Gauge Symmetries of the N=2 String

Abstract

We study the underlying gauge symmetry algebra of the $N=2$ string, which is broken down to a subalgebra in any spacetime background. For given toroidal backgrounds, the unbroken gauge symmetries (corresponding to holomorphic and antiholomorphic worldsheet currents) generate area-preserving diffeomorphism algebras of null 2-tori. A minimal Lie algebraic closure containing all the gauge symmetries that arise in this way, is the background--independent volume--preserving diffeomorphism algebra of the target Narain torus $T^{4,4}$. The underlying symmetries act on the ground ring of functions on $T^{4,4}$ as derivations, much as in the case of the $d=2$ string. A background--independent spacetime action valid for noncompact metrics is presented, whose symmetries are volume--preserving diffeomorphisms. Possible extensions to $N=2$ and $N=1$ heterotic strings are briefly discussed.

25 pages

References in corpus (2)

• Interaction of Discrete States in Two-Dimensional String Theory
• The generalized no-ghost theorem for N=2 SUSY critical strings

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Target Space Duality in String Theory
• Strings in Singular Time-Dependent Backgrounds
• M-branes and N=2 Strings
• On the BRST Operator Structure of the N=2 String
• An Infinite Dimensional Symmetry Algebra in String Theory
• Twisting the N=2 String
• Spacetime Diffeomorphisms and Topological W-Infinity Symmetry in Two Dimensional Topological String Theory
• Ward identities and the vanishing theorem for loop amplitudes of the closed N=2 string
• On String Field Theory and Effective Actions