arXiv subjects

C. N. Pope

Publications and source records attributed to C. N. Pope.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

arXiv1996

Heterotic phase transitions and singularities of the gauge dyonic string

Heterotic strings on $R^6 \times K3$ generically appear to undergo some interesting new phase transition at that value of the string coupling for which the one of the six-dimensional gauge field kinetic energies changes sign. An exception is the $E_8 \times E_8$ string with equal instanton numbers in the two $E_8$'s, which admits a heterotic/heterotic self-duality. In this paper, we generalize the dyonic string solution of the six-dimensional heterotic string to include non-trivial gauge field configurations corresponding to self-dual Yang-Mills instantons in the four transverse dimensions. We find that vacua which undergo a phase transition always admit a string solution exhibiting a naked singularity, whereas for vacua admitting a self-duality the solution is always regular. When there is a phase transition, there exists a choice of instanton numbers for which the dyonic string is tensionless and quasi-anti-self-dual at that critical value of the coupling. For an infinite subset of the other choices of instanton number, the string will also be tensionless, but all at larger values of the coupling.

hep-th↗

arXiv1996

Weyl Group Invariance and p-brane Multiplets

In this paper, we study the actions of the Weyl groups of the U duality groups for type IIA string theory toroidally compactified to all dimensions $D\ge 3$. We show how these Weyl groups implement permutations of the field strengths, and we discuss the Weyl group multiplets of all supersymmetric $p$-brane solitons.

hep-th↗

arXiv1996

An approach to the classification of p-brane solitons

We give a review of some recent work on the construction and classification of $p$-brane solutions in maximal supergravity theories in all dimensions $4\le D\le 11$. These solutions include isotropic elementary and solitonic $p$-branes, dyonic $p$-branes, and multi-scalar $p$-branes. These latter two categories include massless strings and black holes as special cases. For all the solutions, we analyse their residual unbroken supersymmetry by means of an explicit construction of the eigenvalues of the \bog matrix, defined as the anticommutator of the conserved supercharges.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Multi-scalar p-brane solitons

In a previous paper \cite{lp}, supersymmetric $p$-brane solutions involving one dilatonic scalar field in maximal supergravity theories were classified. Although these solutions involve a number of participating field strengths, they are all equal and thus they carry equal electric or magnetic charges. In this paper, we generalise all these solutions to multi-scalar solutions in which the charges become independent free parameters. The mass per unit $p$-volume is equal to the sum of these Page charges. We find that for generic values of the Page charges, they preserve the same fraction of the supersymmetry as in their single-scalar limits. However, for special values of the Page charges, the supersymmetry can be enhanced.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

p-brane Solitons in Maximal Supergravities

In this paper, we give a construction of $p$-brane solitons in all maximal supergravity theories in $4\le D \le 11$ dimensions that are obtainable from $D=11$ supergravity by dimensional reduction. We first obtain the full bosonic Lagrangians for all these theories in a formalism adapted to the $p$-brane soliton construction. The solutions that we consider involve one dilaton field and one antisymmetric tensor field strength, which are in general linear combinations of the basic fields of the supergravity theories. We also study the supersymmetry properties of the solutions by calculating the eigenvalues of the Bogomol'nyi matrices, which are derived from the commutators of the supercharges. We give an exhaustive list of the supersymmetric $p$-brane solutions using field strengths of all degrees $n=4,3,2,1$, and the non-supersymmetric solutions for $n=4,3,2$. As well as studying elementary and solitonic solutions, we also discuss dyonic solutions in $D=6$ and $D=4$. In particular, we find that the Bogomol'nyi matrices for the supersymmetric massless dyonic solutions have indefinite signature.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Dilatonic p-brane solitons

We find new 4-brane and 5-brane solitons in massive gauged $D=6$, $N=2$ and $D=7$, $N=1$ supergravities. In each case, the solutions preserve half of the original supersymmetry. These solutions make use of the metric and dilaton fields only. We also present more general dilatonic $(D-2)$-branes in $D$ dimensions.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Supermembranes with fewer supersymmetries

