English

Annulus Amplitudes and ZZ Branes in Minimal String Theory

High Energy Physics - Theory 2016-09-06 v2

Abstract

We study the annulus amplitudes of (p,q) minimal string theory. Focusing on the ZZ-FZZT annulus amplitude as a target-space probe of the ZZ brane, we use it to confirm that the ZZ branes are localized in the strong-coupling region. Along the way we learn that the ZZ-FZZT open strings are fermions, even though our theory is bosonic! We also provide a geometrical interpretation of the annulus amplitudes in terms of the Riemann surface M_{p,q} that emerges from the FZZT branes. The ZZ-FZZT annulus amplitude measures the deformation of M_{p,q} due to the presence of background ZZ branes; each kind of ZZ-brane deforms only one A-period of the surface. Finally, we use the annulus amplitudes to argue that the ZZ branes can be regarded as "wrong-branch" tachyons which violate the bound \alpha<Q/2.

Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-th/0406030,
  title  = {Annulus Amplitudes and ZZ Branes in Minimal String Theory},
  author = {David Kutasov and Kazumi Okuyama and Jongwon Park and Nathan Seiberg and David Shih},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-th/0406030},
  year   = {2016}
}

Comments

33 pages, new results in appendix, minor changes

R2 v1 2026-07-22T15:23:49.165Z