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5
questions
2
votes
1
answer
174
views
Light-cone quantization of open string as derived in Polchinski
Polchinski uses the following gauge conditions, but I don't follow this procedure of gauge fixing and quantization:
\begin{align}
X^+ = \tau, \tag{1.3.8a} \\
\partial_\sigma \gamma_{\sigma \sigma} = 0,...
- 433
3
votes
0
answers
112
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Why are there only two 496-dim. gauge groups $E_8\times E_8$ and $SO(32)$ allowed in string theory? Why not $E_8\times U(1)^{248}$ or $U(1)^{496}$?
While constructing anomaly-free string theories with $\mathcal N=1$ supersymmetry (16 supercharges constituting a Majorana-Weyl spinor), we learn that the gauge group must be 496-dimensional in order ...
- 71
1
vote
1
answer
279
views
Gauge anomaly in Polyakov string and Faddeev-Popov method
I am currently trying to gain a better understanding of the gauge fixing procedure used in chapter 5 of David Tong's notes.
Since the central charge of the Polyakov action for, say, the bosonic ...
- 261
5
votes
0
answers
232
views
Where does chiral matter at conical singularities "come from" in M-theory?
It seems to be accepted that to produce chiral fermionic matter in a compactification $\mathbb{R}^4\times X$ of M-theory/11d SUGRA to four dimensions, we need the seven-manifold $X$ to have isolated (...
- 126k
5
votes
2
answers
571
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Kaluza-Klein in superstring theory
In superstring theory, it says that they wrap 16 dimensions on a torus given by $\mathbb{R}^{16}$ divided by a SO(32) or $E_8 \times E_8$ lattice and this gives a gauge group of the same name.
But in ...
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