The usual supermembrane solution of $D=11$ supergravity interpolates between $R^{11}$ and $AdS_4 \times round~S^7$, has symmetry $P_3 \times SO(8)$ and preserves $1/2$ of the spacetime supersymmetries for either orientation of the round $S^7$. Here we show that more general supermembrane solutions may be obtained by replacing the round $S^7$ by any seven-dimensional Einstein space $M^7$. These have symmetry $P_3 \times G$, where $G$ is the isometry group of $M^7$. For example, $G=SO(5) \times SO(3)$ for the squashed $S^7$. For one orientation of $M^7$, they preserve $N/16$ spacetime supersymmetries where $1\leq N \leq 8$ is the number of Killing spinors on $M^7$; for the opposite orientation they preserve no supersymmetries since then $M^7$ has no Killing spinors. For example $N=1$ for the left-squashed $S^7$ owing to its $G_2$ Weyl holonomy, whereas $N=0$ for the right-squashed $S^7$. All these solutions saturate the same Bogomol'nyi bound between the mass and charge. Similar replacements of $S^{D-p-2}$ by Einstein spaces $M^{D-p-2}$ yield new super $p$-brane solutions in other spacetime dimensions $D\leq 11$. In particular, simultaneous dimensional reduction of the above $D=11$ supermembranes on $S^1$ leads to a new class of $D=10$ elementary string solutions which also have fewer supersymmetries.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Physical states for non-linear $SO(N)$ strings

We study some low-lying physical states in a superstring theory based on the quadratically non-linear $SO(N)$--extended superconformal algebra. In the realisation of the algebra that we use, all the physical states are discrete, analogous to the situation in a one-scalar bosonic string. The BRST operator for the $N=3$ case needs to be treated separately, and its construction is given here.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Stainless super p-branes

The elementary and solitonic supersymmetric $p$-brane solutions to supergravity theories form families related by dimensional reduction, each headed by a maximal (`stainless') member that cannot be isotropically dimensionally oxidized into higher dimensions. We find several new families, headed by stainless solutions in various dimensions $D\le 9$. In some cases, these occur with dimensions $(D,p)$ that coincide with those of descendants of known families, but since the new solutions are stainless, they are necessarily distinct. The new stainless supersymmetric solutions include a 6-brane and a 5-brane in $D=9$, a string in $D=5$, and particles in all dimensions $5\le D\le 9$.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

BRST Quantisation of the N=2 String in a Real Spacetime Structure

We study the $N=2$ string with a real structure on the $(2,2)$ spacetime, using BRST methods. Several new features emerge. In the diagonal basis, the operator $\exp(λ\int^z J^{\rm tot})$, which is associated with the moduli for the $U(1)$ gauge field on the world-sheet, is local and it relates the physical operators in the NS and R sectors. However, the picture-changing operators are non-invertible in this case, and physical operators in different pictures cannot be identified. The three-point interactions of all physical operators leads to three different types of amplitudes, which can be effectively described by the interactions of a scalar NS operator and a bosonic spinorial R operator. In the off-diagonal bases for the fermionic currents, the picture-changing operators are invertible, and hence physical operators in different pictures can be identified. However, now there is no local operator $\exp(λ\int^z J^{\rm tot})$ that relates the physical operators in different sectors. The physical spectrum is thus described by one scalar NS operator and one spinorial R operator. The NS and R operators give rise to different types of three-point amplitudes, and thus cannot be identified.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

$N=1$ Superstring in $2+2$ Dimensions

In this paper we construct a $(2,2)$ dimensional string theory with manifest $N=1$ spacetime supersymmetry. We use Berkovits' approach of augmenting the spacetime supercoordinates by the conjugate momenta for the fermionic variables. The worldsheet symmetry algebra is a twisted and truncated ``small'' $N=4$ superconformal algebra. The realisation of the symmetry algebra is reducible with an infinite order of reducibility. We study the physical states of the theory by two different methods. In one of them, we identify a subset of irreducible constraints, which is by itself critical. We construct the BRST operator for the irreducible constraints, and study the cohomology and interactions. This method breaks the $SO(2,2)$ spacetime symmetry of the original reducible theory. In another approach, we study the theory in a fully covariant manner, which involves the introduction of infinitely many ghosts for ghosts.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

A Search for New (2,2) Strings

There are at present two known string theories in $(2,2)$ dimensions. One of them is the well known $N=2$ string, and the other one is a more recently constructed $N=1$ spacetime supersymmetric string. They are both based on certain twistings and/or truncations of the small $N=4$ superconformal algebra, realised in terms of $(2,2)$ superspace variables. In this paper, we investigate more general possibilities for string theories based on algebras built with the same set of fields. We find that there exists one more string theory, based on an algebra which is not contained within the $N=4$ superconformal algebra. We investigate the spectrum and interactions of this theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

