Beltrami parametrization and gauged BRST symmetry for the free bosonic string

The BRST symmetry for the free bosonic string in the Beltrami parametrization is gauged via a Noether procedure. The resulting local BRST symmetry is characterized by a (localized) differential algebra which is shown to be isomorphic to the (global) BRST algebra one starts from. The corresponding locally invariant gauge-fixed action which exhibits the factorization property is constructed, and a form for the (perturbative BRST current-algebra) anomaly, associated with the localized differential algebra is given. The equivalence between the Noether localization procedure presented here and a procedure which mimics the direct “geometrical” gauging of the BRST symmetry for the Yang-Mills theory is shown.     

Reducible gauge algebra of BRST-invariant constraints

We show that it is possible to formulate the most general first-class gauge algebra of the operator formalism by only using BRST-invariant constraints. In particular, we extend a previous construction for irreducible gauge algebras to the reducible case. The gauge algebra induces two nilpotent, Grassmann-odd, mutually anti-commuting BRST operators that bear structural similarities with BRST/anti-BRST theories but with shifted ghost number assignments. In both cases we show how the extended BRST algebra can be encoded into an operator master equation. A unitarizing Hamiltonian that respects the two BRST symmetries is constructed with the help of a gauge-fixing boson. Abelian reducible theories are shown explicitly in full detail, while non-Abelian theories are worked out for the lowest reducibility stages and ghost momentum ranks.     

BRST Formalism in Self-Dual Chern-Simons Theory with Matter Fields

We apply BRST method to the self-dual Chern-Simons gauge theory with matter fields and the generators of symmetries of the system from an elegant Lie algebra structure under the operation of Poisson bracket. We discuss four different cases: abelian, nonabelian, relativistic, and nonrelativistic situations and extend the system to the whole phase space including ghost fields. In addition, we obtain the BRST charge of the field system and check its nilpotence of the BRST transformation which plays an important role such as in topological quantum field theory and string theory.     

BRST symmetry for finite-dimensional invariances: Applications to global zero modes in string theory

We show that the BRST formalism which is commonly used for infinite-dimensional gauge symmetries is also of interest in the case of continuous finite-dimensional symmetries stemming from global properties. We give as examples the simple case of a massless field on a finite-volume space and the less trivial one of the ghost lagrangian in string theory. In the latter case, we obtain an alternative way to derive the integration measure on moduli space. We also exhibit the BRST type invariance which is hidden in the collective coordinate method.     

Superstrings from Hamiltonian reduction

In any string theory there is a hidden, twisted superconformal symmetry algebra, part of which is made up by the BRST current and the anti-ghost. We investigate how this algebra can be systematically constructed for strings with N − 2 supersymmetries, via quantum Hamiltonian reduction of the Lie superalgebras osp(N|2). The motivation is to understand how one could systematically construct generalized string theories from superalgebras. We also briefly discuss the BRST algebra of the topological string, which is a doubly twisted N = 4 superconformal algebra.     

On BRST quantization of second class constraint algebras

A BRST quantization of second-class constraint algebras that avoids Dirac brackets is constructed, and the BRST operator is shown to be related to the BRST operator of first class algebra by a nonunitary canonical transformation. The transformation converts the second class algebra into an effective first class algebra with the help of an auxiliary second class algebra constructed from the dynamical Lagrange multipliers of the Dirac approach. The BRST invariant path integral for second class algebras is related to the path integral of the pertinent Dirac brackets, using the Parisi-Sourlas mechaism. As an application the possibility of string theories in subcritical dimensions is considered.     

ON GEOMETRIC QUANTIZATION FOR BOSONIC STRING (Ⅱ)

The Hilbert space and the representation of the generators of Virasoro algebra for bosonic string under a holomorphic polarization are given in this paper,It is shown that the contre term of Virasoro algebra may be interpreted as curvature of a holomorphic vector bundle (holomorphic Fock bundle) on coset space G¹¹=G/H where G denotes the conformal transformation group and H the one-parameter subgroup generated by the generator L₀.The condition of the conformal anomaly cancellation may be expressed as the vanishing curvature of the bundle which is obtained by the product of the holomorphic Fock bundle and the holomorphic ghost vacuum bundle.The geometric interpretations of both classical and quantized BRST operators,ghost and antighost operators are also discussed.     

String field theory in the Siegel gauge

We specialize the gauge-fixing procedure for the Witten action of the open bosonic string, given in a preceding paper, choosing the Siegel gauge. We find that the BRST-invariant gauge-fixed action is the gauge invariant one with ghost number unrestricted plus a gauge-fixing term. The BRST invariance of the measure in the functional integral is briefly discussed. As a technical tool the Hodge dual of a string functional is defined.     

Chiral BRST Cohomology of N= 2 Strings at Arbitrary Ghost and Picture Number

We compute the BRST cohomology of the holomorphic part of the N= 1 string at arbitrary ghost and picture number. We confirm the expectation that the relative cohomology at non-zero momentum consists of a single massless state in each picture. The absolute cohomology is obtained by an independent method based on homological algebra. For vanishing momentum, the relative and absolute cohomologies both display a picture dependence – a phenomenon discovered recently also in the relative Ramond sector of N= 1 strings by Berkovits and Zwiebach [1]. Received: 5 January 1998 / Accepted: 16 November 1998     

Spacetime locality of the BRST formalism

The spacetime locality of the BRST formalism is investigated. The analysis covers gauge theories with either closed or open algebras and is undertaken in the explicit context of the antifield formulation of the BRST theory. Under appropriate conditions, the homology of the Koszul-Tate differential modulo the spacetime exterior derivative is shown to be trivial in the space of non-integrated densities with positive antighost and pure ghost numbers. As a result: (i) the solution of the master equation can be taken to be a local functional; (ii) the gauge fixed action is also a local functional provided one takes the gauge fixing fermion to be a local functional as well; and (iii) the BRST transformation is local.     

