We explore integrability properties of superstring equations of motion in AdS_5 x S^5. We impose light-cone kappa-symmetry and reparametrization gauges and construct a Lax representation for the corresponding Hamiltonian dynamics on subspace of physical superstring degrees of freedom. We present some explicit results for the corresponding conserved charges by consistently reducing the dynamics to AdS_3 x S^3 and AdS_3 x S^1 subsectors containing both bosonic and fermionic fields.
We discuss some new simple closed bosonic string solutions in AdS_5 x S^5 that may be of interest in the context of AdS/CFT duality. In the first part of this work we consider solutions with two spins (S_1, S_2) in AdS_5. Starting from the flat-space solutions and using perturbation theory in the curvature of AdS_5 space, we construct leading terms in the small two-spin solution. We find corrections to the leading Regge term in the classical string energy and uncover a discontinuity in the spectrum for certain type of a solution. We then analyze the connection between small-spin and large-spin limits of string solutions in AdS_5. We show that the S_1 = S_2 solution in AdS_5 found in earlier papers admits both limits only in simplest cases of the folded and rigid circular strings. In the second part of the paper we construct a new class of chiral solutions in R_t x S^5 for which embedding coordinates of S^5 satisfy the linear Laplace equations. They generalize the previously studied rigid string solutions. We study in detail a simple nontrivial example.
We find the Hamiltonian for physical excitations of the classical bosonic string propagating in the AdS_5 x S^5 space-time. The Hamiltonian is obtained in a so-called uniform gauge which is related to the static gauge by a 2d duality transformation. The Hamiltonian is of the Nambu type and depends on two parameters: a single S^5 angular momentum J and the string tension lambda. In the general case both parameters can be finite. The space of string states consists of short and long strings. In the sector of short strings the large J expansion with lambda=lambda/J^2 fixed recovers the plane-wave Hamiltonian and higher-order corrections recently studied in the literature. In the strong coupling limit lambdato infty, J fixed, the energy of short strings scales as sqrt[4]{lambda} while the energy of long strings scales as sqrt{lambda}. We further show that the gauge-fixed Hamiltonian is integrable by constructing the corresponding Lax representation. We discuss some general properties of the monodromy matrix, and verify that the asymptotic behavior of the quasi-momentum perfectly agrees with the one obtained earlier for some specific cases.
The classical spectral curve for the worldsheet theory of the AdS_5 x S^5 lambda superstring is constructed. The lambda string is interpreted as a regularized, non-abelian T dual of the AdS_5 x S^5 superstring with respect to full PSU(2,2|4) symmetry. The form of the curve is identified as the semi-classical limit of a set of Bethe ansatz equations for an XXZ type spin chain for the supergroup PSU(2,2|4) in contrast to the string in AdS_5 x S^5 which is XXX type.
We consider a semiclassical (large string tension ~ lambda^1/2) limit of 4-point correlator of two heavy vertex operators with large quantum numbers and two light operators. It can be written in a factorized form as a product of two 3-point functions, each given by the integrated light vertex operator on the classical string solution determined by the heavy operators. We check consistency of this factorization in the case of a correlator with two dilatons as light operators. We study in detail the example when all 4 operators are chiral primary scalars, two of which carry large charge J of order of string tension. In the large J limit this correlator is nearly extremal. Its semiclassical expression is, indeed, found to be consistent with the general protected form expected for an extremal correlator. We demonstrate explicitly that our semiclassical result matches the large J limit of the known free N=4 SYM correlator for 4 chiral primary operators with charges J,-J,2,-2; we also compare it with an existing supergravity expression. As an example of a 4-point function with two non-BPS heavy operators, we consider the case when the latter are representing folded spinning with large AdS spin and two light states being chiral primary scalars.
We investigate the monodromy of the Lax connection for classical IIB superstrings on AdS_5xS^5. For any solution of the equations of motion we derive a spectral curve of degree 4+4. The curve consists purely of conserved quantities, all gauge degrees of freedom have been eliminated in this form. The most relevant quantities of the solution, such as its energy, can be expressed through certain holomorphic integrals on the curve. This allows for a classification of finite gap solutions analogous to the general solution of strings in flat space. The role of fermions in the context of the algebraic curve is clarified. Finally, we derive a set of integral equations which reformulates the algebraic curve as a Riemann-Hilbert problem. They agree with the planar, one-loop N=4 supersymmetric gauge theory proving the complete agreement of spectra in this approximation.