BRST Operators for Higher-spin Algebras

In this paper, we construct non-critical BRST operators for matter and Liouville systems whose currents generate two different $W$ algebras. At the classical level, we construct the BRST operators for $W^{\rm M}_{2,s}\otimes W^{\rm L}_{2,s'}$. The construction is possible for $s=s'$ or $s\ge s'+2$. We also obtain the BRST operator for $W^{\rm M}_{2,4}\otimes W^{\rm L}_4$ at the classical level. We use free scalar realisations for the matter currents in the above constructions. At the full quantum level, we obtain the BRST operators for $W^{\rm M}_{2,s}\otimes W^{\rm L}_2$ with $s=4,5, 6$, where $W_2$ denotes the Virasoro algebra. For the first and last cases, the BRST operators are expressed in terms of abstract matter and Liouville currents. As a by-product, we obtain the $W_{2,4}$ algebra at $c=-24$ and the $W_{2,6}$ algebra at $c=-2$ and $-\ft{286}3$, at which values the algebras were previously believed not to exist.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Higher-spin Realisations of the Bosonic String

It has been shown that certain $W$ algebras can be linearised by the inclusion of a spin--1 current. This provides a way of obtaining new realisations of the $W$ algebras. Recently such new realisations of $W_3$ were used in order to embed the bosonic string in the critical and non-critical $W_3$ strings. In this paper, we consider similar embeddings in $W_{2,4}$ and $W_{2,6}$ strings. The linearisation of $W_{2,4}$ is already known, and can be achieved for all values of central charge. We use this to embed the bosonic string in critical and non-critical $W_{2,4}$ strings. We then derive the linearisation of $W_{2,6}$ using a spin--1 current, which turns out to be possible only at central charge $c=390$. We use this to embed the bosonic string in a non-critical $W_{2,6}$ string.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Embedding of the Bosonic String into the $W_3$ String

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 build non-critical and critical $W_3$ BRST operators. Both of these can be converted by local canonical transformations into a BRST operator for the Virasoro string with $c=28-2$, together with a Kugo-Ojima topological term. Consequently, these new realisations provide embeddings of the Virasoro string into non-critical and critical $W_3$ strings.

hep-th↗

arXiv1994

A Superstring Theory in 2+2 Dimensions

In this paper we construct a $(2,2)$ dimensional string theory with manifest $N=1$ spacetime supersymmetry. We use Berkovits' approach of augmenting the spacetime supercoordinates by the conjugate momenta for the fermionic variables. The worldsheet symmetry algebra is a twisted and truncated ``small'' $N=4$ superconformal algebra. The physical spectrum of the open string contains an infinite number of massless states, including a supermultiplet of a self-dual Yang-Mills field and a right-handed spinor and a supermultiplet of an anti-self-dual Yang-Mills field and a left-handed spinor. The higher-spin multiplets are natural generalisations of these self-dual and anti-self-dual multiplets.

hep-th↗

arXiv1994

Quantising Higher-spin String Theories

In this paper, we examine the conditions under which a higher-spin string theory can be quantised. The quantisability is crucially dependent on the way in which the matter currents are realised at the classical level. In particular, we construct classical realisations for the $W_{2,s}$ algebra, which is generated by a primary spin-$s$ current in addition to the energy-momentum tensor, and discuss the quantisation for $s\le8$. From these examples we see that quantum BRST operators can exist even when there is no quantum generalisation of the classical $W_{2,s}$ algebra. Moreover, we find that there can be several inequivalent ways of quantising a given classical theory, leading to different BRST operators with inequivalent cohomologies. We discuss their relation to certain minimal models. We also consider the hierarchical embeddings of string theories proposed recently by Berkovits and Vafa, and show how the already-known $W$ strings provide examples of this phenomenon. Attempts to find higher-spin fermionic generalisations lead us to examine the whether classical BRST operators for $W_{2,{n\over 2}}$ ($n$ odd) algebras can exist. We find that even though such fermionic algebras close up to null fields, one cannot build nilpotent BRST operators, at least of the standard form.

hep-th↗

arXiv1994

Canonical BRST Quantisation of Worldsheet Gravities

We reformulate the BRST quantisation of chiral Virasoro and $W_3$ worldsheet gravities. Our approach follows directly the classic BRST formulation of Yang-Mills theory in employing a derivative gauge condition instead of the conventional conformal gauge condition, supplemented by an introduction of momenta in order to put the ghost action back into first-order form. The consequence of these simple changes is a considerable simplification of the BRST formulation, the evaluation of anomalies and the expression of Wess-Zumino consistency conditions. In particular, the transformation rules of all fields now constitute a canonical transformation generated by the BRST operator $Q$, and we obtain in this reformulation a new result that the anomaly in the BRST Ward identity is obtained by application of the anomalous operator $Q^2$, calculated using operator products, to the gauge fermion.

hep-th↗