Joining-splitting interaction of non-critical string

The joining--splitting interaction of non-critical bosonic string is analyzed in the light-cone formulation. The Mandelstam method of constructing tree string amplitudes is extended to the bosonic massive string models of the discrete series. The general properties of the Liouville longitudinal excitations which are necessary and sufficient for the Lorentz covariance of the light-cone amplitudes are derived. The results suggest that the covariant and the light-cone approach are equivalent also in the non-critical dimensions. Some aspects of unitarity of interacting non-critical massive string theory are discussed.