No Arabic abstract
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 $sle8$. 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 $W_{2,{nover 2}}$ ($n$ 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.
A new scheme of the perturbative analysis of the nonlinear HS equations is developed giving directly the final result for the successive application of the homotopy integrations which appear in the standard approach. It drastically simplifies the analysis and results from the application of the standard spectral sequence approach to the higher-spin covariant derivatives, allowing us in particular to reduce multiple homotopy integrals resulting from the successive application of the homotopy trick to a single integral. Efficiency of the proposed method is illustrated by various examples. In particular, it is shown how the Central on-shell theorem of the free theory immediately results from the nonlinear HS field equations with no intermediate computations.
It is shown that similarly to massless superparticle, classical global symmetry of the Berkovits twistor string action is infinite-dimensional. We identify its superalgebra, whose finite-dimensional subalgebra contains $psl(4|4,mathbb R)$ superalgebra. In quantum theory this infinite-dimensional symmetry breaks down to $SL(4|4,mathbb R)$ one.
We classify a large set of melonic theories with arbitrary $q$-fold interactions, demonstrating that the interaction vertices exhibit a range of symmetries, always of the form $mathbb{Z}_2^n$ for some $n$, which may be $0$. The number of different theories proliferates quickly as $q$ increases above $8$ and is related to the problem of counting one-factorizations of complete graphs. The symmetries of the interaction vertex lead to an effective interaction strength that enters into the Schwinger-Dyson equation for the two-point function as well as the kernel used for constructing higher-point functions.
In this short note we present a Lagrangian formulation for free bosonic Higher Spin fields which belong to massless reducible representations of D-dimensional Anti de Sitter group using an ambient space formalism.
We discuss the problem of consistent description of higher spin massive fields coupled to external gravity. As an example we consider massive field of spin 2 in arbitrary gravitational field. Consistency requires the theory to have the same number of degrees of freedom as in flat spacetime and to describe causal propagation. By careful analysis of lagrangian structure of the theory and its constraints we show that there exist at least two possibilities of achieving consistency. The first possibility is provided by a lagrangian on specific manifolds such as static or Einstein spacetimes. The second possibility is realized in arbitrary curved spacetime by a lagrangian representing an infinite series in curvature. In the framework of string theory we derive equations of motion for background massive spin 2 field coupled to gravity from the requirement of quantum Weyl invariance. These equations appear to be a particular case of the general consistent equations obtained from the field theory point of view.