the AdS/CFT correspondence and the main topics of string theory necessary to understand it. The large $N$ expansion of Yang-Mills…

It has long been expected that the 3d Ising model can be thought of as a string theory, where one interprets the domain walls that separate up spins from down spins as two-dimensional string worldsheets. The usual Ising Hamiltonian measures…

We study the low-energy dynamics of semi-classical vortex strings living above Argyres-Douglas superconformal field theories. The worldsheet theory of the string is shown to be a deformation of the CP^N model which flows in the infra-red to…

The scaling limit used recently to derive matrix models, and a certain analyticity assumption, are invoked to argue that the agreement between some matrix model calculations and supergravity is a consequence of string world sheet duality.

We consider the continuum string theory corresponding to the Marinari-Parisi supersymmetric matrix model. We argue that the world-sheet physics is exotic, and different from any known supersymmetric string theory. The embedding superspace…

We construct the nonlinear $W(sl(N+3),sl(3))$ algebras and find the spectrum of values of the central charge that gives rise, by contracting the $W(sl(N+3),sl(3))$ algebras, to a $W_3$ algebra belonging to the coset…

The tensionless limit of string theory has recently been formulated in terms of worldsheet Rindler physics. In this paper, by considering closed strings moving in background Rindler spacetimes, we provide a concrete exemplification of this…

We consider the formulation of two dimensional QCD in terms of gauge invariant bilocal operators (string field) which satisfy a $W_\infty$ algebra. In analogy with our work on the $c=1$ string field theory we derive an action and associated…