Related papers: $W$ Strings and Cohomology in Parafermionic Theori…
We review the existence, formation and properties of cosmic strings in string theory, the wide variety of observational techniques that are being employed to detect them, and the constraints that current observations impose on string theory…
We show how to relate the parafermions that occur in the $W_3$ string to the standard construction of parafermions. This result is then used to show that one of the screening charges that occurs in parafermionic theories is precisely the…
String theory has already motivated, suggested, and sometimes well-nigh proved a number of interesting and sometimes unexpected mathematical results, such as mirror symmetry. A careful examination of the behavior of string propagation on…
String theory is the leading contemporary framework to explore the synthesis of quantum mechanics with gravity. String phenomenology aims to study string theory while maintaining contact with observational data. The fermionic $Z_2\times…
We describe some recent progress in understanding and formulating string theory which is based on extensive studies of strings in lower (D=2) dimension. At the center is a large $W_{\infty}$ symmetry that appears most simply in the matrix…
We review some recent developments in the theory of $W_\infty$. We comment on its relevance to lower-dimensional string theory.
Preliminary investigations of the topological phase of string theory along the lines of a (restricted) $\dot{w}_{\infty}$ non-linear sigma model are provided. Gauge fixing the w gravity gauge fields by preserving a geometric identity Lorenz…
We show that almost all string theories, including the bosonic string, the superstring and $W$-string theories, possess a twisted N=2 superconformal symmetry. This enables us to establish a connection between topological gravity and the…
The physical states on the free field Fock space of the ${SL(2,R)\over SL(2,R)$ model at any level are computed. Using a similarity transformation on $Q_{BRST}$, the cohomology of the latter is mapped into a direct sum of simpler…
We study the covariant free bosonic string field theory and explore its locality (causality) properties. We find covariant string fields which are strictly local and covariant, but act on an unconstrained Hilbert space with an indefinite…
States in the absolute (semi-relative) cohomology but not in the relative cohomology are examined through the component decomposition of the string field theory action for the 2-D string. It is found that they are auxiliary fields without…
We show that closed string states in bosonic string field theory are encoded in the cyclic cohomology of cubic open string field theory (OSFT) which, in turn, classifies the deformations of OSFT. This cohomology is then shown to be…
It has been realised recently that there is no unique way to describe the physical states of a given string theory. In particular, it has been shown that any bosonic string theory can be embedded in a particular $N{=}1$ string background in…
The Ward identities of the $W_{\infty}$ symmetry in 2D string theory in the tachyon background are studied in the continuum approach. Comparing the solutions with the matrix model results, it is verified that 2D string amplitudes are…
We determine explicitly all structure constants of the whole chiral BRST cohomology ring in $D=2$ string theory including both the discrete states and tachyon states. This is made possible by establishing several identities for Schur…
A general formalism for covariant $W_3$ string scattering is given. It is found necessary to use screening charges that are constructed from the $W_3$ fields including ghosts. The scattering amplitudes so constructed contain within them…
One cannot yet point to any firm string prediction. While many approximate string ground states are known with interesting properties, we do not have any argument that one or another describes what we observe around us, and for reasons…
We define a wave-function for string theory cosmological backgrounds. We give a prescription for computing its norm following an earlier analysis within general relativity. Under Euclidean continuation, the cosmologies we discuss in this…
We study the couplings of discrete states that appear in the string theory embedded in two dimensions, and show that they are given by the structure constants of the group of area preserving diffeomorphisms. We propose an effective action…
The superform construction of supersymmetric invariants, which consists of integrating the top component of a closed superform over spacetime, is reviewed. The cohomological methods necessary for the analysis of closed superforms are…