From conformal quantum mechanics on bordered Riemann surfaces to covariant string field theory

The Faddeev-Popov determinant of the reparametrization ghosts of the closed bosonic string on bordered Riemann surfaces is investigated. It is found that the standard ghost action has to be supplemented by additional boundary terms. These additional terms lead to a nontrivial ghost transition amplitude. It is shown that boundary variations of ghost transition amplitudes are generated by the ghost Virasoro operators. The relevance of the boundary variation operator for string field theory is illustrated. A new interpretation of the BRST operator in terms of boundary variations is obtained and the BRST invariance of the transition amplitudes is demonstrated. A generalization of the Siegel gauge of second quantized closed bosonic string field theory is presented.     

Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin quantization and Hamiltonian formalism

An introductory review of BRST hamiltonian formalism is presented. The method of quantization of gauge and string theories is discussed. A few simple examples are presented to illustrate the BRST techniques.     

The algebraic structure of the fermionic string

The local structure of the product expansion algebra of the covariant NSR string is analyzed. An “on-shell” Kac-Moody like algebra is found to generate the BRST invariant part of the covariant lattice Γ_5,1. This algebra is a local version of ten-dimensional SUSY.     

Dual-BRST symmetry: 6D Abelian 3-form gauge theory

Within the framework of the Becchi–Rouet–Stora–Tyutin (BRST) formalism, we demonstrate the existence of the novel off-shell nilpotent (anti-)dual-BRST symmetries in the context of a six (5+1)-dimensional (6D) free Abelian 3-form gauge theory. Under these local and continuous symmetry transformations, the total gauge-fixing term of the Lagrangian density remains invariant. This observation should be contrasted with the off-shell nilpotent (anti-)BRST symmetry transformations, under which, the total kinetic term of the theory remains invariant. The anticommutator of the above nilpotent (anti-)BRST and (anti-)dual-BRST transformations leads to the derivation of a bosonic symmetry in the theory. There exists a discrete symmetry transformation in the theory which provides a thread of connection between the nilpotent (anti-)BRST and (anti-)dual-BRST transformations. This theory is endowed with a ghost-scale symmetry, too. We discuss the algebra of these symmetry transformations and show that the structure of the algebra is reminiscent of the algebra of de Rham cohomological operators of differential geometry.     

Strings in the harmonic gauge

The bosonic string is quantized in a path-integral formulation in harmonic gauge. The BRST transformations are identified and the stress tensor is constructed. The conformal anomaly is computed, and has the standard (D−26) form. The ghost number current is shown to have no anomalies, even on a curved world sheet.     

Tensor constructions of open string theories (I) foundations

The possible tensor constructions of open string theories are analyzed from first principles. To this end the algebraic framework of open string field theory is clarified, including the role of the homotopy associative A_∞ algebra, the odd symplectic structure, cyclicity, star conjugation, and twist. It is also shown that two string theories are off-shell equivalent if the corresponding homotopy associative algebras are homotopy equivalent in a strict sense.It is demonstrated that a homotopy associative star algebra with a compatible even bilinear form can be attached to an open string theory. If this algebra does not have a space-time interpretation, positivity and the existence of a conserved ghost number require that its cohomology is at degree zero, and that it has the structure of a direct sum of full matrix algebras. The resulting string theory is shown to be physically equivalent to a string theory with a familiar open string gauge group.     

BRST symmetry of field redefinitions

Field redefinitions are considered as a special case of BRST gauge fixings of more general field-enlarging transformations. At the two-loop level an extra local term in the action, the Gervais-Jevicki potential, is generated by point canonical transformations in the bosonic part of the theory. We give an example of how this additional term can be cancelled by the inclusion of the ghost fields. This is achieved through an anomalous Jacobian factor from the ghost measure.     

Chiral Forms and Their Deformations

We systematically study deformations of chiral forms with applications to string theory in mind. To first order in the coupling constant, this problem can be translated into the calculation of the local BRST cohomological group at ghost number zero. We completely solve this cohomology and present detailed proofs of results announced in a previous letter. In particular, we show that there is no room for non-abelian, local, deformations of a pure system of chiral p-forms. Received: 17 April 2000 / Accepted: 13 July 2001     

All free string theories are theories of BRST cohomology

The fully gauge-invariant theory of the free open (super) strings is generalized to treat closed (super) strings in the BRST formalism. It is shown that the actions for all theories can be written in the form (Φ,Q_BΦ) using the BRST charge Q_B and the string functional Φ, if the inner product is interpreted appropriately with necessary ghost insertions. Also is shown that consistent truncations of our actions recover all known covariant formulations of (super) strings.     

BRST cohomology of the fermionic string

The BRST cohomology of the first-quantized fermionic string (Ramond model) is explicitly computed by using methods developed in a previous letter. The infinite degeneracy due to the commuting ghost zero mode is shown to be spurious by extending to the BRSt context an argument originally due to Corrigan and Goddard.