A superspace approach to AdS$_3$ string theory
Abstract
We carefully examine the Polyakov path integral for strings on in superspace, both for type II and heterotic superstrings. We construct a free-field realization of the supersymmetric WZW model which manifestly preserves worldsheet supersymmetry and use this free-field realization to construct spectrally-flowed vertex operators describing the emission of long strings in the bulk. By working directly with the moduli space of super Riemann surfaces, we exactly compute tree-level correlation functions of long strings in the `near-boundary' limit without resorting to the standard picture-changing-operator (PCO) procedure. Finally, we argue how these correlators schematically reproduce correlation functions of the conjectured boundary CFTs, and as a result provide a novel proposal for the CFT dual for heterotic superstrings in .
Cite
@article{arxiv.2603.18142,
title = {A superspace approach to AdS$_3$ string theory},
author = {Bob Knighton and Nathan McStay and Vit Sriprachyakul},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.18142},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
81 pages