We study the zero mode cohomology of the sum of two pure spinors. The knowledge of this cohomology allows us to better understand the structure of the massless vertex operator of the Type IIB pure spinor superstring.
In the study of the Type II superstring, it is useful to consider the BRST complex associated to the sum of two pure spinors. The cohomology of this complex is an infinite-dimensional vector space. It is also a finite-dimensional algebra over the algebra of functions of a single pure spinor. In this paper we study the multiplicative structure.
The superform construction of supersymmetric invariants, which consists of integrating the top component of a closed superform over spacetime, is reviewed. The cohomological methods necessary for the analysis of closed superforms are discussed and some further theoretical developments presented. The method is applied to higher-order corrections in heterotic string theory up to $a^3$. Some partial results on $N=2,d=10$ and $N=1,d=11$ are also given.
It is well known that the usual formulation of Elko spinor fields leads to a subtle Lorentz symmetry break encoded in the spin sums. Recently it was proposed a redefinition in the dual structure, along with a given mathematical device, which eliminate the Lorentz breaking term in the spin sums. In this work we delve into the analysis of this mathematical device providing a solid framework to the used method.
We compute partition functions describing multiplicities and charges of massless and first massive string states of pure-spinor superstrings in 3,4,6,10 dimensions. At the massless level we find a spin-one gauge multiplet of minimal supersymmetry in d dimensions. At the first massive string level we find a massive spin-two multiplet. The result is confirmed by a direct analysis of the BRST cohomology at ghost number one. The central charges of the pure spinor systems are derived in a manifestly SO(d) covariant way confirming that the resulting string theories are critical. A critical string model with N=(2,0) supersymmetry in d=2 is also described.
We perform the quantisation of antisymmetric tensor-spinors (fermionic $p$-forms) $psi^alpha_{mu_1 dots mu_p}$ using the Batalin-Vilkovisky field-antifield formalism. Just as for the gravitino ($p=1$), an extra propagating Nielsen-Kallosh ghost appears in quadratic gauges containing a differential operator. The appearance of this `third ghost is described within the BV formalism for arbitrary reducible gauge theories. We then use the resulting spectrum of ghosts and the Atiyah-Singer index theorem to compute gravitational anomalies.